Ulster parties 'in tribal contest for Europe'

The competition between Northern Ireland’s four biggest political parties in the European Parliament elections has nothing to do with EU issues, a candidate claimed today.

As he handed in his nomination papers for the June 10 election, journalist Eamonn McCann promised to run an activist-led campaign.

But he also accused the Democratic Unionists, Ulster Unionists, nationalist SDLP and Sinn Féin of focussing primarily on their own electoral ambitions during the campaign.

He said outside the electoral office in Belfast: “It is already evident at this early stage that the main parties, no matter what they say, are campaigning on the old traditional grounds of what party can be trusted to represent the interests of one community vis-à-vis the other.

“The DUP and UUP in the unionist community and the SDLP and Sinn Féin in the nationalist community are concentrating on who is going to emerge the larger party in their respective communities.

“Their campaigns have next to nothing to do with European issues. Instead they are engaged in a tribal competition to see who is going to emerge the chieftains of the unionist community and nationalist community.”

Nominations for the June 10 election were due to close today, with three European Parliament seats up for grabs.

Democratic Unionist leader the Rev Ian Paisley will not be running for the first time ever, having topped every European election in Northern Ireland since they were first held in 1979.

He has been replaced by barrister Jim Allister who was joined by Dr Paisley, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson and Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson on the campaign trail at today’s Balmoral Show in Belfast.

Ulster Unionist candidate Jim Nicholson, who is the only MEP defending a seat, was also at the agricultural show and was campaigning with South Antrim MP David Burnside and Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott.

The former leader of the nationalist SDLP, John Hume is also retiring from Strasbourg and Brussels and has been replaced by Belfast Lord Mayor Martin Morgan.

After a strong showing in last November’s Assembly Election where it eclipsed the SDLP, Sinn Féin is hopeful that former Stormont health minister Bairbre de Brun will capture the party’s first-ever seat.

The party also believes it can make a breakthrough in the Republic, where it has high hopes for Dublin candidate Mary Lou McDonald.

The cross community Alliance Party is not contesting the European election for the first time in its history.

David Ford’s party has endorsed former Ulster Farmers’ Union leader John Gilliland’s bid to win a European seat as a non-aligned, pro-European candidate.

The Co Derry businessman’s campaign has also been backed by the Workers Party, independent West Tyrone Assembly member Dr Kieran Deeny and Northern Ireland’s first ever member of the British Labour Party, Andy McGivern.

The Green Party was expected to hand in its nomination papers today for co-leader Lindsay Whitcroft, a former Alliance Party activist who has replaced single mother Marie Perry after she sustained a sporting injury.

Mr McCann said the electorate would be presented on June 10 with two visions of Europe.

“The first is a Europe dominated by multinational companies driving a privatisation agenda and a Europe which is becoming increasingly militarised,” the former journalist said.

“The other is a Europe which offers solidarity, with people coming together against war, to fight racism and defend public services.”