DUP councillor Paul Rankin co-opted to Lagan Valley Assembly seat

DUP councillor Paul Rankin has been co-opted to become the party’s new Assembly member for Lagan Valley.

He will fill the vacancy created by the transfer of Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to South Belfast following the death of Christopher Stalford.

On Monday morning, the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland confirmed the move.

Mr Rankin will be in the role for just two weeks ahead of the dissolution of the Assembly at the end of March for fresh elections.

The DUP has not yet confirmed which candidates it will run in the Lagan Valley constituency.

The constituency has been the subject of speculation as to whether DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who represents Lagan Valley in Westminster, will run for an Assembly seat.

When he was first elected DUP leader last year, Sir Jeffrey indicated his intention to return to the Assembly.

On Friday evening, Sir Jeffrey said that in Lagan Valley his party is reviewing whether it will run three candidates, as it intended, to maximise unionist representation.

Former First Minister Paul Givan and Mr Rankin are now the DUP’s two MLAs for Lagan Valley.