The date of the Antrim South by-election, following the death of Ulster Unionist MP Mr Clifford Forsythe earlier this year, has been set for September 21st. Mr Forsythe, who died on April 27th, was opposed to the Belfast Agreement and known as a hardliner. One of the candidates for the seat, the Alliance Party's chief whip Mr David Ford, yesterday said he was pleased the UUP had stopped "running scared" of the contest. Mr David Burnside will defend the seat for the UUP.
Mr Ford, the Rev William McCrea from the DUP, the SDLP's Mr Donovan McClelland, Mr Martin Meehan from Sinn Fein and Mr Norman Boyd from the Northern Ireland Unionist Party will also contest the seat.