Alex Elliott has back his cousin’s candidacy
THE Chairman of the Traditional Unionist Voice in Fermanagh has urged “all voters” to support the unionist unity candidate, Tom Elliott, despite previously saying that the UUP MLA could not win the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat.
Alex Elliott, who is a cousin of the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA, said he wishes the UUP representative well in his fight to “unseat” the current MP, Michelle Gildernew.
In the 2010 Westminster elections, the Sinn Fein minister won by a single vote after she beat unionist unity candidate, Rodney Connor.
Alex Elliott told the Fermanagh Herald: “Within the DUP/UUP agreement, Tom Elliott has been selected as the UUP candidate for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency. On behalf of Fermanagh TUV, I wish Tom well in his fight to unseat the present MP who has failed to take her seat.
“Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a unique constituency in that every last vote will count. Voters in (this constituency) need to seriously ask, “Do we really want our MP to continue to take a wage and yet fail to take part in the democatic process on behalf of the electorate at Westminster?
“For that reason, TUV would encourage all voters, unionist and moderate nationalists in Fermanagh and South Tyrone to lend their support to Tom Elliott, a candidate who will take his seat at Westminster and will work for all the people in the constituency.”
Mr Connor, the beaten single unionist candidate, said that TUV supporters “spoiled” their votes on the day in 2010.
He previously told the Fermanagh Herald: “The one particular aspect that did hurt me was at the count, to see the number of ballot papers that had been spoilt by voters who had just scribbled TUV on their ballot paper.
“In doing that they spoilt their vote. Rather than vote for me they preferred to have Sinn Fein elected. And in doing that they were enabling Sinn Fein to win the election.”
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