Northern Ireland

South Down: Will a scattered unionist list deliver fifth seat for nationalists?

Early morning sun illuminates the Peace Maze at Castlewellan in South Down. Picture by Mal McCann
Early morning sun illuminates the Peace Maze at Castlewellan in South Down. Picture by Mal McCann Early morning sun illuminates the Peace Maze at Castlewellan in South Down. Picture by Mal McCann

THE essence of the battle for South Down's six seats is perhaps best summed up in the list of candidates.

While, Sinn Féin and the SDLP are confident enough that they will hold their seats - they are each fielding a third candidate - none of the unionist parties dare add any more competition to the ballot paper with all focussing all their efforts on a single runner.

Former education minister Caitriona Ruane and Chris Hazzard should canter comfortably back to the benches of Stormont with their two seats.

However there will be change for those elected from the SDLP team with Margaret Ritchie sticking to Westminster and Karen McKevitt contesting the assembly for Newry and Armagh.

The battle for the two seats will take place between Colin McGrath, Sinéad Bradley - daughter of veteran politician PJ - and Sean Rogers, whose co-option to the assembly following the departure of Ms Ritchie has built his profile accordingly.

However, in fielding three candidates each, the nationalist parties could be calculating that, so scattered is the unionist field, vote management on this side will be non-existent, leading to a chance of one of them taking a possible fifth seat.

The embarrassment of riches for unionist voters includes former health minister Jim Wells, whose once comfortable position as front runner has taken a battering in recent times after a row over alleged comments about gay people saw him leave the post he had waited so long to take on.

There was such a long delay in the DUP nomination of Mr Wells as its sole candidate in the constituency that he has taken on the aspect of an underdog - all the more so when one takes into account he trailed by almost 500 votes behind the low-profile UUP candidate Harold McKee at last year's general election.

The Ulster Unionists are banking on lightning striking twice, and have placed all their hopes of reclaiming the seat in Mr McKee.

The seat they lost belonged to John McCallister, one time leadership hopeful, who left to join the now effectively defunct NI21, and must now try his luck as an independent.

A popular assembly member, Mr McCallister is nonetheless hampered by having to campaign without a party machine behind him.

However, Stormont has traditionally been a warm place for independents and the cheerful political pugilist should give a good account of himself.

Also sniffing around one of those two `unionist' seats is former UUP politician, former UKIP chairman Henry Reilly, who has now nailed his colours to the TUV.

A long-serving councillor, he certainly carries name recognition which can only be boosted by the powerful, well-funded UK-wide Brexit push.

Watch: South Down

  • 2011 share of first preference vote

SDLP 35.8 per cent

Sinn Féin 30.9 per cent

DUP 12.5 per cent

UUP 10.6 per cent

UKIP 5.6 per cent

Green 2.7 per cent

All 2.1 per cent

  • Seats won by party in 2011

SDLP 2 seats

SF 2 seats

DUP 1 seat

UUP 1 seat

  • List of 2016 candidates

Sinéad Bradley (SDLP)

Patrick Brown (All)

Michael Gray-Sloan (Sinn Féin)

John Hardy (Green Party)

Chris Hazzard (Sinn Féin)

John McCallister (Ind)

Colin McGrath (SDLP)

Harold McKee (UUP)

Henry Reilly (TUV)

Sean Rogers (SDLP)

Caitriona Ruane (Sinn Féin)

Jim Wells (DUP)