Sinn Féin MP Gildernew to stand in European elections
Sinn Féin Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew is to seek a nomination to stand in the European elections.
The former Stormont Agriculture minister plans to stand for the party in the Midlands North West constituency in Ireland.
Ms Gildernew is expected to stand down as an MP.
She said: “The European Union is crucially important to Ireland.
“Ireland needs to be at the fore in setting the direction of the European Union in the years ahead and I want to play a role in making that happen by bringing my experience of negotiation and dealing with EU institutions as a former Agriculture Minister to the job of standing up for Irish interests in the European Parliament.
“The European Union played a key role in ensuring Brexit did not create a hard border in Ireland and I believe the North’s future must be within the European Union, as part of a United Ireland.
“Ireland needs stronger representatives in the European Parliament.
“A strong Sinn Féin team will call out the EU when needed if it is not acting in the best interest of the Irish people or when EU office holders overstep their remit as the EU Commission President did in recent months.”
Ms Gildernew has been a Sinn Féin elected representative for 25 years, serving as both an MP and an MLA.
She was first elected to Westminster in 2001. She lost the seat in 2015 but was re-elected in 2017.
Like all Sinn Féin MPs, she does not take her seat at Westminster.
She said if she was elected to the European Parliament her priorities would be supporting states in dealing with challenges such as the cost of living, regional development and climate change and protecting the needs of Irish farmers in the next round of CAP negotiations.
She said: “This is a time of huge potential and opportunity for Ireland.
“If elected as an MEP for the Midlands North West I want to be part of delivering that positive change that communities, workers and families need.”
Elections for the European Parliament are set to take place in June.
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