DUP already planning for co-options?

During the final months of the last Assembly there was a steady stream of co-options as MLAs stood down and allowed potential successors to raise their profile. A similar situation was taking place at council level.

It now seems extremely likely we will have a raft of co-options at Council level from the DUP at least immediately after the elections. They uniquely have stacked their Assembly slate with candidates also seeking election to Councils.

64% of their Assembly candidates are potential double jobbers at Council level (28 of 44).

Of course in some cases they are hedging their bets with candidates unlikely to gain an Assembly seat being given the parachute of a Council role. Though in many of the cases the candidate is highly likely to be elected and no doubt a failed Council candidate will step into a role the electorate rejected them for.

Does it make a mockery of the Council elections when many of those running for the DUP are extremely unlikely to do anything with the position beyong handing it to a colleague who failed to be endorsed by the public?

So who are the offenders? The DUP 28? The list, with the Council ward and Stormont constituency they are running for:

Robin Newton VICTORIA
Belfast East

Paula Bradley ANTRIM – Newtownabbey
North Belfast

William Humprhey COURT – Belfast
North Belfast

Ruth Patterson BALMORAL – Belfast
South Belfast

Jimmy Spratt CASTLEREAGH SOUTH
South Belfast

William Walker ROWALLANE – Down
Strangford

Alex Easton BALLYHOLME & GROOMSPORT-
North Down

Ald. Gordon Dunne HOLYWOOD
North Down

Mervyn Storey BALLYMONEY TOWN
North Antrim

Evelyne Robinson BUSHVALE
North Antrim

Paul Frew BRAID
North Antrim

Trevor Clarke ANTRIM NORTH WEST
South Antrim

Pam Lewis ANTRIM TOWN
South Antrim

Paul Girvan BALLYCLARE
South Antrim

Gordon Lyons COAST ROAD
East Antrim

David Hilditch CARRICK CASTLE
East Antrim

Ald. George Robinson BELLARENA
East Derry

Adrian McQuillan BANN
East Derry

Ian McCrea COOKSTOWN CENTRAL
Mid Ulster

Ald. Sydney Anderson PORTADOWN
Upper Bann

Stephen Moutray LURGAN
Upper Bann

Thomas Buchanan WEST TYRONE
West Tyrone

Allan Bresland GLENELLY
West Tyrone

Jonathan Craig LISBURN TOWN NORTH
Lagan Valley

Paul Givan LISBURN TOWN SOUTH
Lagan Valley

William Irwin ORCHARD
Newry and Armagh

Maurice Morrow DUNGANNON TOWN
Fermanagh South Tyrone

Brian Kingston COURT
West Belfast