Kennedy on Northern Ireland campaign trail

Britain's Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy was today hitting the election campaign trail in Northern Ireland in support of his sister party, Alliance.

Mr Kennedy arrived in Belfast last night where he took part in a rally organised by the cross community party.

He heard Alliance leader David Ford tell party members he would press for a fairer voting system in the Assembly.

The current system at Stormont forces MLAs to designate themselves as unionists, nationalists and others but ignores the votes of non-unionists and non-nationalists in key decisions like the election of a First and Deputy First Minister.

The British Liberal Democrat leader, who was joining Alliance candidates canvassing in South Belfast, East Antrim and South Antrim, expressed his hope that the November 26 poll would produce a workable Assembly in Northern Ireland.

“I think there’s a real desire on the part of people not just to see politics in the terms of the sectarian divide but as we see it in every other election in terms of the public services that need to be tackled by the political parties,” Mr Kennedy said.

“Alliance is very much putting that to the forefront and I hope that people will come out and not vote for the extremes but vote for the solid centre of public opinion as it exists in the community.”

Northern Ireland’s other cross community party in the Assembly, the Women’s Coalition, was today unveiling its manifesto.

The document covers a range of issues from proposals to improve the Assembly and policing to health, education, agriculture and rural development, poverty, the economy, issues affecting the young and the elderly.

A party spokesperson said: “This is a comprehensive document, with radical ideas for a new and dynamic approach to the Assembly.

“I think it will surprise a lot of people.”

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams was surfacing for his first campaign event since nominations closed on Tuesday.

Mr Adams was officially launching the party’s Belfast campaign, with five candidates running in the west of the city, two in the north and one each in the south and east.

Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble was unveiling a new building banner on the theme The Future. Not the Past.

The nationalist SDLP’s Patricia Lewsley, Liam Logan and Pat Convery were also concentrating on red tape and bureaucracy.

The Democratic Unionists were launching their latest billboard in Belfast city centre.