Chief Nursing Officer Pat Cullen to stand as Sinn Féin candidate in UK election

The principal of the Royal College of Nursing has resigned to stand as a Sinn Féin candidate in the UK general election.

Pat Cullen is seeking the Irish Republican Party’s nomination to stand as its candidate for the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency.

She has been general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) since 2021 and led the union on a nationwide strike.

Cullen said he had informed RCN that his name would appear at a Sinn Féin selection convention in the constituency this week.

“After much consideration, I have decided that now is the right time to step forward in the political arena to advocate for issues and opportunities for the community I love, and that is what I am fully determined to do,” she said.

He added that the July 4 election was an opportunity to support better funding for public services and “reject years of cruel Conservative cuts”.

Mrs Cullen grew up in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and qualified as a registered nurse in 1985.

She has held senior positions in nursing, including director of nursing at the Public Health Agency.

Cullen joined the RCN in 2016 and became its director for Northern Ireland in 2019 before being appointed general secretary and chief executive in 2021.

His name and profile were removed from the RCN website on Wednesday morning following his announcement.

Last week, Sinn Féin confirmed that sitting MP Michelle Gildernew would not stand again in the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency.

He is currently standing for election to the European Parliament in the Midlands-North West constituency of the Republic of Ireland.

At the last Westminster election in 2019, Gildernew retained the marginal seat with just 57 votes between her and Ulster Unionist Party candidate Tom Elliott.

The deadline for candidates to submit nomination forms in Northern Ireland to stand in the general election is Friday 7 June.

Like the summer election announcement, Pat Cullen’s desire to become a Sinn Féin MP has taken many by surprise.

The joining of the head of a nursing union with the word “royal” in its name to an Irish republican party is striking in itself.

But as the face of the national strike in recent years, he is also a high-profile addition to this race.

Last time, Sinn Féin won the Fermanagh and South Tyrone seat by just 57 votes.

With so few ballots making a difference, the party may want as much name recognition as possible for its candidate.