‘No Irish MP will decide Brexit’

Foyle Westminster candidate Elisha McCallion, pictured with Mary Lou McDonald president of Sinn Fein and MIchelle O'Neill vice president of SF and the Westminster candidates for the North following the launch of the party's manifesto in Derry earlier this week.

Elisha McCallion, who is seeking re-election to the Foyle seat in the general election, was speaking at the launch of her party’s manifesto earlier this week.

The manifesto was launched in The Playhouse in Derry and the event was attended by the party’s president and vice-president and all the candidates seeking election on December 12.

The President of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald said the future of Ireland will be decide on the island of Ireland, not at Westminster.

She urged people to come out and support Sinn Féin for their ‘international influence’.

“In this election I am asking people to come out and support Sinn Féin candidates because we have a shown that we are a national party with international influence.

“We have used that influence to make sure there will be no hardening of the border, no unionist veto, and that the Good Friday Agreement would be protected.”

She added: “We have worked with the EU, in Brussels, in Dublin and in London, and with our friends in Washington to protect jobs, protect agriculture, to protect workers and to protect communities.”

Ms McDonald said no Irish MP will decide the matter of Brexit.

“There are some who claim they will go into Westminster and stop Brexit. That’s not going to happen.”

Ms McDonald added: “The truth is that no Irish MP, whether nationalist or unionist, will decide the matter of Brexit.

“Our future will be decided on the island of Ireland and by the people of Ireland.”

Foyle candidate Elisha McCallion echoed these sentiments.

She said: “We need to inject some honesty into this campaign. The reality is that no Irish MP will stop Brexit at Westminster.

“What we have done over the last two years is ensure that the voice of the people of Derry and the people of the north is heard in institutions where our interests are taken into account; in Brussels and Dublin and directly with the British government in London.”

Meanwhile, Elisha McCallion has been named among the best performing members of parliament in the first ‘People Power’ index carried out by one of the world’s leading survey sites.

The Sinn Féin politician, who is currently seeking re-election to the Foyle seat on December 12, was ranked as the second best performing of the north’s MPs and 80th over all out of 650 MPs.

The rankings, which were compiled by Change.org, list how MPs “listened to and engaged with their constituents over the last two years.”

Five Sinn Féin MPs were listed among the top 100 best performing MPs - despite being abstentionists who do not take seats in Westminster.

West Belfast MP Paul Maskey was ranked as the best performing MP from the north in the index at 60th.

Only one DUP MP, Strangford’s Jim Shannon, was ranked among the top 100 best performing MPs.

The nine other MPs from the party were outside the top 100.

MPs were awarded points for the services they provide, including having a constituency office, regular constituency surgeries and their online availability to constituents.