Traditional Unionist Voice have announced that their candidate in the Castlereagh by-election to fill the vacancy left by disgraced DUP MP, MLA and councillor Iris Robinson will be Mrs Ann Cooper.

Mrs Cooper has lived in East Belfast all her life and currently works as a driving instructor.

Commenting after hading in her nomination papers today Mrs Cooper said:
“Under Robinson rule Castlereagh has become a place for easy and excessive development, a byword for cronyism and its Council ridiculed for lack of openness. I want to change that.

“Castlereagh Council needs shaken up and that will be my mission.

“If elected I will fight to see an end to unlimited private development, improvement to our road infrastructure, a meeting of the social housing needs and visible, local policing.

“As a convinced Unionist I was appalled by the DUP’s roll over to Sinn Fein/IRA. I know that my disgust at those who abandoned principle for the sake of office is shared by many within the local community. The DUP have let Castlereagh down. Their many unexplained links with developers adds to the betrayal felt by ordinary people.  We need a new face and fresh start in Castlereagh.”