Clarke pulls out of race for Westminster

Clarke pulls out of race for Westminster

26 April 2017

SIX days after he became the first person in Northern Ireland to announce he was standing in the election, former councillor Patrick Clarke has pulled out of the race.

The independent candidate claimed he was stepping aside in the South Down race because the election was a “sectarian and divided contest between the SDLP and Sinn Fein.”

Mr Clarke also gave as a reason for quitting: “There is also the pro and anti Brexit voter base which will be escalated by any political party regarding the UK leaving the EU following the triggering of Article 50.

“As an independent person who had considered entering the Westminster election, it is abundantly clear in my opinion that the election may be based on whichever tribal political party wins. This is not my forte and I feel I would rather represent all people irrespective of their political religious or other background,” he said.

“Therefore I will now not be putting my name forward to contest the Westminster election for the constituency of South Down.”