Alliance women working for constructive politics

12.00.00am GMT Mon 24th Nov 2003

THE Alliance Party is well known for constructive politics, but the female candidates have taken the party's election slogan - Alliance Works - to a new level at Stormont.

The party has the best gender balance out of any party going into the Assembly elections, and will field the only female candidates in two constituencies.

North Antrim's Jayne Dunlop and East Belfast candidate Naomi Long will be the only women standing in their respective constituencies.

Jayne Dunlop said: "Alliance has always had a constructive approach to politics, but we aren't afraid to get our hands dirty either. Thirty-eight percent of our candidates (eight out of 21) are female, which is the best gender balance of any party in Northern Ireland by far, and we are looking forward to getting to work on the issues that matter in Northern Ireland.

"We want to see stable structures for future government, and that means using the Agreement as our foundation on which to build a united community. As the only woman standing in North Antrim, I hope to bring a dose of reality to the testosterone-fuelled tantrums that normally pass for politics in my neck of the woods."

East Belfast candidate Naomi Long added: "The candidate list makes depressing reading for those interested in getting away from a government of men in grey suits. Unionist parties seem particularly reluctant to select women, with less than 20 standing between them. In addition, three parties - the NIUP, Women's Coalition and Greens - also appear to be single-sex parties.

"On balance, Alliance clearly beats the rest!"