Elisha McCallion with party big hitters Mary Lou McDonald, Pat Doherty, Martina Anderson and Raymond McCartney at Irish primary school in Skeoge this week
IT looks like former SDLP leader Mark Durkan will hold onto his north Belfast seat in this week’s General election.
The outgoing Foyle MP is odds on favourite with Paddy Power to returned to Westminster to represent the constituency again.
The bookmakers have Mr Durkan at 1/3 while former Mayor of Derry Elisha McCallion is quoted at 2/1.
Sinn Fein has brought in its big guns into the Foyle constituency to try and wrestle the seat from Mr Durkan.
Sinn Fein’s leader in the north Michelle O’Neill, his deputy Mary Lou McDonald and former MP Pat Doherty have been among the big hitters who have been out on the hustings to try and get Mrs McCallion elected.
But Mr Durkan topped the poll in 2015 with a commanding lead of 6,000 votes over Sinn Fein’s Gerry O’Hara.
Sinn Fein is hoping that Elisha McCallion will be a popular choice for the nationalist/republican voter in Foyle and help get her first past the post.
She topped the poll in the recent Assembly elections in the wake of the death of Martin McGuinness.
But it appears the bookies don’t see the Foyle MLA turning around Mr Durkan’s huge lead and believe she will come in on the rails in second place.
