Overview

• Retired British Army colonel Tim Collins is to run for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) as their North Down candidate in the next general election.
• Collins is known for his role in the Iraq War in 2003 and has expressed support for controversial new legacy laws, stating that Northern Ireland needs to move on.
• The current MP for North Down is Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry, who first won the seat in 2019.
• The UUP has not been represented in the House of Commons since 2017.
• Collins believes he can win the North Down seat for the UUP, despite the party's recent electoral history.