1. Michelle Gildernew was the Member of Parliament for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2017 to 2024, after previously holding the seat from 2001 to 2015.
13 Facts About Michelle Gildernew
1. 2.
Michelle Gildernew was the MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2001 to 2015, and was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Assembly constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone from June 1998 to July 2012.
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Michelle Gildernew was re-elected to the Assembly in 2016 and 2017.
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Michelle Gildernew is Sinn Fein's health spokesperson, and has been a member of the party's Ard Chomhairle.
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Michelle Gildernew is one of ten siblings from an Irish republican family based at the "Michelle Gildernew farm complex" in County Tyrone.
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On returning to Northern Ireland in 1996, Michelle Gildernew was the second-placed but unsuccessful candidate for Sinn Fein in the Northern Ireland Forum elections for Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
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Michelle Gildernew was the first female candidate elected from her party to the House of Commons in over 80 years since Constance Markievicz in 1918.
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In October 2014, Sinn Fein announced that Michelle Gildernew would be the party's candidate in the 2015 Westminster election.
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Michelle Gildernew lost the seat by 530 votes to Ulster Unionist Party candidate Tom Elliott.
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Michelle Gildernew won her seat back in 2017, beating Elliott by 875 votes.
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Michelle Gildernew supported John O'Dowd's unsuccessful bid to become Vice President of Sinn Fein at the party's ard fheis.
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Michelle Gildernew increased cross-border co-operation with the Republic of Ireland on farming issues.
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Michelle Gildernew is married to Jimmy Taggart; they have two sons, and one daughter.