Hazzard is sixth candidate to declare for South Down seat

Hazzard is sixth candidate to declare for South Down seat

1 April 2015

SINN Fein’s South Down Westminster candidate has claimed his party is the only one that can make a difference in the constituency.

Launching his election campaign at Newcastle’s Burrendale Hotel last week, Chris Hazzard said his party has been active in South Down for many years, praising the roles played by former Sinn Fein Westminster candidates Mick Murphy and Caitriona Ruane.

Mr. Hazzard — who is one of two Sinn Fein MLAs in South Down — said Ireland-wide the party has three Senators, four MEPs, five MPs, 14 TDs, 29 MLAs and 264 councillors, along with 10,000 active members and half a million votes, “making Sinn Féin the largest political movement in Ireland.”

In an address to the party faithful at a packed campaign launch, Mr. Hazzard, who was joined on the platform by Donegal TD Pearse Doherty and Ms. Ruane, said South Down needs to steer its economy and community in a new direction, building what he described as “inclusive partnerships for change.”

He continued: “Sinn Fein in South Down will be the driver for this change. We have consistently demonstrated to the people of the constituency that we are the real deal; that we are the party of delivery. When we said we would decentralise public jobs, we meant it and next month will see the relocation of Department of Agriculture fisheries posts from Belfast to Downpatrick. 

“When we said Down needed a new hospital, former Sinn Féin Health Minister Bairbre de Bruin built it and today we continue to lead the fight to keep vital services in the Downe and Daisy Hill Hospitals.”

Mr. Hazzard said when his party promised to invest in new school builds for the local area, it followed up the pledge with nearly £100m invested in projects over the past few years.

“When our local farmers and fishermen were severely hit with harsh weather in recent years, Sinn Féin ensured hardship payments were delivered and an industry taskforce created to deal with local concerns,” declared the Westminster candidate.

“When the SDLP controlled Down Council, the local authority only managed a meagre 

15 new jobs as a result of foreign direct investment in the past five years. The Sinn Féin controlled Newry and Mourne Council promoted nearly 1,500 new jobs.

Mr. Hazzard argued when others say the party can’t effect change because it does not take its seats at Westminster, it is important to challenge what he described as this “lazy and entirely illogical point.”

He claimed: “The SDLP have held the South Down seat for as long as I have been alive and yet you genuinely wouldn’t need every finger on one hand to count any accomplishments garnered from sitting on Westminster’s green benches.”

Mr. Hazzard added: “I intend to convene and chair a specific investment taskforce which will invite all MLAs, community and business leaders, tourism promoters and council officials to participate in. It’s only when we work together that we can truly deliver for the all the people of South Down.”