Nigel Dodds can hold North Belfast but it will be a very tight race and he will need all unionists there to vote tomorrow

There are several other seats that are of great importance, including Emma Little Pengelly’s campaign for re-election in South Belfast and Gavin Robinson’s bid for the same in East Belfast.

As this column noted yesterday, Fermanagh and South Tyrone is also a major battle, and we hope that Tom Elliott prevails there as much as we hope for the same for Ms Little Pengelly and Mr Robinson.

While a big unionist turnout in all constituencies is essential, there is an extra layer of importance in North Belfast.

Sinn Fein are putting every effort they can into removing Nigel Dodds, the DUP’s Westminster leader. It knows how influential Mr Dodds is in the House of Commons, and how well connected and respected he is there.

The SDLP has stood down in favour of John Finucane, which greatly boosts his hopes of victory. In the absence of so much as a statement on past IRA terror, which the SDLP so bravely and consistently opposed during the Troubles, earning the great enmity of republicans, unionists who might have supported the party in Foyle or South Down, to defeat Sinn Fein, will now wonder if there is any point.

We hope that traditional SDLP voters stick to their principles and decline to transfer to Sinn Fein in North Belfast.

The footballer James McClean has also endorsed Mr Finucane. The Green Party had already stood down there. While it did not explicitly endorse Mr Finucane, its votes could be key.

Alliance however has stood its ground there. The party is genuinely pro EU and would seem to be a more natural destination for Green Party votes. Sinn Fein, on the other hand, is hoping Boris Johnson’s deal passes, in order to split the UK.

The only thing unionists can do now in North Belfast do is turn out tomorrow. Christmas is a busy time, but by planning now most people should be able to get to a polling station some time between 7am and 10pm.