The Five Demands

Ian Paisley (Senior), 83 anni, rappresentante per il North Antrim dal 1970, nonchè Primo Ministro dell’Irlanda del Nord fino al 2008, ha dichiarato di essere sul punto di valutare il suo rientro in politica in occasione delle prossime elezioni generali.
L’ex leader del DUP, in un’intervista al House Magazine, ha rivelato di voler ritornare a lottare per le elezioni nonostante ormai si sia ritirato a vita privata.
“Penso mi piacerebbe tornare di nuovo a rivestire la carica di deputato. Mia moglie è la House of Lords, così lascerò a lei trattare con le nobili signorie”.

Paisley ‘may stand again as MP’ (BBC News Northern Ireland)
Ian Paisley has said he is thinking of standing again as an MP at the next general election. The former DUP leader has told the House Magazine that although he has largely withdrawn from public life he thinks he would fight another election. After he stood down as first minister in 2008 it was widely thought that he would also retire from Westminster. It was also expected that his son, Ian Jr would be selected to fight the seat against a challenge from the TUV. Mr Paisley told the political journal: “I think I would stand as an MP again. My wife is in the House of Lords, so I’ll leave her to deal with the noble lordships.” Mr Paisley, who is 83, has held the North Antrim seat since 1970. ‘Hiding’ At the last general election he polled 25,156 votes, giving him a majority of nearly 18,000. Earlier this month he issued a challenge to TUV leader Jim Allister to fight him for his seat. In a BBC Northern Ireland interview he said his former DUP colleague was more than welcome to run in North Antrim at the next general election. “He is very welcome to come and get a hiding in North Antrim,” he said. Mr Paisley later added that although the TUV polled well in the European elections, the party was still defeated by the DUP. Speaking on Wednesday Mr Allister said he would look forward to a battle in North Antrim: “TUV does have two very strong branches in North Antrim and an army of very willing workers. “We believe that our support in the constituency is strong and we will be fighting to win. “While Ian Paisley may say that I would receive ‘a hiding’ in North Antrim, the European election showed that a very significant section of the DUP’s former supporters in the constituency – and indeed across Northern Ireland – have abandoned them for the Traditional Unionism of TUV.”