I couldn't afford long-term day care at the quality I really wanted.". John Taylor, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and a familiar fixture of Northern Ireland politics for three decades, said last night he would stand down from his Westminster seat. John Taylor, deputy leader of the Ulster Unionist Party and a familiar fixture of Northern Ireland politics for three decades, said last night he would stand down from his Westminster seat. He issued a statement saying he was withdrawing because of his heavy workload. Mr Taylor said he wanted to concentrate on the Assembly and his role in the Council of Europe. "It seems to me the UUP could have an additional elected member if I resigned from one of these positions and that, together with the fact that I intend to increase my political and public life in Northern Ireland, has influenced my decision. I want to contribute more to the success of the Stormont Assembly.

I have no intention of withdrawing from active politics."His departure from Westminster would remove from that arena an important if not always dependable backer of the party leader, David Trimble. It would also leave a Paisleyite candidate, Iris Robinson, wife of the Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader, Peter Robinson, as favourite to take the seat.In the 1998 Assembly election, Mrs Robinson polled more votes than Mr Taylor, which suggested she was well-placed to take the seat from him. Mr Trimble is already losing a Commons ally in Ken Maginnis MP, who is to stand down.Mr Taylor has been MP for Strangford since 1983, after being a European MP. In the mid-1960s he was elected as a Stormont MP and and became a junior Stormont minister.In 1972 he was shot and seriously wounded by the Official IRA in an assassination attempt.

He was regarded as a hardliner, but he surprised many two years ago by backing Mr Trimble and the Good Friday Agreement.. Three prison officers are facing disciplinary proceedings after a black prisoner at the centre of a damning official report into jail racism was allegedly subjected to a campaign of victimisation. Three prison officers are facing disciplinary proceedings after a black prisoner at the centre of a damning official report into jail racism was allegedly subjected to a campaign of victimisation. Ade Allison, who is on remand, told the Prison Service's race adviser Judy Clements that staff at Brixton prison, south London, had told him to "go back to Africa".Ms Clements produced a scathing report in November that led Martin Narey, director general of the Prison Service, to describe the prison as "institutionally racist" and condemn a minority of staff who "sustained and promoted overtly racist behaviour".Brixton prison will be the subject of a critical report today by the chief inspector of prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, which attacks staff and management. Sir David notes with concern the high proportion of prisoner complaints lodged by ethnic minority inmates. Brixton is already at the centre of an investigation by the Commission for Racial Equality.Mr Allison claims he suffered racial abuse by Brixton staff and was unfairly kept "locked down" in his cell and denied association.

After he made a formal racial complaint to the governor, officers falsely accused him of having failed a urine test for drugs, he says. The test was found by an outside investigation to have been negative. He had privileges withdrawn and was told by an officer it would allow his "black ass" to "reflect", he claims.Mr Allison said: "I am being victimised because I complained about racial harassment and discrimination. They have notices round the prison saying you should complain .. but if you do complain you are going to get retaliation I am worried all the time now. When I go out of my cell I expect to find they have planted something on me. I don't trust any of them."Mr Allison, 33, who is fighting extradition to the United States in relation to a fraud inquiry, has also been formally charged with a breach of prison regulations after placing his foot on a staircase leading to an out-of-bounds landing.Two officers at the prison are facing charges of racial harassment and a third is accused of locking up Mr Allison without good reason.The disciplinary hearings follow an outside investigation by a governor from Pentonville prison, north London, who ordered the quashing of the drug test charge.