Sinn Féin Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has insisted that his decision to leave his Mid-Ulster constituency and contest the next Assembly elections in Foyle has nothing to do with concerns about a possible SDLP resurgence under its new leader, Colum Eastwood.
Mr McGuinness said it is only a matter of time before Sinn Féin overtakes the DUP to become the biggest party in Northern Ireland and his move back to the Foyle constituency in Derry is part of a strategy to help achieve that goal.
“I’m on the public record as saying that it’s only a matter of time before Sinn Féin emerges as the largest political party in the North.
“We are the second largest at the minute and we obviously intend to use that mandate wisely, in the interest of the peace process and the prosperity of our people.
“I will be leaving the Mid-Ulster constituency at the next election - the one I went to in 1997 when many people thought it was impossible for a nationalist or a republican to win the seat against a single unionist candidate.”
Mr McGuinness said that since winning a seat in Mid-Ulster in the election nine years ago, Sinn Féin has continued to grow in the constituency.
It now holds three MLA seats as well as 18 council seats in the constituency, making it the biggest party in the local authority.
“ [The move back to Foyle] has absolutely nothing to do with anybody else, it’s part of our strategy,” said Mr McGuinness, when asked about the galvanising effect that former mayor of Derry Colum Eastwood could have on the SDLP in the constituency.
Mr McGuinness was speaking in Bandon in west Cork, where he was canvassing with Sinn Féin candidate Cllr Rachel McCarthy.
Cllr McCarthy is vying to become the first Sinn Féin TD in the area since Michael Collins in the 1920s, as well as the first woman TD for the constituency.
Dáil representation
Mr McGuinness said Sinn Féin is well organised in the Republic and on course to substantially increase its Dáil representation from its current number of 14 TDs.
However, he was reluctant to say the number of seats it was targeting in the general election.
“We have never been better organised in every single constituency and we are very confident that we are going to do very well all over in these elections.
“We are in great shape all over - it’s great to be in Cork today with Rachel who has a great chance of winning a seat for us in Cork South-West . . . I think this is going to be a historic election for Sinn Féin,” he said.
Cllr McCarthy said that she faces a tough challenge to win a seat in the three-seat constituency, but said she was meeting with a very positive reception on the doorsteps from people who wanted a change after years of austerity.
