Margaret on top again and quells challenge from Hazzard

13 May 2015

THE SDLP’s Margaret Ritchie is returning to Westminster with a reduced majority and a decreased personal vote.

Sinn Fein’s Chris Hazzard closed the gap on the veteran politician during the South Down constituency election and while delighted with his showing, Republicans are a little disappointed their overall vote dipped slightly.

Ulster Unionist Harold McKee confounded the pundits by finishing as the top unionist politician in South Down with 3,964 votes, ahead of the DUP’s Jim Wells (3,486) and UKIP’s Henry Reilly (3,044).

Conservative Party candidate Felicity Buchan polled just 318 votes, but one of the election’s best performers was undoubtedly Alliance’s Martyn Todd who almost trebled the number of votes the party secured in 2010 when David Griffith flew the flag.

Mr Todd, who was widely praised for his articulate contributions during two pre-election hustings events held in Downpatrick and Newcastle, increased the Alliance vote in South Down by 2.5 per cent, polling 1,622 votes.

Miss Ritchie said she was “deeply privileged” to be re-elected with her victory the icing on the cake for her supporters who presented her with one filled with cream following her acceptance speech, along with a bouquet of lowers in SDLP colours of red and green.

The veteran SDLP politician secured 18,077 votes — securing 42.3 per cent of the vote — but she could not repeat her electoral performance in the 2010 Westminster election, seeing her vote by 6.2 per cent and her majority over Sinn Fein decreasing from 8,412 to 5,891.

Despite assertions from unionist politicians that Miss Ritchie had once again enjoyed the support of traditional UUP, DUP and UKIP voters to ensure the SDLP woman retained the seat, Miss Ritchie was defiant and argued her party had a “solid majority” in the constituency.

She added: “Let us be very clear, the SDLP has a solid majority now in South Down without any votes being ‘lent to us,’ so let’s lose that myth now. The most important thing is a balanced approach to representation because that’s what people want to see. That is what they said on the doorstep.”

Mr. Hazzard, who was contesting his first Westminster election and saw the Sinn Fein vote decrease by almost a quarter of a per cent since 2010 to 12,186, described his performance and that of his election team and workers as a “Trojan effort.” He said that despite the small vote reduction, “big numbers were believing in the Sinn Fein project.

“Now we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising with very powerful elections across this island next year in terms of the Assembly and Leinster House.”

The UUP’s Harold McKee attributed his increased vote and upsurge in the party’s fortunes across the Province to hard work on the ground and the party leadership. He increased the party’s vote by just over 870 and is confident the UUP can secure one of the six South Down Assembly seats up for grabs next May.

The DUP’s Jim Wells was pleased his vote largely held up, showing a decrease of almost half-a-per cent on his 2010

showing. Not arriving at the election count until just two hours before the 4.15am declaration, Mr. Wells’ acceptance speech was brief during which he congratulated Margaret Ritchie on her re-election to parliament.

UKIP’s Henry Reilly believes his party will be in a strong position when voters go to the polls next year. He said he was “astounded” to secure 3,044 Westminster votes and is confident a firm foundation is now in place to build towards the Assembly poll.

Alliance’s Martyn Mr Todd was clearly delighted with his vote and declared at the end of his acceptance speech, ”look out for Alliance next year.”

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