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Hermon retains North Down seat | Hermon retains North Down seat |
(4 days later) | |
Lady Sylvia Hermon has been re-elected an an independent in North Down. | Lady Sylvia Hermon has been re-elected an an independent in North Down. |
She had been the Ulster Unionists' only MP but left the party earlier this year over links with the Tories. | She had been the Ulster Unionists' only MP but left the party earlier this year over links with the Tories. |
She polled 21,181 votes ahead of Ian Parsley of Ulster Conservative and Unionists - New Force with 6,817. | She polled 21,181 votes ahead of Ian Parsley of Ulster Conservative and Unionists - New Force with 6,817. |
Stephen Farry of the Alliance Party polled 1,876 votes, the TUV's Mary Kilpatrick, 1,634, Steven Agnew (Green) 1,043, Liam Logan (SDLP) 680 and Vincent Parker (Sinn Fein) 250. | |
Lady Hermon, the widow of former RUC Chief Constable Sir John Hermon, has held North Down since 2001. | |
She left the UUP in March of this year over the party's alliance with the Conservatives. | |
After the result was announced, she said: "It has been a lonely furrow, I have to say, being an independent. | |
"It has also been lonely, in fact, as you know my husband died in November 2008 - so this is the first election I have fought without Jack at home. | |
"But to all those who have encouraged me and supported me and told me I could do this and do it in style, thank you for the confidence you instilled in me." | |
She said she would be her own person in the Commons and would not take any party whip. |
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