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Matthew Bell to stand for Ulster Unionists in West Tyrone in upcoming Westminster election

The Ulster Unionist Party have announced that Matthew Bell will stand in West Tyrone in an attempt to take the seat from Sinn Fein who gained it in 2001 - from the Ulster Unionists.

Thu 29 February 2024 07:44pm

Matthew Bell is to stand for election to Westminster in West Tyrone, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has today announced.

Bell was a councillor on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council having been co-opted to the seat in 2021 as the youngest councillor in the UUP.

image Northern Ireland Elects — In the 2023 local council election he failed to get elected, with his seat going to Sinn Fein.

Commenting on his nomination, Bell said that he is “honoured to announce” that he will be standing.

“West Tyrone has been failed for decades by poor political leadership. I want to break that cycle and be a positive and productive voice.”

No other parties have announced their candidates for West Tyrone as of yet, but Bell’s announcement is the Ulster Unionist’s fifth candidate announcement – the most out of any party.

The current MP for West Tyrone is Sinn Fein’s Órfhlaith Begley, who won the seat in a by-election in May 2018 and was re-elected in the 2019 general election.

She does not take her seat in the House of Commons due to Sinn Fein’s abstentionist policy.

Related Topics: GE24, Matthew Bell, UUP, West Tyrone

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