The Rev Ian Paisley has held North Antrim comfortably for 31 years. Many observers believe this will be his last Westminster election before he hands the seat on to his son, Ian jnr.
North Antrim has a large rural population and the DUP secures strong support among well-to-do farmers. It is solid anti-agreement unionist territory. Its main towns are Ballymena and Ballymoney. Catholics account for around 30 per cent of the population.
They are concentrated mainly in Ballycastle, Dunloy and the Glens of Antrim, although Ballymena itself has a growing Catholic community. The SDLP significantly outpolls Sinn Fein in the area.
The party is running its Further and Higher Education Minister, Mr Sean Farren, who won 17 per cent of the vote in the 1998 Assembly elections. Sinn Fein secured 8 per cent. Its candidate is Mr John Kelly, who was centrally involved in the 1970 Arms Crisis.
Alliance, which polled 5 per cent in 1998, is represented by Ms Jayne Dunlop. At the Assembly elections, the DUP-UUP vote split 38-22 per cent respectively. In 1997, Dr Paisley secured 47 per cent support, outpolling his UUP rival by two-to-one. The UUP candidate on June 7th is Mr Lexie Scott, a primary school principal and popular local councillor.