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Sinn Féin MLA says he will not seek re-election

News imageBBC Sinn Féin assembly member Pádraig Delargy is in a grey fleece and blue shirt. He is standing beside Derry's historic walls. A number of homes can be seen in the background.BBC
Delargy says he and his family will be moving away from the city early next year

Sinn Féin Foyle MLA, Pádraig Delargy, has confirmed he will not be seeking re-election at next year's Stormont Assembly election.

In a statement on Friday, Delargy said it was "the honour of my life to serve the people of Derry" and said his reason for not standing in the next election was he intends to leave the city with his family next year.

Back in 2021, Mr Delargy, a primary school teacher, was chosen alongside Ciara Ferguson as the party's two new Foyle MLAs to replace Martina Anderson and Karen Mullan following a review and restructure in the north west by Sinn Féin.

Delargy thanked party colleagues for their support, saying he was "forever indebted" to them and his constituents.

He said being part of Sinn Féin and seeing Michelle O'Neill become First Minister was a highlight of his time being an MLA.

"To have played a part in delivering Sinn Féin's largest ever electoral success and ensuring Michelle O'Neill is the first Republican to hold the position of First Minister is something we did together," he said.

'An MLA is about being in your community'

Delargy said he had made a commitment to represent the people of Derry "to the best of my ability" but confirmed he and his family will be moving.

"Early next year we are moving from Derry. For me, an MLA is about being in your community, at the heart of that community and all that happens there," he said.

"That is not something I can do effectively living 100 miles away therefore I have made the very difficult decision not to seek re-election in 2027."

He said he was announcing the decision early to allow the party to prepare for the next election.

"While I will continue as an MLA for the coming months, I have made this decision as early as possible so that we can plan for continued growth and a successful election in 2027," he said.