SDLP to stand aside in North Belfast, East Belfast and North Down

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The SDLP has announced that it will stand aside in 3 constituencies in the interest of electing pro-remain candidates from other parties.

Deputy leader Nichola Mallon said the SDLP

“must also seek to weaken those who have cast the interests of Northern Ireland aside for five minutes of influence with a Tory Government that has been bad for our communities”.

and that meant

“removing pro-Brexit, Pro-Boris DUP MPs where possible”.

In the last Westminster election the SDLP secured the following in these 3 constituencies :

North Belfast 2,058

East Belfast 167

North Down 400

The 3 candidates that would be expected to benefit are John Finucane (SF), the Alliance candidate in East Belfast (TBC) and Sylvia Hermon if she decides to run again in North Down.

The Alliance party has criticised the move by the SDLP.

It is expected that Sinn Féin will stand aside in South Belfast and this will mainly boost the SDLP’s candidate Claire Hanna. They might also decide to stand aside in East Belfast and North Down.

The Green Party wrote to the other pro-remain parties at the start of September seeking a pact. If Clare Bailey’s party were to now withdraw from any of these 4 constituencies (that are the Greens’ strongest performing areas) it would bolster the leading pro-Remain candidates in each area further.

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