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Ex-IRA man's daughter NI21 Europe candidate

BELFAST businesswoman Tina McKenzie has been selected as NI21's candidate to contest next month's European election.

Ms McKenzie is a mother of three who alongside leader Basil McCrea and deputy John McCallister was one of the party's founder members.

She originally hails from west Belfast and is the daughter of former IRA man Harry Fitzsimons.

Speaking as her candidacy was announced, Ms McKenzie described NI21 as "centre-right with a social conscience", which if successful at the polls on May 22 would likely align itself in Brussels with the Christian democratic European People's Party. However, short of securing a seat Ms McKenzie declined to reveal the party's threshold for success.

She said wanted to bring a message of a "united 21st century Northern Ireland" to the heart of Europe.

"I want to maximise the potential of Europe and will focus on getting the best for Northern Ireland not the best for any one community," she said.

"I want to represent and promote our people, their talents, skills, commitment and drive to improve Northern Ireland and Europe."

Ms McKenzie said NI21 represented everyone "equally with the same levels of commitment and enthusiasm".

"I will hold the Northern Ireland Executive to account on its European performance, as a member of Northern Ireland's unofficial opposition," she said.

She said the north needed a "clear focus on jobs and growth" to redress its historic underperformance and high levels of youth unemployment.