Deirdre quits Tories
One of the three "rebels" who withdrew their names as potential candidates for the Conservatives after the Hatfield House revelations has now quit the party altogether. The Conservatives and Unionists held a special news conference at their HQ at Weavers Court in Belfast to trumpet Deirdre Nelson's defection from the DUP. But now Mrs Nelson has left the party altogether and is understood to be considering her future in politics.
The Ballymena councillor had been keen to stand in East Belfast, but it's believed she was also touted as a potential runner in North Antrim where she would have been the meat in an Allister Paisley Jr. sandwich.
The Conservatives and Unionists are expected to confirm their remaining 9 candidates in the coming days. But neither Deirdre Nelson nor the other two rebels Sheila Davidson and Peter McCann are expected to feature.
Should Ian Paisley Junior follow in his father's footsteps and become MP for North Antrim, the DUP could soon have two Assembly seats to fill in the constituency. Prior to her defection, Mrs Nelson would have been considered a "shoe in" for one of these jobs, but she now finds herself in something of a political wilderness.
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