DUP will shortly announce election candidate for Jeffrey Donaldson’s seat

The DUP will shortly announce its election candidate for Lagan Valley – the seat currently held by former party leader Jeffrey Donaldson, MP Gregory Campbell has said.

The Alliance Party has also said a decision will be made within days on whether leader Naomi Long would challenge DUP interim leader Gavin Robinson in East Belfast.

The Northern parties are gearing up for a poll during the school holidays in the region after the surprise announcement by British prime minister Rishi Sunak that the UK general election will take place on July 4th.

Sinn Féin has emerged as the largest party in the Assembly and local council elections in the last two years and will be hoping to repeat that success again.

The republican party won seven seats at the last Westminster election, compared with eight for the DUP, the largest unionist party.

However, Sinn Féin’s North Belfast MP John…