Colm Fitzpatrick
Dr Anne McCloskey 
New pro-life party Aontú has said it is “delighted” with the Northern Irish local election results, which saw one candidate take up a seat in Derry.
Dr Anne McCloskey was elected in the Ballyarnett area of the city, and is the first Aontú representative to be elected in the North. Overall, the recently-formed party polled close to 7% in the constituencies it contested.
Commenting on the May 2 election success, Aontú’s founder Peadar Tóibín told The Irish Catholic: “I was canvassing in Armagh and in Tyrone and other areas just a week before the election and the majority of people behind the doors still didn’t know who Aontú was. So, it’s very, very hard to break into the North, so for a party that is less than four months old, we’re delighted with the result.”
Pro-life values
The former Sinn Féin TD added that the party has garnered traction because of its pro-life values, and its commitment to stick to its principles rather than cater to societal pressures.
“Obviously, we’re a political party that isn’t sticking its finger into the air to find out what way the wind is blowing. We’re a political party that is looking to swim against the prevailing winds of the time,” the Meath politician said. “The right to life is obviously an important element of it, but many people within Sinn Féin would be disappointed with the direction that Sinn Féin is going over the last number of years.”
Funding
Speaking about the Derry win, Dr McCloskey said the party fared well given the lack of funding and publicity it received.
The GP, who worked at the Shantallow Health Centre for 28 years before running for Aontú, told this newspaper that the current political status-quo is failing many people in the country today.
“I know that the system is failing very many people who deserve better. A lot of people want to tar pro-life people by saying we’re pro-born people, but certainly in my experience these are the very people who are most likely to be out helping people try and struggle with the daily grind that puts bread on their table.”
