DUP leader wants Edwin Poots to stand in Lagan Valley

The DUP leader described Edwin Poots as a "major player"

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said he wants his Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) colleague Edwin Poots "standing alongside" him in the Lagan Valley constituency at the next assembly election.

The DUP leader said party officials had agreed that three candidates, including himself and Paul Givan, would stand.

"I want to see Edwin on that ticket," he told The Nolan Show.

Mr Poots had previously failed to win the nomination to stand in South Down.

The DUP holds two seats in Lagan Valley which Mr Poots and Mr Givan currently hold.

With Sir Jeffrey standing as a candidate, the party will need to win three seats for the DUP politicians to be elected.

Speaking on BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show, the DUP leader said the party had been close to achieving this in the last election.

"I have consistently said that I want to see Edwin Poots standing alongside myself and Paul Givan," he said.

"We were 400 votes shy the last assembly election of winning three seats in Lagan Valley and the party officers have agreed that we will put forward three candidates."

Sir Jeffrey said he and Mr Poots had represented the constituency for many years and described him as a "major player".

On Tuesday, Mr Poots told colleagues he had no plans to contest his Lagan Valley seat.

Sources close to the agricultural minister said he "is not going back on this word".

Diane Forsythe won the nomination to stand in South Down

Last week, Mr Poots failed in his bid to win the nomination to stand in South Down in the forthcoming election.

The party nominated Diane Forsythe, who will replace the current assembly member Jim Wells, who has been deselected.

The DUP leader described Ms Forsythe as an "excellent candidate".