“I will be part of the process” of selecting an SDLP candidate for Fermanagh/South Tyrone, says Erne East Councillor Richie McPhillips, who refuses to be drawn on whether he is the favourite to contest the Westminster seat.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter at the SDLP annual conference, Mr. McPhillips reiterated his party’s opposition to electoral pacts.

“Ourselves alone speaks for itself; they only speak for themselves,” he states, referring to Sinn Féin’s call for the SDLP to stand aside in Fermanagh/South Tyrone.

Asked if the party would consider a pact with someone other that Sinn Féin, he replies: “I did see a statement from the Director of Elections for the UUP which said he would talk to the SDLP, and he said that would be ‘real politics’. If it is real politics that he wants to promote, why does his party not endorse and back an SDLP candidate?” Mr. McPhillips continues: “The unionists are talking about ‘orange verses green’ being sectarian. Surely they can compromise and say: ‘We’ve backed the SDLP’.” Asked if Fermanagh/South Tyrone will always be “orange versus green”, Mr. Phillips replies: “It goes back further than you or me. It has always been problematic in a sense. But my take on it is, we have not had representation in Fermanagh/South Tyrone in a long time.” On welfare reform, he says: “Sinn Féin has talked about fighting cuts; who were they fighting? Where were they fighting? Our three MPs were on the floor of the House of Commons and have been successful, along with Labour and others. They are there where work is taking place.” Asked what does the SDLP suggest instead of the welfare reforms being proposed by the UK Government, he replies: “There is no doubt that the welfare system has to be reformed. You only have to see the figures to see that it needs to be streamlined and to ensure that the people who are in most need should be most protected.” When it is put to him that the UK Government is attempting to streamline the welfare system, he states: “They are trying to propose that but, in many respects, Conservatives don’t try to protect the needy or the poor; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” Asked what the SDLP can do to regain an MLA in Fermanagh after Tommy Gallagher lost his seat in 2011, Mr. McPhillips says: “We can continue to represent.” He continues: “We have a solid base there now in the sense that we have a Councillor in each of the wards. We are there to represent the people and to put the people first. We would hope that we are working towards regaining the MLA seat in the next Assembly election. Our aim would be that – with help from our two candidates from the Clogher Valley end, Sharon McAleer and Denise Mullan – that there will certainly be a vote there for the SDLP to take back the seat lost by Tommy Gallagher in 2011.”