Council shake-up as two Councillor's move to DUP

An announcement today that two Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Councillors have switched allegience to the DUP brings the party's representation on the Council to 5 while another move by an Independent Councillor to Alliance in July brings their representation to 3.

Mournes Independent Councillor Henry Reilly and Slieve Croob UUP Councillor Alan Lewis have been welcomed by DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson MP who said “I am delighted to welcome Alan and Henry to the DUP. They join many other new members who are now part of a vibrant and growing party within South Down and I pay tribute to Diane Forsythe MLA who has led that growth.

"I have known Henry over many years and he has always been a dedicated representative, focused on delivering for the people of the Mournes, and dedicated to strengthening our place within the United Kingdom. Since his election in 2019 Alan has also been a fearless and hardworking representative, focused on uniting and strengthening unionism within South Down.

"I want to see a stronger and more cohesive unionism, working to strengthen our place within the Union. There is a unity of purpose within unionism in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, and as leader of the DUP I will do everything in my power to build upon that. To anyone who wants to build a better Northern Ireland, I issue a warm invitation to join Alan and Henry and many others across Northern Ireland who have joined us in building a more united unionism.”

Cllr Henry Reilly as well as being an Independent has also represented the UUP, UKIP and the TUV in the past. Cllr Reilly said “I have been an elected representative for the Mournes area for over two decades, and in the last few years have worked closely in particular with Cllr Glyn Hanna. I was pleased to offer Diane my endorsement as a candidate for the Assembly election in May and I have also welcomed the strong leadership offered by Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and the DUP on the Northern Ireland Protocol. I look forward to being part of that strong DUP team, not just in South Down, but across Northern Ireland.”

Cllr Alan Lewis who had represented the UUP on the Council said “Since my election to Newry, Mourne and Down Council I have worked closely with both Henry and DUP colleagues on Council. The election of Diane Forsythe as MLA for South Down has reinvigorated unionism within this part of Northern Ireland, and she has already established herself as an energetic and positive representative within the constituency. The people I represent want to see greater unionist unity. There were more than 12,500 unionist votes cast at the last Assembly election in South Down and I believe this can be further built upon through a strong DUP team which I am looking forward to being part of.”

The two Councillors will join the current DUP members on the Council, Cllr Kathryn Owen, Cllr William Walker and Cllr Glyn Hanna

In July former Downpatrick Independent Councillor Cadogan Enright announced he was moving to the Alliance Party bringing their representation to 3

Cllr Enright said “It is a privilege and honour to join the local Alliance team. People have been expressing their dissatisfaction with the DUP, Sinn Féin and SDLP, with a growing realisation Alliance is the best vehicle for the positive and inclusive society the majority of people want to see,” said Councillor Enright.

“I have worked closely with my Alliance counterparts over the years and was impressed with the party’s commitment to a number of issues in the Downpatrick area, particularly around the environment as illustrated through Alliance’s Green New Deal document.

“As a growing force throughout the local area, Alliance wants to deliver on the issues which matter to people. With our new offices in Warrenpoint and Downpatrick showcasing growth, it’s an exciting time for the party locally. I look forward to working with the team to ensure everyone across Newry, Mourne and Down has a voice.”

Former Alliance Councillor and now MLA Patrick Brown said “Cadogan has worked for people right across the constituency and is involved with dozens of community groups in his role. I know on a personal level he is a tireless public representative and I look forward to working closely with him to deliver our plans to restore the county town of Downpatrick and campaign on vital environmental issues among many other matters.”

The UUP are now left with just 2 Councillors on Newry, Mourne and Down Council, Cllr David Taylor and Cllr Robert Burgess.