Lawyer eyeing SDLP result in Strangford

Lawyer eyeing SDLP result in Strangford

30 March 2022

CONOR Houston is hoping to become Strangford’s first SDLP Assemblyman when voters go to the polls on May 5.

A lawyer and civic activist, he is going head-to-head against the DUP, UUP and Alliance who currently hold the constituency’s five seats and as the parties ramp up their respective election campaigns, Mr Houston has outlined why he decided to put his name forward.

He said he has been very fortunate to have had a lot of great opportunities throughout his career and wants to bring the experiences he has to make a positive impact on the people in Strangford.

Mr Houston said while he has never been in politics before, there have been a few moments in his career that he believes shaped him for political life. 

“As a lawyer, I fought against unfairness and injustice,” he continued. “One of the most frustrating things was seeing young people end up in the criminal justice system. 

“So many of them came from situations of poverty, abuse, addiction and been failed by our education and care systems. Creating opportunity for our young people is the best way of ensuring that people have a real chance in life and don’t end in the criminal justice system.”

Mr Houston said that representing dozens of young men who got caught up in riots at the time of the ‘flag protests’ in 2013 was especially difficult. 

“Those who had planned, organised and, in many instances, stirred up the situation on the ground were never in the dock. Whilst those involved in rioting deserved to be held to account by our courts, this made me realise that we had much work to do to ensure we created better pathways for our young people and addressed some of the major challenges in our society, especially poverty and sectarianism.”

Mr Houston also outlined why he’s now involved in supporting projects that create opportunities for young people.

“I was proud to lead a bid to bring the ‘One Young World’ forum for young leaders to Northern Ireland in 2023,” he said.

“The event is the world’s largest youth summit and will bring 2,500 young leaders from every country in the world to Northern Ireland next year. Hundreds of local young people will be able to get involved.”

Mr Houston said that his experience of running his own consulting business means that he has  seen the challenges too many businesses face in terms of Brexit and political uncertainty.  

He added: “Business is about finding solutions and working with others to get things done. These are important skills that I want to bring to Stormont. I hope the people here will give me a chance to work hard and deliver for them on May 5.”