Despite their differences, he gained the tacit backing of the Democratic Unionist Party, who had won only 9.8% of the vote in 1992 and chose not to stand their own candidate.

The Ulster Unionist Party had not run a candidate in North Down since Bob McCartney in 1983, but they believed they were best placed to take Kilfedder's personal vote.

They chose to run Alan McFarland, a former Army officer and then Parliamentary secretary to some of their MPs, in preference to Reg Empey, one of their most prominent members.

The big story of the campaign was from The Guardian, who announced that if McCartney was elected, he would apply for the Labour Party whip, an unusual move for a unionist, who were more usually associated with the Conservatives.

Chambers also saved his deposit, but the Conservatives received what was their worst vote in any UK Parliamentary election since 1918.