17 out of 18 ain't bad

Who can find the eighteenth??

Well, by now everyone knows that the Conservatives and Unionists have ratified 17 out of a possible 18 candidates to stand in every constituency in Northern Ireland.

There are of course some eyebrows raised about the missing 18th candidate.  Not the smoothest of electoral campaigns, but then again when does any electoral campaign go entirely to plan??

The 17 selected so far are

Antrim East –          Rodney McCune

Antrim North –        Irwin Armstrong

Belfast North –        Fred Cobain

Belfast South –        Paula Bradshaw

Down North –          Ian Parsley

East Belfast –          Trevor Ringland

Fermanagh and 

South Tyrone –        Tom Elliott

Foyle –                    David Harding

Lagan Valley –          Daphne Trimble

Londonderry East –   Lesley Macaulay

Mid Ulster –             Sandra Overend

Newry and 

Armagh –                 Danny Kennedy

Strangford –             Mike Nesbitt

South Down –          John McCallister

Upper Bann –           Harry Hamilton

West Belfast –          Bill Manwaring

West Tyrone –          Ross Hussey

South Antrim has yet to be decided.

If the UNCUNF project wanted to give their candidates the best possible chance they should have all been chosen well before Christmas 2009. But as they say 'you play the hand you are dealt.'

from what i have heard there have been issues on both the Conservative and the UUP sides. Its a shaky start but may yet find the problems ironed out as the campaign progresses.

If they are really stuck in South Antrim, I'm available. ;)