PEOPLE Before Profit has formally selected West Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll to contest the upcoming Assembly Election.
Mr Carroll was first elected to Stormont in May 2016, and had previously served as Councillor for the Black Mountain area.
Announcing his candidacy, Gerry stated: “The cost-of-living crisis and the crisis in the health service are some of the most pressing issues in communities, yet Stormont has utterly failed to address either, or protect people from the impact.
“People Before Profit are clear that piecemeal promises will not cut it. At every turn, the Executive parties have resisted calls to increase wages and welfare payments, cap fuel prices, or to freeze and reduce rents.
“There is an alternative to the failures of successive Executives, which challenges the failed economics of Stormont, and puts the needs of ordinary people, workers, and their communities first.”
At Thursday's meeting in the Wolf & Whistle, Mr Carroll's campaign was endorsed by veteran civil rights socialist Bernadette McAliskey, as well as lifelong political activist Tommy McKearney.
"Gerry Carroll has maintained a valiant and defiant defence of the rights of plain people working and unemployed, women, men and children regardless of race, creed, country of origin, sexual orientation or ability," Mrs McAliskey said.
"Gerry has maintained the same principles in the Assembly that he supports on the street, in the trade union movement, on solidarity and support for all refugees, on language rights; women’s rights; workers’ rights; rights of the homeless.
"He is the same man in all seasons and in the Assembly the amplification of the voice of working class and human rights not only in this city but all constituencies without a voice on the hill for their politics. We cannot allow this voice to be squeezed out of the Assembly in the sham fight to be king of the Stormont castle."
Mr McKearney commended Mr Carroll for his bid to cut and freeze private sector rents, which was rejected by Stormont's Executive parties.
"The forces of greed and opportunism assembled to prevent you enacting what was a splendid piece of legislation, something to help the poor, the needy, those people are at the bottom of the chain," he said.
