Staunch anti-agreement man takes final UUP seat

East Derry: The UUP beat the DUP to take the final unionist seat in East Derry yesterday

East Derry: The UUP beat the DUP to take the final unionist seat in East Derry yesterday. However, the victory will have provided little solace to David Trimble as it was a staunch anti-agreement candidate, Mr Norman Hillis, who took the seat.

Despite DUP hopes that the party would clinch the final seat, the party's third candidate, Mr Maurice Bradley, was 500 votes behind the UUP's Mr Hillis by the eighth count, and was eliminated.

Mr Bradley's elimination saw the election of his running mate, Mr George Robinson. Ironically, it was Mr Robinson's transfers that elected Mr Hillis.

On paper, Mr Hillis's victory is a gain for the UUP, one of the few in this election.

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While two UUP candidates were elected in 1998, almost immediately Ms Pauline Armitage left the party for the UK Unionists. She was one of the first candidates to be eliminated, polling just 900 first preferences.

On Thursday, Mr David McClarty, a Trimble supporter, was elected, as was East Derry MP, Mr Gregory Campbell (DUP). Sinn Féin's Francie Brolly was elected at the expense of an SDLP seat.

SDLP veteran Mr John Dallat took the last seat after his party colleague, Mr Michael Coyle, was eliminated.

During his election speech, a defiant Mr Gregory Campbell said the DUP's election success sent "a clear message" that the unionist community wanted a renegotiation of the Good Friday agreement.