TUV confirms Cairns as South Antrim candidate

The Antrim man’s candidature was officially announced at the party’s annual conference, held at the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick on November 28.

Mr Cairns, who was unsuccessful at the last Westminster and local government elections, told the conference: “The Assembly election will be fast upon us – this party must hit the ground running. I am looking forward to this campaign, a campaign that will define this party. A campaign I believe will be the making of this party.

“We need the people of Northern Ireland. And, I suspect, they need us.”

During his speech, Mr Cairns set out the TUV’s vision for the future of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The party’s ‘Path to Making Stormont Work’ document sets out two options aimed at improving how Stormont works - the creation on “a voluntary coalition” and “direct rule ministers working alongside a legislative Assembly”.

“TUV demand and will work for a proper, workable system of devolution based on democratic principles. If it’s good enough for everyone else in the democratic world, it’s good enough for Northern Ireland,” Mr Cairns told the conference.