Enright prepares to defend council seat

Enright prepares to defend council seat

16 January 2019

DOWNPATRICK area Independent councillor Cadogan Enright is to defend his Newry, Mourne and Down Council seat at the forthcoming local government election.

Confirming his decision to stand again on Monday, Cllr Enright is hoping to be re-elected to serve the people of the county town and the Lecale coastal area.

He has appealed to friends and supporters to help him beat what he described as the ‘big party system’ once again to ensure dedicated local representation continues in Lecale. 

“All the seats in my electoral area bar mine are controlled by the SDLP and Sinn Féin and both these parties have been led from Newry during the first term of this new super council,” claimed Cllr Enright.

“The Downpatrick area and East Down in general has lost out. The group of Independent councillors have held the balance of power on council and can swing the vote on issues vital to our community.”

Cllr Enright said there was a long tradition of Independent and environmentally-minded candidates winning one of the five seats in the Downpatrick and Lecale electoral area. 

He pointed to Independent hospital candidate, Raymond Blaney, who won a seat  on the former Down Council almost 20 years ago, and the Green Party’s Bill Corry winning a seat in 2005.

“In the 2005 elections, Raymond nominated Bill and I acted as his election agent, while in the 2011 and 2014 elections, both Raymond and Bill supported my successful election campaigns,” explained Cllr Enright.

“Both ex-councillors will be active on my behalf for this May’s election and Bill is my election agent.”

Cllr Enright said at the 2014 election to the new Newry, Mourne and Down Council, “a remarkable coalition of activists from community organisations, the farming community and the environmental sector” backed him to win the fourth of five seats, with an all time high of first preference votes for an independent candidate in the Downpatrick DEA.

He believes the fact that he is one of the few local politicians who works full-time as a councillor has helped his support base in an area where he continues to work closely with community organisations in villages and in Downpatrick.