Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew to stand in European elections

Michelle Gildernew was first elected to Westminster in 2001 and lost the seat in 2015 by just over 500 votes, winning it back in 2017. She, like all of Sinn Féin's MPs, does not take her seat in parliament

Michelle Gildernew. Picture: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

A current Sinn Féin MP has announced that she will seek to be the party's nominee for the Midlands-North West constituency in June's European elections.

Michelle Gildernew is the current MP for Fermanagh-South Tyrone and was a Northern Ireland agriculture minister between 2007 and 2011.

She said on Monday: “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.

“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.” 

Ms Gildernew was first elected to Westminster in 2001 and lost the seat in 2015 by just over 500 votes, winning it back in 2017. She, like all of Sinn Féin's MPs, does not take her seat in parliament.

Elections for the European Parliament are set to take place in June.