New DUP councillor announced in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

Carla Lockhart, the party’s Upper Bann MP, announced that Ian Wilson will take the empty seat.

The council is dominated by unionists, but also has strong nationalist / republican representation, particularly in Lurgan and Armagh.

In 2019, the results of the local election were:

DUP, (27.9%) 11 councillors

SF, (22.0%) 10 councillors

UUP, (21.6%) 10 councillors

SDLP, (13.5%) six councillors

Alliance, (7.8%) three councillors

And one independent (ex-DUP man Paul Berry).

Carla Lockhart’s statement today said: “I have known Ian for many years now and I know how much he loves the local community and shares my desire to see continued improvement to the area.

“He will bring enthusiasm and commitment to the role and working alongside Councillor Paul Greenfield, will be on the ground delivering for people in the Banbridge area.

“Obviously this is an announcement tinged with great sadness, as Ian takes the seat vacated by the huge loss of my friend and colleague, Alderman Junior McCrum.

“These truly are big shoes to fill, and Junior’s legacy of working for all, to the very best of his ability, and delivering so much, is an example we all need to follow.

“I wish Ian and the family well in the days ahead and look forward to working with him.”

MORE FROM THE NEWS LETTER:

> Transformation of Belfast city centre takes next big step as whopping 724-room student block gets OK <

> The great homecoming: Estate agents see influx of buyers moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland <

> Cruise passengers baffled at being ‘held captive’ in Belfast <

> NI’s busiest A&E had to issue 46 ‘extreme pressure’ public warnings in 14 months <

> In pictures: NI Centenary parade takes place in Ballymena <

> Experts predict rising sea levels will flood much of Belfast by 2050 <

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Ben Lowry, acting editor