Councillor Patrick Brown, Rowallene Councillor and South Down Alliance candidate is getting ready for his first challenge for a seat at Stormont in the election this Thursday. He managed to win a Council seat in the local election two years ago whilst still a student in international politics at Sheffield University, and political pundits are asking. can he do it again in winning a South Down Assembly seat?
He said: “I have two messages for voters prior to this election. First, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain about the state of politics here. Second, if you continue to vote for the same old politics you will get the same old results. Alliance is the only party that can build a united Northern Ireland and move society on from the politics of the past.
“Forget the parties whose main campaign message is ‘project fear – elect us so we can keep them out’. The same goes for those claiming ‘progressive nationalism’ but offering economic illiteracy and social conservatism. We need a party that can build an integrated society, tackle the costs of division and clean up politics. Only Alliance can do that.
“With your help Alliance, CAN win in South Down. My election to council in 2014 showed we could win seats against the odds. Last year in the Westminster election we tripled our vote. If each person that voted for us last May went out and found just one more person to vote Alliance this May, we will win a seat.
“To those not planning to vote, consider that almost 550,000 people didn’t vote in the 2011 Assembly election. That’s 45% of the electorate. Now consider that only 198,000 people voted for the DUP. Imagine the overnight change if even one third of non-voters went out and supported an alternative party!
“In South Down the only alternative candidates running with a chance of winning in South Down are Alliance and the TUV. If you want a young, cross-community and progressive representative in Stormont from the May 5th election…
“don’t vote green or orange, vote Brown.”
