Lesley Carroll will be the Ulster Unionist Party`s candidate in North Belfast in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Ulster Unionist leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA, said:
“Lesley Carroll offers a rare combination of compassion, intelligence, and knowledge based on research and experience. Like me, she is a relative late-comer to seeking elected office and that is no bad thing, given the mix of life experiences among the current MLAs.
“I think Lesley is the perfect choice for the people of North Belfast, an area that suffered like no other during the Troubles, and continues to endure the legacy in terms of poor mental health and wellbeing, insufficient social housing and limited opportunities in employment and education.
“The church’s loss will be politics’ gain. If endorsed by the people, she will bring fresh ideas, energy and an inquisitive mind to Stormont, and will challenge us all to stretch ourselves further to deliver a society that offers social justice for all.
“I commend Lesley to the electorate of North Belfast as a potential champion who has been and will remain grounded in public service for the people.”
Lesley Carroll said:
“I`m looking forward to the next couple of months. It`s a new challenge, but I`ll use all my past experience of working on the ground to get out and about and speak to as many people as possible before 5th May.
“I have a real passion for North Belfast and its people. I want to make a difference, and after conversations with Mike Nesbitt and much thought, that`s why I`ll be standing as an Ulster Unionist Party candidate in North Belfast in the forthcoming Assembly elections. I`ve lived and worked here for over thirty years. It`s my home and I care about all its people. There is so much good going on, but sometimes that story isn`t told.
“I have a vision for a community in which people collaborate to achieve the best possible North Belfast for all its communities. I have worked alongside people in some of the most difficult circumstances of their lives and from these experiences I`ve developed a compassionate understanding of people’s needs. I am committed to social justice in education, community development, health and wellbeing, capacity building and addressing the needs of real people and their too often challenging circumstances.
“I will work with everyone to increase community safety, bring better housing, increase job opportunities and build an inclusive, welcoming community for all. I believe that we can create a more vibrant North Belfast in which successes are celebrated and built upon, but that will also require urban redevelopment.
“I want young people to be able turn their lives around, achieve their potential, and know that they are valued members of society and can become contributors to building the vibrant North Belfast which we all want. If North Belfast is to become as multi-cultural, lively, diverse and welcoming as we want it to be then provision needs to be made for the needs of everyone and for accessible services. All communities need to bring their hopes and concerns to the urban redevelopment agenda. I will work to give everyone a voice and to deliver the kind of urban redevelopment that will change the face of North Belfast making it a bright, engaging place to live, work, bring up children and invest in.
“I am optimistic about the future and if we work together, with the support of government, we can achieve together. On that basis, I`ll be asking people to vote for me on 5th May.”