As she hit the campaign trail, Claire Hanna was confident that the changed boundaries would not disadvantage her.
The SDLP 's Claire Hanna is hoping for a repeat of the tactical voting in Northern Ireland's most diverse constituency which swept her to Westminster in 2019.
Another factor which has changed since 2019 is that the increased constituency now stretches well outside Belfast to include Saintfield, Drumbo and Moneyreagh. She added: “South Belfast has always been a multi-way marginal vote. That is part of the beauty of the constituency, it is a melting pot, loads of different political traditions and ideas. The last time that was the case as well and I think people rallied around me as the candidate maybe even if I wasn’t their first choice at Assembly election and I am hoping that will be the same again.
Ms Kelly added: “I think as a councillor, I don’t have to introduce myself, I am already known in the constituency. I also have the advantage of working for the local MLA for the last eight years for the whole of South Belfast.
Alliance Party DUP SDLP Sinn Fein TUV Ulster Unionist Party Green Party Carryduff Finaghy Saintfield South Belfast Stormont Politics
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