DUP confirms Dodds as North Belfast candidate

He was enthusiastically endorsed by the party’s North Belfast Constituency Association at a selection meeting held last Thursday evening (March 4).

Mr Dodds, who is Deputy Leader of the DUP, will be standing for a third term of office, having won the Westminster seat in the 2001 and 2005 elections.

“It has been my privilege to serve the people of North Belfast as their Member of Parliament since 2001 and I have no hesitation in standing for re-election.

“The election battle in North Belfast will be a straight choice between myself as the sitting DUP MP and a Sinn Fein abstentionist who offers only non-representation. I have every confidence that the North Belfast electorate will vote for continued representation at Westminster,” Mr Dodds said.

While a date for the general election has yet to be announced, it is expected to take place in May.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that six local wards are being added to the North Belfast constituency for the forthcoming Westminster election.

The Boundary Commission has confirmed that five Glengormley wards - Collinbridge, Glebe, Glengormley, Hightown and Ballyhenry - will move from South Antrim into North Belfast, while Cloughfern, which was in the East Antrim constituency, will also become part of North Belfast.