Party and they strongly targeted the area. In the 2001 general election there was a strong rumour that the DUP leader Ian Paisley would contest the seat himself, in the hope of unseating Trimble, but in the event he stayed in his North Antrim constituency and the DUP instead nominated David Simpson. The campaign was amongst the most bitter in the entire province, with Trimble coming in for fierce personal attacks. He benefitted, however, from the decision of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland not to contest the seat themselves but instead support them. When the results were counted Simpson was initially ahead and many believed he had won, but Trimble pulled ahead to hold the seat on a narrow majority of 2058. In the subsequent 2003 assembly election the DUP were only 386 votes behind the UUP. Then in the 2005 general election Trimble was defeated by Simpson. Simpson retained his seat in the 2010 general election, although the UUP vote has remained fairly static. The nationalist vote had continued to grow which could make this seat a possible battleground between nationalists and unionists. Members of Parliament The previous Member of Parliament, since the 2005 general election, was David Simpson of the Democratic Unionist Party. In that election he defeated David Trimble, then leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, who had held the seat since a 1990 by-election. Simpson stood down at the 2019 general election. He was succeeded by Carla Lockhart, also of the DUP. Elections Elections in the 2010s Elections in the 2000s Elections in the 1990s Elections in the 1980s See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland 2017 Election House Of Commons Library 2017 Election report A Vision Of Britain Through Time (Constituency elector numbers) Politics Resources References External links BBC News, Election 2005 BBC News, Vote 2001 Guardian Unlimited Politics Political Science Resources Election results from 1951 to the present Westminster Parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1983 Politics of County Armagh Politics of County Down