McKay favourite for nomination

POLITICAL parties in North Antrim have been holding conventions of late to decide who will be candidates for the Assembly elections next year.

The latest to do so is Sinn Fin, whose members are meeting on Thursday night to elect their candidate.

The current Sinn Fin MLA for the area is Daith McKay, who came second in the 2007 Assembly election immediately behind Ian Paisley Sr, with 7065 first preference votes, or 15.9% of the overall vote.

What is interesting about North Antrim for this upcoming election, to be held on 6th May 2011, is that boundary changes will see three Glens wards move into the East Antrim constituency with the loss of votes likely to impact most on republican and nationalist parties. This could mean that there is only a quota for one seat in North Antrim for a nationalist/republican candidate.

Daith McKay is the most likely candidate for Sinn Fein’s nomination.