Cllr Pat Catney selected by SDLP

He said: “I’m delighted to have been selected as the SDLP Lagan Valley candidate. After less than a year since the last election, the DUP-led government has imploded under the weight of scandal after scandal leaving public confidence in politics shattered.

“This Executive has heaped austerity upon austerity on the people of this area and all the while they were doling out millions to people heating empty sheds. We have pensioners struggling to keep their homes warm while an elite class of politicians’ mates will be paid over £400m to keep their chickens cosy. That is a perversion of the priorities a government should have.

“It’s time to change politics. Like the thousands of people disgusted by the sham at Stormont, I live in the real world. A world where people have to face the consequences of failure. It’s time our politicians faced up to that failure. I am energised by the opportunity to root out corruption and deliver on the issues that matter to people here – enhancing our Lagan Valley hospital, restoring our town centres to full employment and forging an education system that meets the needs of our children.”