Rodney Connor

Rodney Connor (born 8 March 1951^[1]) was the Unionist "Unity" candidate for the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in Fermanagh and South Tyrone in the 2010 Westminster election. He had the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), and the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force electoral alliance between the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Conservative Party. He lost to the incumbent, Sinn Féin's Michelle Gildernew by four votes,^[2] having unsuccessfully challenged the result in the Election Court.

As a result of efforts towards Unionist unity the DUP stated that it would not stand in North Down where the incumbent MP is the Unionist Sylvia Hermon who recently quit the UUP^[3] and is now an independent unionist candidate for that constituency.^[4]

For a while the main sticking points to a total agreement appeared to be the Ulster Unionists' electoral link with the Conservatives and David Cameron's insistence that any agreed unionist candidate must take the Conservative whip in the House of Commons whereas the DUP insisted that they will not endorse anyone standing under the Ulster Unionist and Conservative banner. A compromise solution was offered by Rodney Connor in that he will stand as an independent unionist who will take the Conservative whip and vote with them on national issues but will vote independently on issues relating to Northern Ireland.^[5] Connor lost the election to Gildernew by four votes: 21,304 to 21,300.^[6]

Unlawful appointment as chief executive

In 2000, he was appointed Chief Executive of Fermanagh District Council. The appointment was later ruled unlawful due to apparent sectarian discrimination. Nine unionist councillors were fined £40,000, which had to be paid by Fermanagh District Council. Connor himself was not found responsible.^[7]

References