Tom Elliott speaks to Ivy Stinson whilst canvassing in Enniskillen
ELECTION CANDIDATE Tom Elliott has conceded “it will not get any easier” to get a unionist representative in Fermanagh South Tyrone if he is unsuccessful in tomorrow’s election.
Mr Elliott is the second favourite behind incumbent Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Fein. She has held the seat for the past 14 years and with demographics inexorably increasing the nationalist majority Mr Elliott knows it could be a seismic election.
“Potentially it will not get any easier, I think that’s the reality. How much more difficult it gets that only remains to be seen as time goes on. As far as it goes now I’m concentrating on this election and clearly aiming to win the seat and hopefully we can do that.”
Speaking to the Herald this week the candidate took issue with comments made by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness suggesting Westminster was a ‘retirement home’ for politicians and believes there is a “huge amount of work” that needs to be done.
“I noticed that Martin McGuinness said that some people classify being an MP as a retirement home, well I certainly don’t. There’s a huge amount of work to be done there. Yes a lot of the devolved issues are here at the Assembly, but the reality of it is there is a lot of issues need resolution in Westminster for example your taxation, pensions, welfare reforms, CAP reform, European regulations, a lot of them come through Westminster, so there is a huge amount of work there.
“He might see it as a retirement home, because they don’t take their seats so if he wants to have Michelle Gildernew as a retired MP then that’s his choice, but certainly that’s not the way I and the Ulster Unionist Party look at it.”
Mr Elliott has called tomorrow a “crucial day” for Unionism in Fermanagh South Tyrone.
“It’s another crucial day, but it’s just one of those. I wouldn’t like to say it will go down in history as the most crucial day of all time, but certainly if you put it in context it is a big day, it’s vital and it’s important for unionism.”
On the canvassing trail Mr Elliott has highlighted the issue of representation and Sinn Fein’s abstentionism. He believes it is about time the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone had a voice again.
“That’s what I have been saying to the people. Clearly in the last fourteen years what has Michelle Gildernew as an MP done for Fermanagh South Tyrone? We hear of people leaving the area, we hear of people from the nationalist community leaving the area, well why?”
If elected Mr Elliott hopes to sit as a full-time MP and would intend to relinquish his role as an MLA providing it is a stable Westminster Government. When asked if he had any concerns regarding the increased travel the candidate merely stated it was an “adjustment” he had no difficulty making.
And is this the last chance saloon for Unionism in Fermanagh?
“I never like saying never, but obviously there’s a big opportunity this time. Rather than a fear factor there is a massive opportunity for unionist representation and I think that’s the key to selection.”
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