Local political parties are to begin electioneering in earnest after Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed May 5 as polling day across the UK.

Mr Blair, who delayed announcing the poll date by 24 hours because of the Pope's death, has asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament next week, ready for the general election.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who will be looking to build on his party’s success at the last Assembly elections, predicted further gains ahead of next month's poll.

“Sinn Féin never take the electorate for granted. However despite recent attempts to demonise our party and our voters we face into these two important elections in a confident mood,” the West Belfast MP said.

“We will be bringing our vision of a new Ireland and support for the peace process to every constituency in the six counties. We will fight this election as an all-Ireland party.”

East Belfast Westminster Candidate and senior Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey said he did not believe people in Northern Ireland wanted a country carved up between Ian Paisley’s DUP party and Mr Adams’ Sinn Fein.

”I do not believe that people want their country carved up between Gerry Adams and Ian Paisley. Both these men are divisive. We need to be uniting Northern Ireland not dividing it,” Sir Reg said.

“To have each section of the community operating separately, with its own leaders, is against the long term interests of everybody here. We will achieve more by working together.”

Dr Paisley’s party go into next months election as Northern Ireland’s biggest political party and will go head to head with David Trimble’s Ulster Unionists in the majority of constituencies after having failed to agree an electoral pact following recent discussions.

The SDLP, meanwhile, will be looking to hold on to several of its seats as Sinn Fein’s growth across the country continues. The most hotly contended will see party leader Mark Durkan fight Sinn Fein’s Mitchell McLaughlin for John Hume’s vacated Foyle seat.

(MB/SP)