Easton names DUP councillor as his Stormont successor, but insists he won’t be rejoining his old party

EXCLUSIVE | Easton names DUP councillor as his Stormont successor, but insists he won’t be rejoining his old party.

New independent unionist North Down MP Alex Easton has announced he is to co-opt a DUP councillor into his Assembly seat, but has insisted he won’t be rejoining his old party.
In an exclusive interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Easton said that Bangor West councillor Peter Martin would be replacing him in Stormont.

He stressed that he had no intention of rejoining the DUP: “I most definitely won’t be going back to the DUP. When I left, it was permanently.

"I will continue to serve the people of North Down as an independent. I won’t be dictated to by any political party. All my decisions as MP will be made by me, and nobody else.”

The North Down MP added: “There was speculation that I was going to co-opt former DUP minister Jonathan Bell or my election agent Austen Lennon into my seat. That was absolutely never going to be the case: they weren’t in the running.”

The Bangor West councillor was a special adviser to former DUP Education Minister Peter Weir. Now Lord Weir, he publicly backed Mr Easton’s election bid.

Mr Easton unseated Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry, securing a 7,300 majority last week. During his election campaign, he was supported by the TUV and DUP which he left three years ago

The new North Down MP said: “Choosing the person to co-opt into my Stormont seat was a difficult decision which I haven’t taken lightly. I want my replacement to work for my constituents, work closely with me, and work in the Assembly in a way that strengthens unionism.

“I considered a range of possible replacements and have concluded that Councillor Peter Martin is the best choice. He won back a seat for unionism in Bangor West last year and has a track record of hard work in Bangor.

“He has deep roots in North Down and he campaigned for me in the Westminster election.”

Mr Easton said he had to swiftly co-opt a unionist into the seat as a by-election would risk an Alliance win and another non-unionist MLA in Stormont.

“I believe in unionist co-operation and the way that my campaign succeeded in North Down – garnering support across unionism – is a model for the future,” he said.

“Peter has assured me he will work to strengthen the Union and that he is opposed to the Irish Sea border. He will work with all community organisations and for everyone regardless of their religion or political beliefs.

“I believe he will be a strong advocate in the Assembly, and that he and his colleagues will work collaboratively with other fellow unionists as we try to strengthen unionism.”

DUP leader Gavin Robinson has congratulated Mr Martin.

“The election in North Down demonstrated what can be achieved when various strands of unionism come together to maximise pro-Union representation. The DUP not only endorsed Alex Easton as a candidate, but representatives, members and supporters played a part in the successful campaign,” he said.

“Peter is already a hardworking representative in North Down and is someone who won an additional pro-Union seat at the last election. He brings experience and enthusiasm to the Assembly and will ensure that the people of North Down continue to have a champion on the Assembly benches working together with colleagues in the constituency.”

Mr Martin added: “I am delighted to have been nominated to represent North Down within the Northern Ireland Assembly and I thank Alex for his endorsement. I will first and foremost be a voice for North Down and to deliver on the day to day issues they face. I want also to be a positive pro-Union voice within the Assembly chamber and demonstrate the benefits we will receive from being part of our United Kingdom.

“There are significant challenges and pressures facing the services that people in Northern Ireland rely on. It is important that people can see action being taken that will make a real difference in their lives and representatives working together to achieve that change. I will seek to ensure that North Down continues to have the level of representation it deserves within the Assembly chamber.”

Mr Easton resigned from the DUP in 2021, just after Edwin Poots quit as DUP leader and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was installed in the role.

In a scathing indictment of the party then, he said he saw no “respect, discipline or decency” in its recent behaviour.

“I am at the end of my tether with U-turns and reaction politics. I have given 21 years of my life to the DUP, sometimes to the detriment of my health and well-being,” he said.

“It has been extremely lonely at times for me, and few have cared how I have felt.”