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| Troubles haunt Mid Ulster byelection | Troubles haunt Mid Ulster byelection |
| (4 months later) | |
| A parliamentary byelection in Mid Ulster has turned toxic over allegations that a Sinn Féin candidate was involved in murdering his unionist rival's father. With just four days left before voting, the atmosphere in the rural constituency has been further poisoned this weekend by revelations that the Unionist Unity candidate is related to a loyalist paramilitary killer. | A parliamentary byelection in Mid Ulster has turned toxic over allegations that a Sinn Féin candidate was involved in murdering his unionist rival's father. With just four days left before voting, the atmosphere in the rural constituency has been further poisoned this weekend by revelations that the Unionist Unity candidate is related to a loyalist paramilitary killer. |
| To grassroots unionists, the candidacy of Nigel Lutton, who works for terrorist victims and is the son of a police officer murdered by the IRA, signals a possible end to internal unionist divisions. At the same time, Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy personifies all that unionists west of the River Bann fear and loathe. Molloy was named under parliamentary privilege as part of the IRA unit that shot dead Lutton's father, Frederick, in 1979. Molloy strenuously denies the claim and stresses his credentials as a veteran supporter of the peace process. | To grassroots unionists, the candidacy of Nigel Lutton, who works for terrorist victims and is the son of a police officer murdered by the IRA, signals a possible end to internal unionist divisions. At the same time, Sinn Féin's Francie Molloy personifies all that unionists west of the River Bann fear and loathe. Molloy was named under parliamentary privilege as part of the IRA unit that shot dead Lutton's father, Frederick, in 1979. Molloy strenuously denies the claim and stresses his credentials as a veteran supporter of the peace process. |
| Inside a "men's shed"– an informal community centre – local men from the Monrush estate in Cookstown throw darts, drink tea, smoke and joke about a Sinn Féin election poster they have pasted on to a wall with Molloy's face covered by a paramilitary-style balaclava. | Inside a "men's shed"– an informal community centre – local men from the Monrush estate in Cookstown throw darts, drink tea, smoke and joke about a Sinn Féin election poster they have pasted on to a wall with Molloy's face covered by a paramilitary-style balaclava. |
| In the Co Tyrone market town, loyalists in their 20s and 30s say the "Mid Ulster experiment" with the Unionist Unity candidate should be rolled out to every constituency. | In the Co Tyrone market town, loyalists in their 20s and 30s say the "Mid Ulster experiment" with the Unionist Unity candidate should be rolled out to every constituency. |
| Thomas Chambers, who lives on the estate, says while he has always voted, he can think of at least eight friends who will take part for the first time in years, putting their X beside Lutton on the ballot paper. "This is the way forward, to see unionism uniting rather than dividing. It will set a precedent and I hope it is the way to win back seats all over Northern Ireland," the 27-year-old says. | Thomas Chambers, who lives on the estate, says while he has always voted, he can think of at least eight friends who will take part for the first time in years, putting their X beside Lutton on the ballot paper. "This is the way forward, to see unionism uniting rather than dividing. It will set a precedent and I hope it is the way to win back seats all over Northern Ireland," the 27-year-old says. |
| His friend, Andrew Donnell, agrees, claiming there are people on the estate who have never voted before this week's byelection, which was triggered by the Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness standing down. As deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, McGuinness gave up the seat as part of Sinn Féin's policy of no double-jobbing. "I'd go further and say it's about time we had a single unionist party, and stop forever splitting the unionist vote. Selecting Nigel brings that step closer, hopefully," Donnell, 34, says. | His friend, Andrew Donnell, agrees, claiming there are people on the estate who have never voted before this week's byelection, which was triggered by the Sinn Féin MP Martin McGuinness standing down. As deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, McGuinness gave up the seat as part of Sinn Féin's policy of no double-jobbing. "I'd go further and say it's about time we had a single unionist party, and stop forever splitting the unionist vote. Selecting Nigel brings that step closer, hopefully," Donnell, 34, says. |
| Mid Ulster is a classic zero-sum game sectarian headcount where nationalists and unionists vote for the best candidate to keep "the other side out". | Mid Ulster is a classic zero-sum game sectarian headcount where nationalists and unionists vote for the best candidate to keep "the other side out". |
| Cookstown is a microcosm of the sectarian divisions with its main street divided in two: the north end predominantlyProtestant-unionist; the south side overwhelmingly Catholic-nationalist. | Cookstown is a microcosm of the sectarian divisions with its main street divided in two: the north end predominantlyProtestant-unionist; the south side overwhelmingly Catholic-nationalist. |
| Revelations on Sunday that Lutton's uncle Joey had been jailed for life for his part in sectarian murders for the Ulster Volunteer Force are likely to push more voters in the south end of Cookstown and throughout nationalist Mid Ulster towards Sinn Féin on Thursday. | Revelations on Sunday that Lutton's uncle Joey had been jailed for life for his part in sectarian murders for the Ulster Volunteer Force are likely to push more voters in the south end of Cookstown and throughout nationalist Mid Ulster towards Sinn Féin on Thursday. |
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