Northern Ireland

Sinn Féin reportedly reject nomination of former MP Barry McElduff as assembly candidate

Barry McElduff told the Irish News he had `no comment'
Barry McElduff told the Irish News he had `no comment' Barry McElduff told the Irish News he had `no comment'

FORMER Sinn Féin MP Barry McElduff will not be returning to the assembly next year after the party reportedly rejected his nomination as a candidate.

Mr McElduff declined to comment on an Ulster Herald report that Sinn Féin said it could not accept the nomination of a male member if a sitting female assembly member was also seeking the nomination.

Delegates at next week's West Tyrone selection convention are now expected to confirm Nicola Brogan, Maoliosa McHugh, and Declan McAleer as candidates.

Mr McElduff resigned his Westminster seat in 2018 after posting a video of himself balancing a Kingsmill loaf on his head on the anniversary of the IRA massacre of 10 Protestant workmen in Kingsmills, Co Armagh.

He apologised and said he did not know it was the anniversary of the 1976 shootings, and returned to frontline politics a year after the controversy with a seat on Fermanagh and Omagh Council.

Mr McElduff told The Irish News yesterday he had "no comment", while Sinn Fein had not responded.