London-based public relations consultant Mr David Burnside, a perceived unionist hardliner, was last night chosen as the Ulster Unionist Party candidate to contest the South Antrim by-election caused by the death of Clifford Forsythe.
Five candidates sought the nomination but in the end it was a battle between Mr Burnside and Mr David Campbell, chief of staff for the North's First Minister Mr David Trimble, and a staunch pro-Belfast Agreement politician.
Sources said Mr Trimble would have preferred Mr Campbell to have been selected but that he would be able to "manage" having Mr Burnside as a Westminster MP. To win the seat, Mr Burnside must first defeat his main rival, the Rev William McCrea of the DUP.
Mr Burnside, who in March forced the adoption of an Ulster Unionist Council motion seeking to link sharing government with Sinn Fein to the retention of the RUC name, refuses to be categorised as an anti-agreement candidate. Nonetheless, he is perceived as more sympathetic to the No camp, and could add to the party tensions already afflicting Mr Trimble.
Mr Burnside won with 90 votes to 70 for Mr Campbell. After the vote, he told reporters he supported Mr Trimble in his successful leadership tussle with the Rev Martin Smyth, and his differences with the UUP leader was over "tactics, not end objectives".
Asked did he see himself as a future UUP leader, Mr Burnside replied, "No; to win South Antrim for the Ulster Unionist Party is the only objective I have in my political sights."
Initially, there were seven candidates but local MLA Mr Jim Wilson was barred from running because of the party's ban on members holding both Assembly and Westminster seats. Mr Duncan Shipley-Dalton, also a UUP MLA for South Antrim, pulled out because of a row with party headquarters. Last night, he backed Mr Campbell.
It is expected that the by-election will be called in the autumn. It will be keenly contested. Yesterday, Mr David Ford, a South Antrim MLA, was chosen as the Alliance candidate.
