Kate Hoey: I want principled MPs and here are some of my preferred candidates - Tim Collins, Jim Allister, Carla Lockhart

A letter from Baroness Hoey:

Having been a candidate for Parliament in 10 general elections before and during my 30 years as an MP, I well understand what all those standing for election on July 4 are going through.

The knocking on endless doors, visits to sheltered homes, leafleting, hustings, dealing with the media and most of all keeping up the morale of supporters is exhausting and every candidate will be ticking off the days until win or lose it is all over.

Not being a member of any political party, I can now consider who to endorse based on my desire to see principled and honest MPs who will have independent thought and not just be subject to party whips.

I want men or women who will put their country before their party loyalty. I want MPs from Northern Ireland who don’t just see the rest of the United Kingdom as a bank from which they can demand ever more cash but who care and value the country as a whole.

So here are some of the candidates who best reflect my wish list.

The largest pro-Union party has not been honest with its voters - the Donaldson deal was over hyped and lies were told. Sadly, many of their leading members went along with the spin that the Irish Sea border had gone and that EU law had been removed.

Lord Dodds and Lord Morrow refused to comply with the orders from Donaldson and made strong speeches along with myself in the Lords exposing the nonsense of the leadership pronouncements.

In the Commons, one or two DUP MPs made remarks which could be interpreted as accepting that the deal was flawed. Yet all of them except one praised their leader and acted as if the enemy were those of us pointing out that EU law remained, as did the Irish Sea border.

The exception was Carla Lockhart, now fighting to be re-elected in Upper Bann, who did not join in the praise of Donaldson. Clearly she knew they were being asked to lie. It hasn’t been easy for the one female DUP MP in a group with seven men but looking through Hansard her contributions in both the chamber and as a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee have been wide ranging and sincere. If I had a vote in Upper Bann (Lords can’t vote in general elections) it would be Carla I would put my trust in there.

In my view Alliance have gone from being a genuinely non-sectarian party to one that increasingly backs Sinn Fein on so many issues. The people of North Down have the opportunity to vote out Stephen Farry who spends much of his time talking about identity issues and Gaza.

He must be challenged on child safeguarding, donations from puberty blocker manufacturers, support for mixed sex toilets and changing rooms, and restrictions on free speech.

Tim Collins is a fresh voice, strong on the constitutional issues and with a depth of experience which will be so welcome in the Commons. A vote for Collins is a vote to ensure that North Down will once again have an MP of the calibre of Lady Sylvia Hermon who was so widely respected.

As a man who lives in the Kilcooley Estate said to me last week: “There is something about him that makes me feel that the Union would be safe in his hands.”

It is shocking that one pro-Union candidate could not have been agreed to, like in Fermanagh, but Collins is the more suitable candidate for North Down and I would urge all who want to strengthen the Union to vote for him.

In North Antrim my choice was easy. As I have said on many occasions, Jim Allister is the cleverest and most principled politician in Northern Ireland, with integrity that even opponents recognise.

He last stood for Parliament there in 2O10 when he lost to Ian Paisley Jnr. Some say, “Oh Paisley can never be beaten”, but times have changed and Jim’s brilliant efforts in the assembly on so many issues other than the protocol has shown him to be the real opposition there.

His decision to work with a Great Britain-based party - Reform - is welcome as it clearly shows that the rest of the kingdom matters. In Parliament, he would not hesitate to speak out on the state of the health service, devolution and support for victims. His forensic skill as a KC is priceless and if I had a vote in North Antrim I would vote for change and for Jim.

With a likely Labour government with a big majority the voice, from Northern Ireland needs to be clear and unified. Despite being in different parties, Carla, Tim and Jim would work constructively together and I feel confident that they retain the independent streak that makes a successful member of Parliament.

Baroness Hoey, Former Labour MP 1989-2019