Mr John Taylor has decided not to stand in the next British general election. His decision sets the scene for another bruising Westminster battle between the Ulster Unionist Party and the DUP for his Strangford seat.
Mr Taylor's surprise announcement last night made him the second high-profile pro-agreement Ulster Unionist MP to withdraw from the House of Commons. Earlier in the month Mr Ken Maginnis said he was standing down from his Fermanagh-South Tyrone seat.
Mr Taylor (63) cited a heavy workload as his reason for withdrawing. His decision was unexpected as his constituency body had already reselected him to contest the election.
However, Mr Taylor will stay on as Assembly member for Strangford. The First Minister, Mr David Trimble, announced Mr Taylor would also sit on the Policing Board on behalf of the UUP.
"This has been a very difficult decision to make but I believe it is best for the Ulster Unionist Party and myself if I am to increase my political activity in other public bodies," said Mr Taylor, who also holds a number of business interests.
Mr Taylor and Mr Trimble expressed confidence that the UUP would hold Strangford. The DUP candidate, Ms Iris Robinson, predicted she would take the seat, and said Mr Taylor's announcement illustrated a wider malaise within the Yes wing of unionism.
Mr Trimble hopes the Strangford constituency will select the UUP Arts Minister, Mr Michael McGimpsey, to contest the seat. Other possible candidates include senior Orange figure Mr David McNarry, and teacher Mr Jim Hamilton, who had tried to win the nomination to contest Strangford from Mr Taylor.
Were Mr McGimpsey selected, Strangford would be a straight contest between Yes and No unionism. In the 1997 Westminster election, Mr Taylor defeated Ms Robinson with a majority of almost 6,000 votes, but in the 1998 Assembly election Ms Robinson polled 270 votes more than Mr Taylor.
