Dolores Kelly to stand in election

Former SDLP Deputy Leader and Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly is set to stand in the next NI Assembly elections, she has revealed.

The veteran politician lost her seat after a long and hard-fought battle last May.

Though she withdrew from frontline politics, Dolores said she still worked behind the scenes helping people with various issues.

And she revealed that taking a backseat in the political arena opened her eyes as to how the electorate really feel.

“I am dismayed that this is again about orange and green politics instead of the bread and butter issues,” said Mrs Kelly.

People are very upset and angry. The tit-for-tat politics is not what the Good Friday Agreement was about. It has become more of a carve-up than power-sharing.”

Speaking about being in opposition with the Ulster Unionists, Mrs Kelly said: “I hope we can put forward a credible alternative to the people.”

She said compromise around issues such as the selection process in Education could be on the agenda.

And she vowed to work hard to deal with the lack of GP services. “First it was Brownlow, now it is Bannview,” she said.

She also has the needs of carers and the elderly in her sights and plans to work hard to support them.

Having had a short retirement of less than a year, Dolores said she is itching to get back to work for the constituents of Upper Bann.

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