McELROY TO TAKE OVER AS CHAIRMAN

The DUP met on Monday to decide which member of the party will chair the council in the year ahead.

Mr McElroy chaired the council in the 2005/2006 year and sources close to the party confirmed to the Leader that the Banbridge man is expected to step up to the role again.

Last week Mr McElroy appeared to have distanced himself from the position along with councillor Paul Rankin. Both men cited a lack of free time to devote to the role however the Banbridge man is understood to have had a change of heart in recent days.

Banbridge council will hold its AGM on Friday when Mr McElroy will officially be installed. It is understood UUP councillor Ian Burns is line to take over as council vice-chairman.

He will of course take over the role from Mr McElroy who this year held the vice-chairman's role.

Meanwhile Banbridge councillor Junior McCrum will not put himself forward to take David Simpson's Assembly seat at Stormont.

The DUP man had been tipped to replace Mr Simpson, who will step down from the Assembly and Craigavon council in line with the party's commitment to end double-jobbing.

Mr McCrum, who works closely with Mr Simpson in the party's Banbridge office, attended a party meeting in Portadown last night (Monday) but, speaking to the Leader ahead of the gathering, said he would rule himself out due to health reasons.

"I put myself forward the last time and I got a tremendous vote," said Mr McCrum. "But it is a big commitment and I am not sure I could fully commit to it for health reasons."