Unionists close to deal on single candidate
Catriona Loughran • Published 8 Apr 2010 15:45
2 Comments
An agreed unionist candidate to contest the Fermanagh/South Tyrone seat at the general election in May could be announced by the DUP and UUP in a matter of days.
Crunch talks between the two parties are said to be in their final stages and sources believe an announcement on the decision could be made as early as tomorrow (Friday).
Former Fermanagh District Council Chief Executive Rodney Connor is the front runner for the candidacy with both parties confirming they have been in "serious" discussions with the 59-year-old.
Mr Connor has a long record of public service and has generated a good reputation with the community over the years and it seems Fermanagh unionists are banking on his popularity for an election victory.
Speaking about the possibility of becoming a candidate by the weekend Mr Connor said briefly, "At this stage I'm waiting for both parties to get back to me with their proposals".
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Tuesday that the UK general election will be held on May 6, just four weeks from today.
Parliament will be dissolved next Monday and the following Tuesday, April 20 is the deadline for lodging nomination papers.
That gives Unionists just 12 days maximum from today to agree on a candidate.
But with polling day only two weeks and two days after nomination day, the onus would be on getting an agreement sooner to have a longer campaign.
The UUP had initially selected Tom Elliott to contest the seat while the DUP had selected Arlene Foster but it looks likely that they could stand aside to make way for Mr Connor.
Speaking to the Impartial Reporter Arlene Foster said she welcomed the possibility of a unity candidate and the seat returning to unionist hands.
"I'm very excited about the prospect of unionist representation for Fermanagh/South Tyrone being returned to Westminster and if it takes an agreed candidate to make that happen, well I welcome that possibility."
Mrs Foster understands time is their biggest challenge.
"A lot of work has to be put in by both parties from now until May 6 so I would expect some sort of agreement to be reached so that we can get our campaign underway."
Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott said he is "optimistic" an agreement can be reached and any hope of himself or Mrs Foster still contesting the race he said is "dwindling".
"It's still an option but to be honest any hope of that happening is dwindling. Talks are ongoing and there are still some outstanding issues so nothing is concrete at this stage. I would not want to say anything that might jeopardise the final decision process but I'm optimistic that a candidate can be agreed and we will know where we stand by the end of the week."
One of those outstanding issues is the decision to what an agreed candidate should be called.
As a result of the Conservative/UUP pact, Conservatives state that any candidate running under their party's name has to be branded as Conservative but Mrs Foster said the candidate should have a broad appeal that reaches out to every unionist.
"Our (DUP) position has been clear on this from the start. If a candidate is agreed, then they should be known as unionist who's independent of all parties".
Mr Elliott said he is aware of this outstanding issue but hopes it can be resolved.
"This is an issue and an other issue is on how the campaign will be run and yes, our party is conscious of the timeframe so we hope an agreement can be reached soon so work can get going."
If unionists do go ahead with an agreed unity candidate by Friday, a combined vote could seriously threaten sitting MP Michelle Gildernew's chance of retaining the seat.
But the republican candidate said whatever unionists do "is entirely up to them" and is confident that her nine year strong record will hold her in good stead.
"I've held this seat for nine years on the basis that I work for everybody. I have helped many people whether it be unionist, nationalist or republican. Many opponents would struggle to find fault in the delivery of my role as a minister and on my constituency work. The Fermanagh/South Tyrone constituency is a nationalist constituency which was sectarianised for over 18 years with an ex-UDR officer holding the seat. I think nationalists and republicans would be both very aggrieved if this seat was lost to a unionist candidate, so I will not take the electorate for granted, I will work hard to retain this seat for nationalists and republicans in Fermanagh/South Tyrone."
It's looking more like a three-horse race now, with the SDLP candidate Fearghal McKinney thought unlikely to stand down.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 08 Apr 10
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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Ian Butler
Unregistered User
Apr 8, 16:28
Report commentJUST THE SAME TRIBAL POLITICS!!!!
This is all about the politics of division and no clear thinking individual would endorse such a manifestly silly stitch up. Will a Unionist candidate take the Tory Whip? Will they be accountable to the UUP the TUV or the DUP? We all know how well they work together!
Will the candidate be anything other than just a tribal breat beater to ensure that the others are frozen out. No principles or integrity here just bigotry.
If anyone can hear anything above the sound of this insane piece of sectarian noise, the answer is simple. Vote for someone with integrity, passion, and someone who genuinely wants to work for everyone. Vote Alliance and leave the politics of the past firmly in the past
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Mattmaker
Unregistered User
Apr 9, 21:43
Report commentI wouldn't vote Alliance. They are irrelevant, plus they support abortion. Anna Lo anyone?
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