Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader leader Jim Allister has promising to lead a fierce electoral battle in the unionist heartland of North Antrim following the announcement today that Ian Paisley is not to seek re-election to Westminster.

"In the early years Ian Paisley was a very effective, efficient MP and he became a towering parliamentarian and no-one can say otherwise than that", Mr Allister said.

"His legacy latterly in terms of effectiveness in parliament has been so much less (...) missing 82% of the votes in this parliament. Politically, his legacy tarnishes his very principled stand for many years because his legacy now is of terrorist inclusive government", Mr Allister added.

Former DUP leader Paisley has announced he will not stand in the forthcoming Westminster election, after serving as an MP for north Antrim since 1970.

He announced stepped down as First Minister and leader of the DUP in 2008, but continued to represent North Antrim at Stormont and Westminster.

The DUP will officially select its Westminster candidate for the North Antrim seat next week.

"I will have my name in the hat; there's absolutely no doubt about that", Ian Paisley junior said today.

"The issue and the decision, I will leave to the wisdom of my North Antrim association and it's up to them to decide who they want to take on the mantle of the Democratic unionist party".

The founder of the DUP, who will be 84 in April, revealed his intention to retire to Ballymena Guardian Editor Jim Flanagan.

"He has fought 19 elections and won every one of them, so he is obviously well thought of in this town", Mr Flanagan said.

"He has been a huge figure here. There is no doubt about that."

Mr Paisley took the seat from official unionist Henry Clarke in 1970.

"He hadn't intended to stand but according to Ian, Clarke burnt a photograph of him at a public meeting in Kells and that encouraged him to stand. He then overturned a huge majority and has held the seat ever since, fairly comfortably, it has to be said," Mr Flanagan recalled.

Ian Paisley said he entered politics to fight republicanism. But fighting what he called "big house unionism" was also a strong motivating factor.

"He believed that big house unionism people got elected because they were part of the establishment and didn't look out for the working class," Political Commentator Jim Dougal said.

"Throughout his career he has used his powers of oratory to bring people along with him and to vote for him, that's where he got his votes from working-class protestants, eventually to fight against republicanism".

Mr Paisley was also a founding member of the Free Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1951.

His evangelical theology heavily influenced his political views and throughout the Troubles he forthrightly denounced Catholicism and the papacy.

He was, at first, a fierce critic of power-sharing with nationalists and of the Republic of Ireland having a say in Northern Ireland's affairs.

His decision to accept the position of First Minister alongside Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in 2007 saw him hailed as a peacemaker although former followers also accused him of betrayal.

"I believe I showed the leadership required to get the best possible deal in the circumstances," Mr Paisley said.