General Election: Allegations fly in 'dirty' North Down election race as UUP man receives an endorsement from anti-Protocol peer

Independent unionist candidate for North Down says he this week received the endorsement of Linfield FC manager and Northern Ireland footballing legend David Healy while out canvassing.

In a Facebook post Mr Easton said “Have to say I have never experienced such a dirty tricks election campaign in my entire career”. The UUP have said they will run a clean campaign and deny any dirty tricks against Mr Easton.

It all comes as the Ulster Unionist candidate Tim Collins filed his nomination papers – amid increasingly warm comments from anti-protocol campaigners such as Baroness Kate Hoey and the influential North Down loyalist Jamie Bryson.

Mr Bryson had been a vocal critic of the UUP man until recent days. Baroness Hoey posted on social media platform X: “There is no doubt [Tim Collins] understands the hugely detrimental effects of the Irish Sea border and would stand up for the Union in Parliament which [Stephen Farry] NEVER does”. Mr Collins has described the Protocol as “corrosive to the Union” and said it is important that it is removed.

In a social media video he challenged Stephen Farry and Alex Easton to debate the issue to see where they stand on the issue and discover “if they even understand what it’s doing to our United Kingdom and our wealth – and how it’s harming Northern Ireland”.

Alex Easton is also opposed to the Northern Ireland protocol – and both the DUP and TUV-Reform UK have decided not to contest the seat to give him a better chance.

However, he recently described the Safeguarding the Union deal as a “work in progress” – something that won’t have pleased his backers in Jim Allister’s party who regard the deal as a “sell out”.

Mr Easton this week said he received the endorsement of Linfield FC manager and Northern Ireland football legend David Healy.

At the weekend, Mr Farry slammed social media posts about him as “both rather sinister and pathetic”. He said “Pictures and videos of me and my colleagues clandestinely taken as we go out about our democratic business, and a toxic and politically biased Facebook page has been sharing them”.

He welcomed a condemnation of the posts from rival Alex Easton.