Election 2022: Shadow of tragedy over poll in South Belfast

Mr Stalford’s friend and DUP colleague Edwin Poots is taking over his mantle with the late south Belfast-born MLA very much on his mind.

“I wish I wasn’t standing because I wish Christopher was still with us,” Mr Poots reflected when asked about the Stalford family’s support.

On the former agriculture minister’s election literature the Stalford family have left a message urging voters to cast their No 1 preference for Mr Poots.

The family stated: “Christopher often spoke of his friend Edwin Poots and regarded him as a man of his word, decent, honest and honourable, and it was with that in mind that we asked Edwin to build on the foundations laid by Christopher in South Belfast.”

From the Taughmonagh estate to Sandy Row and beyond Mr Poots said the DUP’s warning that if Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party they will demand a border poll is hitting home.

He said: “There is a recognition out there that only the DUP can win this election for unionism and thwart the Sinn Fein border poll project. The other big issues I am encountering are the protocol, the cost-of-living crisis and the NHS.”

Mr Poots said he remains confident that he can secure the seat Mr Stalford held and stressed that even though his traditional base was in nearby Lagan Valley there is a “network of family ties between areas like the Donegall Pass or the Lower Donegall Pass and estates like Seymour Hill”.

Rapping doors and pressing the flesh in the Lagan Village/Lower Ravenhill Road midweek was a candidate who embodies Doug Beattie’s strategy to build a broader based, big tent Ulster Unionist Party. Stephen McCarthy grew up as a Catholic in west Belfast and his grandfather was murdered by the UVF in a sectarian killing.

On his background including the Troubles tragedy visited upon his family, Mr McCarthy said: “There are people who are aware and there are people who aren’t and some of whom talk about the old UUP of Big House Unionism.

“So it’s great to be able to tell them about the UUP of today which is a more diverse party, a much more all-encompassing party and are right now building the sort of unionism that is going to guarantee Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

“I am in many ways an example of that, as someone who can reach out and encourage people who aren’t from a traditional unionist background like me but who want to maintain the Union.”

The TUV is fielding Andrew Girvin, a former youth worker who said he was proud that his job included cross-community work.

While opposing the protocol was of prime importance Mr Girvin said one of the issues he has come across is mental health and the lack of counsellors to help people especially among the young.

“I have four kids, I have fostered other children for years and I worry that young people with serious mental health problems are not getting the help they need as there is a chronic lack of trained counsellors out there,” he said.

The SDLP is running one of its most impressive media performers, the former Downing Street advisor Matthew O’Toole who given that the party holds the Westminster seat should get elected.

Sinn Fein’s Deidre Hargey’s profile as communities minister in the last Executive will guarantee a seat.

Green Party leader Claire Bailey is also standing for re-election while the Alliance Party should also return with one MLA, which means another as-you-were outcome compared to 2017.

Full list of candidates

Bailey, Clare (Green)

Bradshaw, Paula (All)

Girvin, Andrew (TUV)

Hargey, Deirdre (SF)

Lynn, Paddy (WP)

McCann, Luke (Aontú)

McCarthy, Stephen (UUP)

Moore, Neil (Soc)

Odhiambo, Elly (Ind)

Nicholl, Kate (All)

O’Toole, Matthew (SDLP)

Poots, Edwin (DUP)

Sibanda, Sipho (PBP)

Trainor, Elsie (SDLP)

Outgoing MLAs

Clare Bailey (Green)

Paula Bradshaw (All)

Deirdre Hargey (SF)

Matthew O’Toole (SDLP)

Edwin Poots (DUP)

March 2017 Stormont election result

Máirtín Ó Muilleoir SF 7,610 17.68% ELECTED

Claire Hanna SDLP 6,559 15.23% ELECTED

Paula Bradshaw All 5,595 13% ELECTED

Christopher Stalford DUP 4,529 10.52% ELECTED

Clare Bailey Green 4,247 9.86% ELECTED

Michael Henderson UUP 3,863 8.97%

Emma Little-Pengelly DUP 4,446 10.33%

Emmet McDonough-Brown All 2,053 4.77%

Naomh Gallagher SDLP 1,794 4.17%

Pádraigín Mervyn PBP 760 1.77%

John Hiddleston TUV 703 1.63%

Seán Burns Lab Alt 531 1.23%

George Jabbour NI Con 200 0.46%

Lily Kerr WP 163 0.38%

December 2019 general election result

Claire Hanna SDLP 27,079 57.2 ELECTED

Emma Little-Pengelly DUP 11,678 24.7

Paula Bradshaw All 6,786 14.3

Michael Henderson UUP 1,259 2.7

Chris McHugh Aontú 550 1.2