Alliance are 'underdogs' in election says Long

Image caption, Naomi Long told The View that she was not turning her back on the Assembly by standing for Westminster
  • Author, Mark Simpson
  • Role, 91热爆 News NI Community Correspondent

The Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has said her party is the 鈥渦nderdog鈥 in the General Election - even in seats it once held.

The party is a strong contender in Lagan Valley and also in North Down and East Belfast, where it has won in the past.

Speaking on The View on 91热爆 NI, Mrs Long said: 鈥淲e are essentially the underdog in those three seats.鈥

Mrs Long won the East Belfast seat in 2010 but lost it in 2015.

At the last election in 2019, her deputy leader Stephen Farry won in North Down.

Mrs Long said: 鈥淓ven though Stephen (Farry) is the incumbent, there鈥檚 clearly a real push on to have him removed and I鈥檝e been in that situation myself in 2015 and I know the pressure that entails.

鈥淏ut the bottom line is that we鈥檙e there, we鈥檙e there to fight to win and we鈥檙e going to continue to put our best foot forward.鈥

She defended her decision to run in the July 4 election, while being Justice Minister in the Stormont executive.

She denied that her move was a snub to devolution.

She said: 鈥淚鈥檓 not turning my back on the Assembly. I would be going to Westminster for the precise reasons I set out 鈥 in order to try to bring stability to our finances which is the major challenge, to try to bring stability to our political institutions which is the other major challenge."

She added: 鈥淚rrespective of where I sit, my commitment to devolution is unshaken.鈥

Alliance is running in all 18 constituencies in Northern Ireland.

A total of 136 candidates are standing, which is 34 more than at the last general election.

The voter registration deadline is 18 June.