SDLP leader Colum Eastwood says his party are in the “best position” to take a seat in the European Parliament.
There are 11 candidates battling for seats in the north with sitting MEPs Sinn Féin’s Martina Anderson and DUP’s Diane Dodds expected to win a seat following next Thursday’s election.
A LuicdTalk poll, published by The Times, has predicted that Mr Eastwood would received more first preference votes than the UUP and Alliance in the fight for the final seat. On a visit to Lisburn’s city centre-based Atlas Women’s Centre, which is EU funded, Colum Eastwood told Daily Belfast that his party are “clearly in the best position to take that seat.”
“We have had a fantastic response. We’ve set out to run a very positive pro-European anti-Brexit campaign because I think we have the most credibility in terms of being opposed to Brexit, opposed to the referendum happening. “We are unequivocal in our opposition to it. We think there is an opportunity to now send a very positive pro- European anti-Brexit message by electing two Remain MEPs and we think that’s key because if we elected two Leavers that would be sending the wrong message as to what people in Northern Ireland think about Brexit.
“It’s within our grasp. The was a poll a few weeks ago which had us in fourth position, there was a poll two days ago which put us in third position so out of all the good Remain candidates were are clearly in the best position to take that seat,” he said.
He continued: “We want people to lend us their support, even just for this one election, to send a clear anti-Brexit message. People voted in 2016 to Remain, 56 per cent. I think that number if it was tested again would be through the roof. People have watched the Brexit process unfold with horror they are deeply concerned about the impact it is going to have here, on our economy, our society, our peace process. People do not want to go backwards.
“We are trying to take John Hume’s seat back and I think we can do it.”