WEST TYRONE BY-ELECTION - YOUR CANDIDATES

By Simon Hunter

The West Tyrone by-election takes place on Thursday May the 3rd.

It will elect a new representative to Westminster following the resignation of Sinn Fein's Barry McElduff.

There are 5 candidates canvassing for votes across the border constituency.

They are Sinn Fein’s Orfhlaith Begley; Thomas Buchanan of the DUP, Stephen Donnelly for Alliance, Daniel McCrossan for the SDLP and Chris Smyth for the UUP. 

We've caught up with each of the hopefuls and they've been telling us the reasons they feel voters should support them in the ballot.

Orfhlaith Begley

Sinn Fein

A Carrickmore-native, 26-year-old solicitor Orfhlaith Begley has been a party activist for a number of years. The daughter of long-serving local councillor Sean Begley, she says, "all I know is politics."

Have a listen to her appeal for your votes:

Thomas Buchanan

Democratic Unionist Party

54-year-old Drumquin-native Thomas Buchanan was first elected to the DUP as a local councillor in 1993. Ten years later, he was then elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, and has been there since.

Have a listen to his appeal for your votes:

Stephen Donnelly

Alliance Party

23-year-old Clanabogan-native Stephen Donnelly has been a constituency representative for the Alliance Party for 5 years, having grown up in the area, and lived there all his life, as well as having been educated in Omagh.

Have a listen to his appeal for your votes:

Daniel McCrossan

Social Democratic and Labour Party

29-year-old Strabane-native Daniel McCrossan became involved in politics after returning from University in Liverpool in 2011, and became an MLA in 2015.

Have a listen to his appeal for your votes:

Chris Smyth

Ulster Unionist Party

26-year-old Gillygooly-native Chris Smyth works at the University of Ulster at Magee campus doing research into mental health, as well as sitting as a councillor in Fermanagh and Omagh.

Have a listen to his appeal for your votes: