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Former South Down MLA Patrick Brown has went into more details about his reasons for resigning, citing the pressures associated with working in politics.
Brown was South Down's first ever Alliance MLA and he remains proud of his track record on local issues, the environment, animal welfare and UBI, and most recently supporting those devastated by last year's flooding. He also has said that he has been struggling in the role.
"For quite some time now I have been struggling in the role, and have neither felt myself nor able to give the job the dedication it deserves. This May I will have been in elected life for 10 years and trust me when I tell you it takes a toll. Anyone familiar with my first election in 2014 will know I never expected to go into politics, and I suppose I've struggled with a mix of imposter syndrome and uncertainty about what's best for me career-wise throughout my time in office."
Recently he has secured a diagnosis for adult ADHD "something I've always suspected I had, and frankly the pressures of being in full-time politics combined with a neurodiverse brain, and a typical male reluctance to shut down rather than discuss how I was feeling, was a fairly potent mix for my wellbeing."
Brown said the amount of work, scrutiny, pressure, competition and abuse is unlike any other job. Speaking on the Media he added "Unfortunately, whilst I have always had the greatest of respect for our media and I'll be the first to admit I've made mistakes whilst elected, there are certain journalists who I feel have treated me, and others, unfairly in the past, running repetitive and damaging stories, insinuating wrongdoing and generally hounding elected representatives in their role. This has, ultimately, been a contributing factor to how I now feel."
He has been offered and accepted a job working in a field more aligned with his academic background. Speaking about a BBC story he said "It is true, following a story on the BBC today, that last year a local school in my area made a complaint about me to the Assembly. This was a counter-complaint in direct response to a complaint I made to them on behalf of numerous constituents who had raised incredibly serious concerns with me about the governance and ethos of the school."
"However, despite the speculation, this had no bearing on my reasons for resigning, with the timing of my resignation more to do with my new job and finding the right time to inform staff and colleagues. I would rather not have been forced into a position to discuss what should be a private process, however media speculation has forced my hand and I feel it's important to set the record straight." he said.
Brown concluded "I remain an Alliance Party member and supporter, and refute any speculation that I was made to resign or resigned because of issues within the party - no party is perfect but I still firmly believe Alliance is the best vehicle for change in Northern Ireland, and I hope my supporters in South Down will continue to show the party their support in forthcoming elections."
