Election 2023: TUV candidate says that seats can’t be stolen in Fermanagh and Omagh, they have to be earned

He said: "There’s every possibility of us taking a seat. We’re running two candidates – one in Erne North and the other in Enniskillen, that’s myself.

"I’ve fought a couple of campaigns in Fermanagh. We are getting a response that we’ve never had before. It’s very encouraging. Whether that turns into a seat or not I don’t know.”

He commented: "In terms of unionism, Fermanagh is a predominantly Ulster Unionist county, but what I’m hearing on the doorsteps is a lot of people are disillusioned with the direction Doug Beattie is taking the party.”

Donald said the main issues on the doors were plans to remove emergency general surgery at South West Acute Hospital, soaring rates and the state of the roads.

He added: “What annoys me is when people talk about stealing votes. Sir Jeffrey has basically hinted that TUV are stealing votes, you don’t steal anybody’s vote – you earn it."

The UUP’s Alex Baird had been on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for 18 years, but is not running in this election, instead he’s part of the team canvassing for Mark Ovens in Erne West.

He said: "We’ve canvassed from Garrison to Aghalane – that’s 50 miles long.

"I had the one unionist seat in it. Independent Bernice Swift is not running, nor am I. Sinn Fein are running three candidates instead of two. They’ll be targeting Bernice’s seat or even Adam Gannon from the SDLP.

"I’m hopeful for Mark. We’ve had a wonderful reception on the doorsteps.

"We’ve canvassed over a thousand people and there’s been four, just four, who have mentioned Brexit, the Protocol or the Windsor Framework.”

The UUP held nine seats on the council and will run nine candidates this election. Alex believes his party can return all nine to maintain the status quo.

He said: "Our aim is to retain those seats. What I’m hearing on the ground we will. We’re not running any extra – it’s consolidation.”

The DUP’s Paul Stevenson was co-opted onto council and he’s hoping to win his seat outright at this election.

He was one of the party’s five councillors in Fermanagh and Omagh, representing the people of Erne North.

He said: "If we go by what the Assembly election showed us we can grow here, but it’s a very hard one to call.

“We may increase our first preference votes, but then transfers come in and you could stay where you are and someone can pass you.”

He added: "The main issue of the door with residents has been recycling. There’s issues with the recycling centre not being open enough.”

Full list of candidates in Fermanagh and Omagh:

Enniskillen

Paul Blake (SDLP),

Dermot Browne (SF),

Donald Crawford (TUV),

Roy Crawford (UUP),

Keith Elliott (DUP),

Robert Irvine (UUP),

Tommy Maguire (SF),

Jill Mahon (DUP),

Andrea McManus (SF),

Donal O'Cofaigh (Cross-Community Labour Alternative),

Eddie Roofe (All)

Erne East

Richard Bullick (All),

Sheamus Greene (SF),

Noeleen Hayes (SF),

Eamon Keenan (Ind),

Tina McDermott (Ind),

Garbhan McPhillips (SDLP),

Thomas O'Reilly (SF),

Paul Robinson (DUP),

Victor Warrington (UUP)

Erne North

Diana Armstrong (UUP),

Eric Bullick (All),

Debbie Coyle (SF),

John Coyle (SDLP),

Alex Elliott (TUV),

John Feely (SF),

David Mahon (DUP),

John McClaughry (UUP),

Paul Stevenson (DUP)

Erne West

Elaine Brough (SF),

Aaron Elliott (DUP),

Anthony Feely (SF),

Adam Gannon (SDLP),

Declan McArdle (SF),

Gerard McCusker (All),

Paul McGoldrick (Ind),

Mark Ovens (UUP)

Mid Tyrone

Rosemary Barton (UUP),

Matthew Beaumont (All),

Roisin Devine Gallagher (SF),

Anne Marie Fitzgerald (SF),

Shirley Hawkes (DUP),

Padraigin Kelly (SF),

Emmet McAleer (Ind),

Bernard McGrath (SDLP),

Patrick Withers (SF)

Omagh

Matthew Bell (UUP),

Josephine Deehan (Ind),

Stephen Donnelly (All),

Kathy Dunphy (Ind),

Amy Ferguson (SP),

Catherine Kelly (SF),

Marty McColgan (SF),

Barry McElduff (SF),

Brenda Mellon (SDLP),

Errol Thompson (DUP)

West Tyrone

Mark Buchanan (DUP),

Glenn Campbell (SF),

Ann-Marie Donnelly (SF),

Joyce Donnelly (All),

Mary Garrity (SDLP),

Stephen McCann (SF),

Colette McNulty (SF),

Allan Rainey (UUP)