SDLP candidate in Lagan Valley should clarify his tweet about Alliance hopefull

Political commentators have recently predicted ‘confidently’ that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP, who is standing in Lagan Valley as an Assembly candidate, will resign if he is elected and co-opt another party member to take his seat.

This apparently is to avoid having to resign from Westminster and at the same time guarantee a DUP assembly seat for Lagan Valley.

However, a far more likely scenario is that Sir Jeffrey will resign as MP as he has honourably stated he will, triggering a Westminster by election and Councillor Sorcha Eastwood, of the Alliance Party, will if elected resign her MLA seat and a co-opted Alliance Party member will replace her at Stormont.

Councillor Eastwood is a rising star in Alliance. She openly boasts that she could oust Sir Jeffrey in a Westminster by election and it is almost certain that she would be the Alliance favourite to stand in the by election caused by his resignation.

So, the challenge to Alliance is to come clean with the Lagan Valley electorate and let them know that casting their vote for Councillor Eastwood in the Assembly elections will not be wasted through any possible future abuse of the co-option scheme.

The voters of Lagan Valley deserve better than any such tricks.

By the way Alliance are vociferous in their opposition to election pacts, however that message might have bypassed Councillor Eastwood.

Pat Catney SDLP MLA recently tweeted a photo of both of them swapping election leaflets whilst out campaigning! See right. He talks as if there is an informal electoral pact with Alliance.

An SDLP/Alliance clarification to the Lagan Valley electorate over any such ‘pact’ is needed.

Tom Nash, Derriaghy