General Election: DUP name Jonathan Buckley MLA as candidate for Lagan Valley
The DUP has confirmed that Jonathan Buckley will stand as the party’s Lagan Valley candidate in the general election.
Mr Buckley, who is presently an MLA for Upper Bann, was joined by party leader Gavin Robinson MP, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly MLA and Education Minister Paul Givan MLA for the announcement at DUP headquarters on Friday (May 24).
Mr Robinson said: “The party has this afternoon selected Jonathan Buckley to be our candidate in Lagan Valley. With the recent changed Lagan Valley boundaries, almost 7,000 voters who were formerly in the Upper Bann constituency, have now moved to the Lagan Valley constituency.
“Jonathan has strong links, including through family, to the Lisburn and wider Lagan Valley area. First elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2017, Jonathan has a proven track for speaking up for his constituents, both in the Assembly and on the ground. Jonathan is an articulate and powerful advocate for the Unionist people across Northern Ireland.
“He has all the right attributes to campaign in Lagan Valley and over the course of the next six weeks and we will work to win votes throughout Lagan Valley to ensure he is elected as a new generation advocate for its people.”
The Lagan Valley seat was previously held by former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who is not standing again after facing historical sex charges which he has said he is strenuously contesting.
Also running for Westminster in the constituency are Ulster Unionist deputy leader Robbie Butler and Alliance MLA Sorcha Eastwood with other parties expected to announce candidates before the nomination deadline.
The surprise general election date of July 4 was announced this week by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who visited Belfast on Friday on the fourth leg of his whirlwind tour of the UK.