Sugden confirms she will stand in NI election

  • UTV
Claire Sugden will stand again as an Independent election candidate. Credit: Presseye

Independent unionist Claire Sugden has confirmed that she will stand for re-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The East Londonderry MLA, who served as Justice Minister, had hinted in an interview with UTV that she may quit politics.

However, she confirmed in a statement on Facebook that she will run again.

Ms Sugden thanked those who supported her during the crisis at Stormont and said they had given her hope.

“I never envisaged that less than a year into my mandate, I would be defending my seat for East Londonderry,” she wrote.

“But I will, because last year I asked you to vote for me on the basis that I would work hard for you for five years. You did vote for me and I intend on keeping my promise to you.

“I will again stand Independent because I see no other way that ensures that I can keep putting the interests of my constituents first.”

Ms Sugden was originally co-opted to replace David McClarty as an MLA following his death in 2014 and was then re-elected in 2016 and replaced the Alliance Party’s David Ford as Justice Minister.