Editing Martin Smyth (section)

==Later political career==

In January 2005, Smyth announced he would be stepping down from Westminster at the next election to spend more time with his wife. He ended his House of Commons career in May 2005. During the election Smyth courted controversy when he and former Ulster Unionist leader Molyneaux appeared in a photograph with [[Democratic Unionist Party]] candidate [[Jimmy Spratt (politician)|Jimmy Spratt]] on Spratt's election literature.<ref name=autogenerated1>Kerr, Michael ''David Trimble and the 2005 General election'', Dublin (2005) pg 58</ref> Smyth denied endorsing Spratt stating:

{{Cquote|''People take pictures of me and they turn up in different places. I didn't sign any form, I didn't go out canvassing, but I was out canvassing with the only two unionist candidates who asked me.''<ref>{{cite book | last = Kerr | first = Michael | title =  Transforming Unionism: David Trimble and the 2005 General election | publisher = Irish Academic Press | date = December 2005 | pages = 58 | isbn = 978-0-7165-3389-4}}</ref>}}

The candidates Smyth did canvass for were [[David Burnside]] in [[South Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|South Antrim]] and Rodney McCune in [[North Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)|North Antrim]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In the event neither Unionist candidate won in South Belfast, with the seat being taken by the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]]'s [[Alasdair McDonnell]] amidst a unionist vote split.<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/asb.htm South Belfast] ARK – Access Research Knowledge</ref>