THE daughter of a former Sinn Féin councillor has been selected as the party's candidate to contest the West Tyrone by-election.
Carrickmore solicitor Órfhlaith Begley (26), daughter of former Omagh District Council chairman Sean, was chosen at a Sinn Féin selection convention in Omagh yesterday and will aim to hold the party seat left vacant following the resignation of Barry McElduff last month. Mr McElduff resigned as West Tyrone MP after uploading online a video of himself balancing Kingsmill bread on his head on the anniversary of the Kingsmill atrocity.
Speaking following her selection, she said she hopes to be a "new voice" for the constituency.
"I am proud to have been selected by my party colleagues to contest the West Tyrone by election."
"If elected MP for West Tyrone I pledge that I will be an MP for all, that I will work without fear or favour for all the people of this constituency," she said.
"It is more important than ever given the DUP’s collapse of the political talks and its continued denial of rights that we stand up strong and re-affirm West Tyrone’s commitment that the days of citizens being pushed to the back of the bus are over and aren’t coming back. There is a momentum for change in society with support building behind Sinn Féin’s platform of equality, rights and Irish unity."
It is understood that West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan will stand as the SDLP's candidate.
