East Belfast could be interesting. The former PUP leader Dawn Purvis (now independent) is defending her seat, and there's also a new PUP candidate Brian Ervine, brother of their former leader David (who died in 2007). The Alliance Party are going for two seats, which the General Election result suggests they have a good chance of. The BNP are also standing; let's hope they sink without trace. Other parties standing: Socialist Party (NI), Greens, Workers' Party, TUV.
In North Down Sylvia Hermon MP has nominated two independent candidates, Alan McFarland (who is a sitting MLA, and who left the UUP at about the same time she did) and Alan Chambers (who has been around as an independent for years). A candidate from Lancashire is standing for UKIP.
Purvis is seen as someone that people can work with - even among Nationalists - which is something to say considering that the PUP's military wing and SF's military wing used to shoot at one another.
Guys like David Ervine and Gusty Spence always spoke a lot more coherently to me than the Unionist parties.
