Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew is to announce she will be seeking the party’s nomination to be a candidate in the upcoming European elections, according to foreign affairs spokesperson Matt Carthy.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone representative will likely stand down from her MP’s role after putting her name forward in the European election to be held in June.
Mr Carthy, who formerly held the European seat before being elected to the Dáil in 2020, wrote on X: “Big news this morning as Michelle Gildernew announces that she will be seeking the nomination to be a SF candidate for MNW (Midlands North West) in June’s EU elections.”
Chris McManus was co-opted into the seat in 2020. Sinn Féin did not immediately reply to a request for comment on whether he will also be seeking the nomination in the four seat constituency or who might take over in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
Ms Gildernew was first elected as an MP in 2001. She lost the 2015 election to the UUP’s Tom Elliot but regained the seat in 2017.
She was elected again in 2019 but won by only 57 votes. The DUP have not stood in the constituency since 2005.