NORTHERN IRELAND:NORTHERN IRELAND voters go to the polls today in the European elections a day ahead of the elections in the Republic.
A total of 1,154,228 people are entitled to vote. Based on previous European elections 50 per cent of the electorate is likely to vote.
Seven candidates are competing for three seats with the three outgoing MEPs – Bairbre de Brún of Sinn Féin, Jim Nicholson of the Ulster Unionists/Conservatives and Jim Allister of the Traditional Unionist Voice – standing again.
Ms de Brún, however, is the only candidate of the three running on the same party ticket as five years ago. Mr Nicholson, who was first elected in 1989 for the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and is seeking to be elected for a fifth time, is now standing under the banner of the Ulster Conservatives and Unionists – New Force. This follows the link-up between the UUP led by Sir Reg Empey and the British Conservative Party led by David Cameron.
Mr Allister, whose presence in the race has the potential to cause a political upset, was elected five years ago as a DUP MEP.
But he resigned from the party in protest at the DUP-Sinn Féin powersharing Stormont deal and set up his own Traditional Unionist Voice party, which seeks to force Sinn Féin out of the Northern Executive.
The DUP put forward former Assembly member Diane Dodds to take back a seat in Europe for the party. Much of its focus was on calling on unionists to ensure she tops the poll in order to stop Ms de Brún scoring a significant propaganda victory for Sinn Féin.
The presence, however, of three high-profile unionist candidates competing for what hitherto has been two guaranteed unionist seats has caused bookies to make Ms de Brún favourite to top the poll. The SDLP has argued that candidate Alban Maginness has a real chance of sneaking a seat because of the split unionist vote.
The North’s votes will be verified on Friday and counting will begin at 9am on Monday.
