Constituency profile: Upper Bann The DUP would love to inflict humiliation on Mr David Trimble in his Westminster constituency of Upper Bann. In the last 2001 Westminster election their candidate, Mr David Simpson, came within 2,000 votes of taking the Ulster Unionist leader's seat.
However, that's a comfortable majority in most politicians' eyes. Mr Simpson won 15,000 votes against 17,000 for Mr Trimble but still demanded a recount. The purpose of the ostensibly pointless exercise was to embarrass Mr Trimble, who in the previous general election held an advantage of over 9,000. Mr Trimble easily survived the recount but was lucky to survive its aftermath. Remember how he and his wife Daphne were roughly manhandled outside the count centre in Banbridge in June 2001 by some of the DUP supporters. It was all very ugly.
The DUP was fairly immune to the subsequent chastisement. The party was making two points: that Mr Trimble was not welcome in his own constituency and that as more and more unionists took to the DUP's anti-Belfast Agreement message so would the UUP leader's majority continue to crumble.
So, a rather important side battle here is whether Mr Simpson this time can take more votes than the leader of Ulster unionism. Mr Trimble appears assured of his seat but must wonder after all the recent convulsions whether his vote will again deteriorate. Ulster Unionist activists say the roughhouse tactics of the DUP didn't go down well and that the UUP will retain its position as the main unionist party in Upper Bann. "We're breathing down your neck," the DUP respond. On the figures there are four unionist and two nationalist seats in Upper Bann. The nationalist spoils should divide evenly between the SDLP and Sinn Féin. The SDLP's deputy leader Ms Bríd Rodgers is not running, leaving Ms Dolores Kelly the main contender of its two candidates. Ms Kelly and the main Sinn Féin runner, Dr Dara O'Hagan should win comfortably.