A FORMER Ulster and Ireland rugby star has appealed to people living in the Strangford constituency to vote for the SDLP candidate Conor Houston.
Andrew Trimble, who retired in 2017, posted a video on social media in support of Mr Houston, who he said he had been friends with for "quite some time now".
Mr Houston, a former solicitor, is hoping to be the first nationalist ever elected in the unionist-dominated constituency.
A governor of the Irish Times Trust and an LGBTQ+ campaigner, Mr Houston recently "provided trusted strategic advice to senior leaders across business, government, the third sector and entertainment industry".
Speaking in the video, Mr Trimble - a former Ulster Rugby player of the year - said that "Conor has an incredible passion for Northern Ireland and the ability to make things happen".
"He's also got good experience in business and the ability to create opportunities for young people," he said.
"So, for these reasons, I'm asking the people living in Strangford to vote for a change and give Conor Houston your number one vote."
The post prompted a number of responses including one which read: "So glad we can move past the politics of where we grew up", while another added: "You don't get better praise than that he is a gentleman".
Responding on Twitter, Mr Houston (38) said: "I'm standing to represent everyone in the Strangford constituency.
"Time for new politics - focused on delivery, working together and putting people first."
He also thanked Mr Trimble "for this endorsement" adding, "let’s make change happen".
