Jamie PowAhead of the Northern Ireland Assembly election on 5th May, Northern Slant wants to give our readers the opportunity to (virtually) meet candidates from across the political spectrum. The one thing they have in common is that none of them have been elected to the Assembly before. In this interview we hear from Adam Gannon, the SDLP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
Hi Adam, could you tell us about yourself and your life before entering politics?
I grew up in Irvinestown and studied education at St Mary’s University College. Whilst at university and working in retail I got involved in the trade union movement, becoming a shop steward and local rep. This led me to get involved in the campaigns to protect services at the South Western Acute Hospital and retain local GP services. I currently work as a science teacher at St Kevin’s College in Lisnaskea and live in Enniskillen with my Fiancée. I’ve always been involved in sports and have played football, soccer, tennis, and distance running. I am currently treasurer and manage the reserves for my soccer team, Enniskillen Rovers.
What is the main reason you’ve decided to stand in this election?
I decided to put my name forward as a candidate for this election because I’m sick of this area being failed by its representatives and people here not getting their fair share. For a long time, this constituency has been dominated by one party and for a long time the First Minister represented this area, and what do we have to show for it? We can’t keep telling people this is as good as it gets. This is an area with so much potential and not enough is being done to help us realise it. The SDLP has a positive vision with ideas and policies which will benefit everyone in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
What made you choose to stand for the SDLP?
I first became interested in the SDLP while working as a trade union rep. Through my work and activism there I met many local SDLP representatives and there was a real sense that, in sharp contrast to other parties, their main priority was to improve the lives of people in local communities. They were the only party working on the ground for people here.
I was aware of the party’s grand history and of the peace delivered by political giants like John Hume and Seamus Mallon, but I’m equally excited by the work of the party over the past few years. Colum Eastwood’s leadership has ushered in a new generation of political activists and I believe the future is bright for the party.
Sometimes election campaigns can be criticised for focusing too much on the short-term. What is your main long-term priority and, if elected, how will you try to address it?
I want to be an MLA that deals with the issues that matter to local people from the cost of living crisis to our huge health service waiting lists and the struggle to access local GP services. We need to see more social and affordable housing built in this area, to reform our education system, to address the digital deficit and to protect our border area from the worst aspects of Brexit. It’s also imperative that we tackle the climate crisis while ensuring a just transition for our rural communities.
These are all problems that will require long-term solutions, but we can’t afford to wait. We need to see immediate action to improve the lives of people in the short-term while we focus on dealing with the long-term problems that are impacting people every single day.
If you could introduce a Private Member’s Bill, what would it be – and why?
If elected, I would like to introduce a Private Member’s Bill tackling regional imbalance and promoting jobs and investment in areas that have traditionally suffered from neglect and even disinterest from the parties in power. This would not only be limited to Fermanagh and South Tyrone but could also make a huge impact in places like Derry, Omagh and North and West Belfast. While I recognise this would be a complicated piece of legislation, we have a duty to address the inequality that exists across the North and has resulted in areas having the worst levels of poverty experienced anywhere on these islands.
Some people might think that it’s not worth voting in this election. What would you say to them?
To anyone who thinks it’s not worth voting in this election I would ask them one simple question: has your life got any better over the past 15 years while our Executive has been dominated by two parties? If the answer to that question is ‘no’, then you can’t sit at home and be annoyed when nothing changes. If we had 100% turnout in this election, then the results would be unrecognisable to the 2017 election.
The right to vote was hard won. Every single vote counts and every single person has the potential to make a difference. If you want to build a better life for everyone in the North, then you should get out and vote for parties that are going to represent you and your values and tackle the issues that are impacting you in your everyday life.
And if you want change here you can get it, the SDLP missed out here by just 62 votes and so every individual has the chance to cast a vote that will really count!
Voting will be open on Thursday 5th May between 7am and 10pm. You can find the full list of candidates standing in each constituency on the Electoral Office website here. No matter your persuasion, we encourage you to weigh up the options and head to the voting booth on 5th May. Make your voice heard.
Check out the rest of our #MeetTheCandidate series here. Candidates from across the political spectrum, and across Northern Ireland, were invited to take part.
Also published on Medium.
