Gilliland to return to his renewable energy farm

Reaction: Independents, smaller parties: Independent candidate, Mr John Gilliland, was open-minded about his future in politics…

Reaction: Independents, smaller parties: Independent candidate, Mr John Gilliland, was open-minded about his future in politics last night.

Members of his campaign team talked up the possibility of his return to the hustings at some future election. Mr Gilliland vowed to return to his renewable energy farm near Derry and to see his wife and four children but did not write off future political involvement.

"The facts are that 20 per cent of those who voted either gave me a first preference or a number two vote," he said. "That can't be bad." He reflected that few people had heard of him six weeks ago and on the fact that he had improved on the showing of the Alliance Party, which backed his candidacy.

He won 39,390 first preferences, below the 60,000 figure that some associated with his campaign had suggested in the days before polling. Mr Gilliland still refuses to discuss an approach made to him by two senior members of the Ulster Unionists shortly before he announced he would run as an Independent last April.

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The two UUP figures, known to the The Irish Times, are understood to have asked him to run in the East Derry seat at the next Westminster election and to stand aside to allow Mr Jim Nicholson a clear run in the European election.

The Socialist Environmental Alliance (SEA) candidate, Mr Éamonn McCann, was clearly disappointed at his showing, with 9,268 first preferences. The best-known of the candidates from the smaller parties, his campaign had hoped for about 15,000 first-preference votes. They had further hoped that this would provide a platform across the North for their radical approach to politics.

Mr McCann failed to secure an Assembly seat in the Foyle constituency last November, but did secure a significant personal vote. The SEA hopes to build on its showing in time for next year's local government elections.

The Green Party candidate, Ms Lindsay Whitcroft, won just over 5,000 first preferences or 0.88 per cent of the poll. Ms Whitcroft was nominated at the last moment, the Greens' original candidate having had to withdraw due to an injury sustained in a Gaelic football match.

The Green Party has one elected councillor in Northern Ireland and it is anticipated that Ms Whitcroft and Dr John Barry, the Greens' co-leader in the North, will seek council seats next year.