Dr Stephen Farry stated: “Sylvia is a hugely and widely respected figure within North Down for her commitment to the constituency. It is a reflection of the strange antics and extreme positions of the Ulster Unionists over justice devolution and their links with the Conservatives that the party can no longer accomodate a figure such as Sylvia Hermon. Her stances on both of these points are much more in tune with local opinion than the Conservatives and Unionists.
“Alliance is contesting the North Down Westminster Election. This is not a personality contest, but rather about the issues and about delivery. I look forward to competing with Sylvia on the issues facing North Down as a constituency and on the wider challenges facing the UK. Sylvia is a clearly a unionist candidate and Alliance will be presenting the electorate with a clear alternative based around our liberal and cross-community values, and our programme for building a shared society, rebalancing our economy and sustaining our public services.”
ENDS