DERRY'S beleaguered unionist mayor, Mr Richard Dallas, may have lost his Mercedes, his mayoral parlour in the Guildhall and his secretarial back up but he may also have strengthened his unionist credibility for long term gain.
Mr Dallas, although stripped of many mayoral privileges, could just have put himself in the running for Mr William Ross's seat when the 60 year old East Derry MP decides to retire.
Mr Dallas, a 27 year old graduate of Queen's University, is said to be ambitious. He has aroused the anger of nationalists in Derry over 12,000 of them marched in Derry after Drumcree calling for his resignation but many unionists will have admired his stand.
Derry's youngest mayor is from Drumahoe, a few miles outside the city, not far from where Mr John Hume's Foyle's constituency joins the East Derry constituency. He has said his role model is Mr Ross, which perhaps points to a desire to eventually move east in the county if parliamentary opportunity beckons.
In the meantime, he must surmount the current convulsions surrounding his decision to join in an Orange blockade of Craigavon bridge in Derry during the Drumcree crisis.
So far he is holding his ground.
His identification with Mr Ross also illustrates that, despite his tender political years, he can appeal to rural elements within unionism. A long standing unionist party member who has known him since he was a child said Mr Dallas also has the personality to appeal to younger and, perhaps, more liberal unionists.
Mr Dallas comes from a stalwart unionist background. His late father, Raymond, was a primary school vice principal and was secretary of the Derry division of the Ulster Unionist Party.
Mr Dallas was in the Boys' Brigade, taught at Sunday school, and was in the Scripture Union in Queen's, according to a unionist friend. He was educated at the local primary school and Foyle and Londonderry College, before studying engineering at Strathclyde University in Scotland. He later changed courses and took a degree in mathematics in Queen's.
He worked with the Ulster Bank for a while but resigned when he was unable to get a transfer to Derry after his election.
Local unionists describe him as personable, helpful and a "good Christian". While he has angered nationalists and is in no mood to apologise for his actions his star within the Ulster Unionist Party may be on the rise.
