Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly to stand down at next election

Sinn Féin's Gerry Kelly to stand down at next election The Old Bailey bomber has represented North Belfast since 1996 15:59, 22 Jul 2026 Sinn Féin confirmed that their North Belfast MLA, Gerry Kelly, will not contest next year's Assembly election. ‌ The 73-year-old was first elected to represent the constituency in the 1996 Northern Ireland Forum election and has been an MLA since the Assembly's inception in 1998, following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. ‌ Kelly and current Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots are the only MLAs remaining from the original class of '98. ‌ Confirming the news on social media, Sinn Féin said: "We want to pay tribute to the incredible sacrifice and service of Gerry Kelly to the cause of Irish freedom over many decades, as he announces that he will not contest the upcoming Assembly election. "Gerry has been at the heart of the republican struggle and Sinn Féin leadership for decades. "His commitment and leadership are, and will always be, immensely valued by Republicans across Ireland. ‌ "In 2026, Sinn Féin is the strongest we have been since partition. "We look forward to Gerry continuing to play an important role during these times of historic change as we continue to work toward a new and united Ireland. "We want to wish Gerry, Margaret and the entire Kelly family the very best." ‌ In 1973, at the age of 19, Kelly, alongside eight others, including the Price sisters, was convicted for their involvement in the Old Bailey bombing, which killed one person and injured 200 others. While incarcerated for the bombing, Kelly and the other prisoners went on hunger strike demanding political prisoner status and to be transferred to a prison in Northern Ireland. He was transferred to the Maze Prison in April 1975 after 60 days on hunger strike, where he was force-fed by prison officers. Article continues below Mr Kelly made a number of attempts to escape from the Maze, and in September 1983, he, alongside 37 other republican prisoners, smashed their way out of the prison in what was the largest breakout of prisoners in Europe since WWII, before spending three years on the run in Europe. For all the latest news, visit the homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.