Colly McLaughlin to stand for Derry IRSP in Assembly election

Colly McLaughlin, founder of local community activist group Galliagh Community Response, has confirmed his intention to bid for one of the five seats in the constituency.

The 38-year-old Galliagh man announced his intention to stand this week and outlined the issues he will be prioritising if chosen as an elected representative.

Announcing his candidature, he said: “I have been a community activist here in this city for the last 20 years. I am going to stand as an IRSP candidate in the next Assembly election here in the Foyle constituency.

“Derry has been left behind in terms of infrastructure, pay disparity and education.

“I’ll be standing for the most vulnerable in society and will fight tooth and nail to empower our communities to fight all the cuts and rising costs of living that has been inflicted upon our people.”

“Twenty years of Stormont has failed the people of Derry.

“I’ll be fighting for a united Ireland and the most marginalised in our society.

“It’s time for change. Go raibh míle maith agat.”

Voters willhead to the polls on Thursday, May 5 this year and the results will see five MLAs returned for Derry.

The current five Foyle MLAs are Padraig Delargy, Sinéad McLaughlin, Mark H Durkan, Gary Middleton and Ciara Ferguson.

The full list of candidates announced to date in the Foyle constituency are: Sinn FéinPádraig Delargy; Aontú Emmet Doyle; SDLPMark H. Durkan; Sinn Féin Ciara Ferguson; Alliance Rachael Ferguson; People Before Profit Shaun Harkin; UUP Ryan McCready; Irish Republican Socialist Party Colly McLaughlin; SDLP Sinead McLaughlin; TUV Elizabeth Neely and SDLP Brian Tierney.