TUV have announced that Councillor Ruth Wilson will contest East Antrim for the party.
Born and raised in East Antrim, Cllr Ruth Wilson was elected to Mid and East Antrim Council last year representing the area which Jack McKee, who recently received the Freedom of Larne, served with such distinction for over four decades. Ruth is a mother of three who understands the needs of families and the pressures of modern life.
Commenting Ruth said:
“I am looking forward to the campaign and giving people the opportunity to both vote for a positive vision for the future of Northern Ireland and register their opposition to the seemingly never ending concessions to Sinn Fein.
“As someone who has worked in the health service for 30 years I am particularly concerned about the attack on essential services. I believe it is wrong that we continue to squander millions of pounds on useless North/South bodies which deliver nothing for the people of Northern Ireland while the health service is under unprecedented pressure. We need to get our priorities in order and put money where it is really needed rather than where the political establishment demand.
“Many people have expressed surprise that while the current East Antrim MP can describe Jim Allister as a thug he was quite happy to serve in government with Sinn Fein/IRA for years. And they are equally bemused that once again we are going into a Westminster election with a double jobber on the ballot paper when we were promised that the DUP would put an end to the practise.
“I believe that being an MP is a fulltime job and if elected I pledge to give it my full attention.
“While on the subject of jobs it is only right that we reflect upon the record of Invest NI when it comes to East Antrim. No where knows better than East Antrim the loss of manufacturing jobs. Yet, only 128 jobs have been created in the constituency in 2013/14 under Invest NI assistance. TUV will demand a fair deal for East Antrim when it comes to this issue as well as fighting to protect the port of Larne as a key asset.
“TUV is the only party in this election which is serious about bringing the radical democratic reform to Stormont which is needed. Only TUV demands that the electorate here has the same rights as everywhere else in the UK – the right to remove a party from government and the right to have an opposition. With devolution set to be a major topic in the new Parliament in the aftermath of the Scottish referendum TUV needs to be there to make this vital case for Northern Ireland.”
Commenting on Ruth’s selection Jim Allister said:
“I am pleased to be able to recommend Ruth to the electorate in East Antrim. In her short time on council Ruth has already proved to be a hardworking and dedicated public servant. I have no doubt that she will be an excellent MP for East Antrim and I look forward to joining her on the campaign trail in the weeks ahead.”