2016 election: Alliance and DUP hope to clinch trio of East Belfast seats

With Peter Robinson not standing in this constituency, for which he was an elected representative for almost 40 years, Naomi Long is the most well known candidate.
Parliament Buildings at StormontParliament Buildings at Stormont
Parliament Buildings at Stormont

She defeated Mr Robinson as MP in 2010, and then was herself defeated as MP by another (unrelated) Robinson, Gavin, last year.

Ms Long is likely to top the poll, although vote management is such that Alliance will not want ballots to be heaped on any one of its three candidates in this, its strongest constituency.

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Alliance is likely to get two MLAs and might get three but if so the DUP (which had three last time) will likely lose one. The UUP, which had one victor in 2011 (Michael Copeland) is fielding both Andy Allen, who was co-opted to replace Mr Copeland, and Chris McGimpsey, a veteran of the party, more associated with the west of the city.

The Green candidate, Ross Brown, and the Tory, Neil Wilson, are young men who have worked hard to raise their profile in areas where their parties poll respectably. Both have an uphill battle to win, as does John Kyle of the PUP, even though it is a good area for the party.

Other candidates include UKIP, TUV and an independent Maggie Hutton, all of whom will hope to do well in this very pro-Union seat. For that reason, neither the SDLP nor Sinn Fein are likely to gain a foothold.

2016 CANDIDATES:

• Andy Allen (UUP)

• Ross Brown (Green)

• Joanne Bunting (DUP)

• Amy Doherty (SDLP)

• Sammy Douglas (DUP)

• Andrew Girvan (TUV)

• Erskine Holmes (NI Labour Representation Committee)

• Maggie Hutton (Ind.)

• John Kyle (PUP)

• Jonny Lavery (UKIP)

Naomi Long (Alliance)

• Chris Lyttle (Alliance)

• Chris McGimpsey (UUP)

• Tim Morrow (Alliance)

• Robin Newton (DUP)

• Niall Ó Donnghaile (SF)

• Courtney Robinson (Cross-Community Labour Alternative)

• Neil Wilson (Cons,)

RESULTS OF 2011 ELECTION:

Peter Robinson (DUP) 9,149 (28.3%)

Judith Cochrane (Alliance) 4,329 (13.4%)

Chris Lyttle (Alliance) 4,183 (12.9%)

Sammy Douglas (DUP) 2,668 (8.2%)

Robin Newton (DUP) 2,436 (7.5%)

Michael Copeland (UUP) 2,194 (6.8%)

Dawn Purvis (Ind.) 1,702 (5.3%)

Brian Ervine (PUP) 1,493 (4.6%)

Niall O Donnghaile (SF) 1,030 (3.2%)

Philip Robinson (UUP) 943 (2.9%)

Harry Toan (TUV) 712 (2.2%)

Martin Gregg (Green) 572 (1.8%)

Ann Cooper (BNP) 337 (1%)

Magdalena Wolska (SDLP) 250 (0.8%)

Tommy Black (Socialist Party) 201 (0.6%)

Kevin McNally (Workers Party) 102 (0.3%)

Stephen Stewart (Ind.) 46 (0.1%)