Hopes of a unionist electoral pact in Belfast are fading fast after the DUP and Ulster Unionists announced surprise candidates.

The UUP said Councillor Chris McGimpsey would contest East Belfast - the DUP's main target seat in the May general election.

The DUP last night hit back, saying Junior Minister Jonathan Bell would stand in South Belfast - where it is believed the UUP had been hoping for a free run.

Mr Bell is a Strangford MLA.

The high-stakes announcements will make a deal between the parties difficult to achieve. First Minister and DUP leader Peter Robinson said talks appeared to have gone nowhere.

"We looked with the Ulster Unionists right across Northern Ireland and I think we let that run its course," he said.

"They already have of course selected a candidate in South Belfast as in other constituencies and other parties are in the field.

"We have to give our candidate a fair chance to get around the constituency to meet people and we cannot delay it any longer but of course I would have liked to have had agreed candidates right across Northern Ireland."

However, it is understood that the Ulster Unionists will only decide next week whether Jeff Dudgeon or Rodney McCune will stand in South Belfast.

The DUP's main ambition in May is for Gavin Robinson to wrest the East Belfast seat away from Naomi Long - which the Alliance MP took from Peter Robinson in 2010.

It was thought that if the UUP stood aside in East Belfast for the DUP to maximise its chances, the UUP would see a reciprocal gesture in the south of the city.

Sinn Fein's Mairtin O Muilleoir is standing in South Belfast against sitting MP Alasdair McDonnell.

The SDLP leader had no nationalist opponent in 2010, but Mr O Muilleoir - a popular former Lord Mayor - could inflict serious damage on him. It presents unionism with an opportunity - which may now have passed by.

Earlier, Mr McGimpsey said that in the event of a hung parliament, he would be reluctant to support the Tories.

In the last general election the UUP and Conservatives stood joint candidates under the Ulster Conservative and Unionist New Force (UCUNF) banner and had a joint manifesto.

But Mr McGimpsey said: "I have always been a Labour Party supporter, for years I have represented the UUP at Labour Party conferences. On standard economic issues I would, frankly, find it very difficult to vote for the Tories."

Factfile

A LucidTalk poll in January indicated the DUP's Gavin Robinson was six points ahead of Naomi Long. While the poll suggested he could still win even with the UUP in the race, his lead could easily disappear if there was another unionist candidate.

Belfast Telegraph