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Raymond McCord candidato a Stormont

Dad of UVF victim to contest Assembly elections

Raymond McCordNorth Belfast victims’ campaigner Raymond McCord is to stand as an independent candidate in the Assembly elections in May.

McCord, whose son Raymond Jnr was shot dead by the UVF in 1997, says both the unionist and nationalist communities in North Belfast have been let down by their elected representatives and prospects for young people from those communities are at a low ebb.

Speaking exclusively to the North Belfast News this week McCord, who directs Duncairn Gardens victims’ group H.E.L.P., said elected representatives have “let the people of North Belfast down”.

“I have no interest in orange or green politics, I am only interested in truth and justice and doing what is right for both communities,” he said.

“The unionist community in North Belfast still has a major problem with paramilitaries posing as community workers and the unionist politicians are not speaking out about it. When ordinary unionist people have a problem they have nowhere to go.

“While in the nationalist community there are big problems with drugs and anti-social behaviour but the nationalist people I speak to don’t see their politicians doing enough and they feel like a forgotten people.”

The 57-year-old said politicians from all communities should be working together to make North Belfast a better place “rather than trying to score political brownie points against each other”.

“I have three grandchildren and I want them to grow up seeing their friends as friends, not as Protestant or Catholic,” he said.

He said the work he has done since his son died should stand him in good stead.

“It has been 13 years since Raymond junior was murdered and in that time people said I wouldn’t expose collusion and I have done it, they said I wouldn’t bring down the UVF and I done it. If you believe in something go out and do it.

“I am calling on the people of North Belfast to vote for the person they can trust the most and who will fight hardest for them.”

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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