Pat Cullen elected new MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone

History was changing in what was once the UK’s most marginal seat, won by 57 votes in 2019,  whispers had already begun around the arena in the early hours with the moon high in the sky as they suggested: “there are more than 2,000 votes in it”, “there will be no recount”, and “Cullen has it”.

Gerry Cullen, CCLA relaxes as votes are counted in Magherafelt (Image: John McVitty)

Pat Cullen, the former head of the Royal College of Nursing Union took home a convincing win of over 4,000 over the Ulster Unionist Party’s Diana Armstrong in what was always set to be a two-horse race.

Polling 24,844 votes, Ms Cullen saw off Mrs. Armstrong by 4,571 votes with the UUP candidate gaining 20,273 votes.

Ms Cullen increased the vote count of her predecessor, Michelle Gildernew, who polled 21,986 in 2019.

Tallying began as party activists from all parties were keeping a close eye on the ballots. A line-up of Alliance candidate Eddie Roofe, SDLP Candidate Paul Blake, his election agent Councillor Adam Gannon, Sinn Féin MLA Áine Murphy, UUP Councillor Roy Crawford mixed in with activists and party faithful for all those standing for election provided interesting watching as they contorted themselves to keep an eye on the votes, sometimes asking others for information but mostly taking a peek at tally sheets over their shoulder.

Eddie Roofe, Alliance, watching the counting. (Image: John McVitty)

Elsewhere, Dónal O’Cofaigh, election agent for CCLA candidate Gerry Cullen, himself an election veteran, cut a relaxed figure as he counted the votes piling up on the desks. He was buoyant as he greeted Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott on his arrival and suggested he take on the title, Lord Ferney Park when he is elevated to the House of Lords,  in what was the first news of who may be heading to Westminster, albeit Mr. Elliott was poised for the red benches as opposed to the green ones. 

Gerry Cullen (Image: John McVitty)

 All eyes were on the new boundaries and the box covering the newly introduced Blackwatertown area had tallies showing a strong Sinn Féin vote and a small but modest vote for the Ulster Unionists.

Of the 77,828 people in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency eligible to vote, 51,340 people cast their votes on Thursday, July 4.

Tom Elliott, UUP speaks to Paul Blake, SDLP (Image: John McVitty)

Despite warnings from party sources of a “historically low turnout”, the figure came in at 65.97 per cent and was the highest in Northern Ireland.

A slight slump on the 2019 figure of 69.7 per cent which many expected due to a summer election, the turnout was a far cry from the 2017 figure of 75.8 per cent.

Ballots are counted in the Meadowbank Arena. (Image: John McVitty)

There were a total of 260 rejected or spoilt votes with political sources remarking that the usual expletives were among what was written on the ballots as well as a sizeable number which simply stated ‘Free Palestine’.

  Mrs. Armstrong arrived in the arena shortly before 2am in a royal blue suit, an early arrival a suggestion that things may be going her way and told press she was “remaining cautious” but feeling confident.

Diana Armstrong, UUP speaking to the media. (Image: John McVitty)

She told this newspaper: "Fermanagh and South Tyrone is a knife edge, and as a farmer's daughter I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch.”
Diana Armstrong UUP with James Cooper and Lewis McVitty. (Image: John McVitty) As it became obvious that Sinn Féin would hold the seat, whispers began among the woolly hat wearing press pack as to when Ms Cullen would arrive.

Flanked in by Sinn Féin President Mary-Lou McDonald and First Minister Michelle O’Neill, Pat Cullen arrived about half an hour before the vote was declared to waiting media.

There was an unofficial uniform in place as both Ms. McDonald and Ms. Cullen as well as outgoing MP Michelle Gildernew arrived in the arena to wait on the official declaration in green jackets of various hues.

Ms. Cullen raised her arms in glee as the vote was declared shortly after 5am as Mrs. Armstrong, Mr. Roofe, Mr. Blake and Mr. Gerry Cullen looked on.

Watched on by party faithful from activists to councillors to the President, Ms. Cullen said she would “put both feet forward” in her new role.

Sinn Féin celebrate their victory in Fermanagh South Tyrone. (Image: John McVitty)

 Ms. Cullen paid tribute to Ms. O’Neill for “putting your trust in me that I could do this”, looking out to the crowd.

Michelle Gildernew, who served as the MP for the area from 2001 to 2015 and again from 2017 to 2024 was among the loudest cheerers in the crowd.

Ms Cullen paid tribute to her and said: “Michelle has walked every step with me and when I was having those little low moments, there is no one will pick you up more than Michelle Gildernew.”

From the floor, Mary Lou McDonald applauded Ms. Gildernew and said: “Oh for sure, for sure"

During her speech, Ms. Cullen pledged to work alongside Mrs. Armstrong and said: “We will continue to work together, in your role as councillor and my role as MP and that’s what we will do, as that is what we set out on this journey to do.”

Pat Cullen, Sinn Féin celebrates her victory. (Image: John McVitty)

In her concession speech, Mrs. Armstrong appealed to the new MP to “recognise the pains that have been revisited in recent weeks”.

During an interview on BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster in the lead-up to the election, Mrs. Armstrong challenged Ms. Cullen to condemn the 1987 Enniskillen bomb which claimed 12 lives and the 1998 Omagh bombing in which 29 people were killed and two unborn twins.

Ms. Cullen did not do so, prompting criticism from victims’ representatives.

In her speech, Mrs. Armstrong said: “Many people I have spoken to over recent weeks expressed the despair that in 2024, some people running for senior elected office could still not bring themselves to even acknowledge the wrongs of horrors and terrorist acts.”

She thanked her team of activists and dedicated her campaign to her late mother, Maureen West who died in 2022  who was a dedicated member of the Ulster Unionists alongside her late husband, former MP for Fermanagh South Tyrone, Harry West.

A noted absence from speeches from Sinn Féin MPs elected on the night iwas the question of Irish unity, newly elected MP Ms. Cullen made no reference to a Border poll nor did neighbouring MP for West Tyrone, Órfhlaith Begley.

She did however remain adamant that she would be an abstentionist MP: “For this past two years, I have been voted as one of the top 100 women in Westminster, the most influential women and I have been voted by Westminster and I never sat on a green bench once to get there.

“What I did is I brought them to my table and made sure they delivered for the nurses and that is what I will do for the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, I will bring them to my table.”

In the lead-up to the election, Ms. Cullen and Sinn Féin faced criticism for not running a candidate who lived in the constituency, when asked whether she planned to move to the constituency, Ms. Cullen said:  “I have said before, I represented nurses right throughout from Aberdeen right through to Bristol on the other side, I didn’t live in those area but I made sure their voice was heard and that’s what I will do for the people of Fermanagh South Tyrone.”

Following the results, the Alliance Party emerged as the third largest party in the constituency at this election with 2,420 votes (down from 2,650 votes in 2019), the SDLP’s Paul Blake polled 2,386 votes with the parties’ total votes falling from 2019 where they polled 3,446 votes.  Gerry Cullen of Cross Community Labour Alternative polled 624 votes and Carl Duffy of Aontú - who did not attend the count in Magherafelt - due to “prior commitment” tolled 529 votes.