On Saturday 28th November, at their Annual Conference, the TUV revealed their candidate for East Londonderry to contest the upcoming Assembly election will be Jordan Armstrong.
Mr Armstrong lives in Co Londonderry and is an ex-serviceman who served with the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment. He has frontline experience in Afghanistan and is now turning his hand to politics.
Jordan got active in politics within the last few years, as when he left the Army he found it very difficult to get a full time job and experienced first hand the lack of opportunity for work in the North West. This has given him a clear understanding of what many young people are faced with when leaving school and indeed people of all ages who are seeking employment. Jordan wants to change this.
Commenting Mr Armstrong said:
“I am determined to see Northern Ireland rid of the scourge of paramilitaries and believe Northern Ireland has the potential for a better future, one that can rival any other region of the UK, but I feel the current political structures are failing to deal with vital issues which are hindering the potential of the people of East Londonderry.
“Working within the agricultural industry on a dairy farm, I have witnessed first-hand the difficulties farmers are facing with the ongoing financial pressures due to the drop in milk price. I also know only too well that the beef and sheep industry are experience difficulties with an oversupply of produce, which is pushing down the value of our product.
“TUV believe the farming sector would avail of a more generous package outside of the EU. Freedom from Brussels will also allow us access to more markets to export to, negotiate our own deals, reduce the burden of red tape and providing emergency help when essential.
“I want to represent East Londonderry as a TUV MLA as I have a passion and a desire for the constituency to be prosperous, to maximise opportunities for its young people and deliver high quality services.
“I put myself forward as a candidate who is part of a younger generation, who seeks to build a Northern Ireland that has a bright future. I believe only TUV provide a real alternative for the Unionist community so I am delighted to have been selected as the party’s candidate. I want to be a voice for Unionism and strongly believe that we should not be conceding any further ground to Republicanism.
“TUV is not only the authentic voice of opposition to the tawdry regime in Stormont, we are the torchbearers for democratising Stormont.
“TUV will ensure the voters have that alternative and all who proclaim themselves unhappy with the failures of Stormont will have the chance to prove it by voting for the party of positive change.
“You get what you vote for. The choice is to vote for the same old faces and parties and more of the same failure. More of the same waste of millions of pounds. More of the same crises. More of the same excuses. Alternatively people can vote for new vision, a new start, a politics of principle, not expediency. You’ve seen what one determined TUV voice can do. Think what we could do with multiple MLAs.
“Are you happy with what you’ve got? If not commit today to do something about it on the 5th May. You’ll be heard loudest and best by voting TUV. That is the vote that declares enough is enough. The real alternative.”