Northern Ireland election/campaign launch: Independent European Parliament election candidate Mr John Gilliland has predicted that comparable to the success of Dr Kieran Deeny in the Assembly election he could spring a surprise and win one of the North's three European seats.
Hospitals candidate in Omagh, Dr Deeny, caused the major upset of the Assembly elections in November by taking a seat in the West Tyrone constituency and similarly Mr Gilliland said he could be the dark horse of this campaign.
Mr Gilliland, when launching his "action plan for Europe" in Belfast yesterday, said increasingly on the canvass he was meeting a positive response from voters.
"The thing that has fascinated me is the amount of people who have come up and said, 'I have watched so and so on TV, and listened to so and so on radio, and I am fed up and I have switched off. The fact you are coming along as an independent with no historic baggage, the fact that you are running under a slogan 'No Politics, Just Action', these are issues that people on the street like," he said.
Mr Gilliland, who comes from a farming background in Derry and was a former head of the Ulster Farmers' Union, is running as an independent but supported by the Alliance and Workers' Party, Dr Deeny, some British Tory and Labour members and some independent councillors in Northern Ireland. He said his priority was to make a positive impact in Europe for the people of Northern Ireland. "I will work for a sustainable economy, to cut red tape for businesses and community groups seeking EU funding and to develop co-operation to tackle organised crime and internet predators.
"I will work with anyone who will help me get the best deal for Northern Ireland. I am the unifying candidate." Mr Gilliland said that on a pro rata basis Northern Ireland lost £750 million sterling in EU funding compared to the Republic.
"The European Union gives us significant opportunities to grow as a self-confident, outward-looking region. But we haven't taken full advantage of them."
His action plan concentrates on issues such as the economy, infrastructure, regional aid, the environment, consumer protection, combating child pornography and promoting peace and reconciliation.