Political career ended at 32

Political career ended at 32

1 May 2024

ALMOST two months ago, Patrick Brown was the first local MLA to feature in a new Down Recorder series on local politicians who had returned to the new Assembly.

He was Alliance’s first representative in the constituency and while he grew up in an SDLP household, he gravitated to the party which became home.

Under the Alliance banner he became the youngest councillor to be elected to Newry, Mourne and Down Council while he was completing his university studies in Sheffield.

He was viewed as a rising star and in 2022 secured his Assembly seat and was joined by a delighted party leader Naomi Long at Belfast’s Titanic Centre where the election count was held.

One of many bright, articulate Alliance politicians who were viewed as the party’s future, all appeared well with Patrick Brown, at least on the surface any way.

There was no hint that anything was wrong, but that all changed on Tuesday evening of last week when he dramatically announced he was stepping down.

In a social media post, the 32 year-old revealed he was stepping down with immediate effect explaining in his lengthy Facebook post that  it “felt strange” to write as a private citizen after almost a decade in politics.

Mr Brown said he wanted to take the time, following his resignation, to provide an update on his reasons for quitting.

“I haven’t discussed this with many people, but why not get it over and done with by sharing it with the 7,000 or so people who I’m connected with on here,” he began.

“It’s not a decision that I took lightly or suddenly and want to start by thanking all those who gave me the opportunity to represent them in the Assembly over the past two years and everyone who worked to elect South Down’s first-ever Alliance MLA after many years of hard work.

“I am sorry I have let you down by not completing this mandate, but I hope for the most part you feel that I have done my best to represent and work for you.”

Mr Brown said he remained proud of his track record on local issues, the environment, animal welfare and universal basic income and, most recently, supporting those devastated by last year’s flooding in Downpatrick and Newcastle.

The outgoing MLA said he had no doubt that whoever replaces him would continue to deliver the same level of hard work and dedication to the area.

He said that “for quite some time” he had been struggling in the MLA role and was not able to give the job the dedication it deserves. 

“This month, I will have been in elected life for 10 years and trust me, it takes a toll,” Mr Brown continued.

“Anyone familiar with my first election in 2014 will know I never expected to go into politics and, I suppose, I’ve struggled with a mix of imposter syndrome and uncertainty about what’s best for me career-wise throughout my time in office.

“More recently, on the advice of friends, I secured a diagnosis for adult ADHD, something I’ve always suspected I had and, frankly, the pressures of being in full-time politics combined with a neurodiverse brain, and a typical male reluctance to shut down rather than discuss how I was feeling, was a fairly potent mix for my wellbeing.”

Mr Brown said there were no treatment pathways for adult ADHD in Northern Ireland.

“I didn’t feel it was likely I could come learn to cope with and fully understand this diagnosis within formal politics,” he continued.

“Politics is an incredibly challenging environment at the best of times and I have nothing but respect for each and every one of the 89 MLAs I served with. The amount of work, scrutiny, pressure, competition and abuse is, I would argue, unlike any other job.

“To continue working towards the public good under those circumstances is an achievement in itself.”

On a more positive note, which he believes will hopefully help explain the timing of his departure, Mr Brown confirmed that a number of weeks ago he was offered another job working in a field more aligned with his academic background.

“It’s a role which I have now accepted and look forward to starting and sharing further details of it with you in due course. But for now, I am looking forward to some downtime and privacy to process the huge decision that is leaving politics.”

Mr Brown said he knew there would be speculation about the reason for his departure.

“I was hoping people might respect this and give me some space, but it does appear there are some intent on speculating that there are other reasons for my resignation and I can say categorically this is not the case.

“Unfortunately, whilst I have always had the greatest of respect for our media, and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve made mistakes whilst elected, there are certain journalists who I feel have treated me, and others, unfairly in the past, running repetitive and damaging stories, insinuating wrongdoing and generally hounding elected representatives in their role.

“This has, ultimately, been a contributing factor to how I now feel. The media has an incredibly important role to play in public life, but I do not believe this sort of approach is helpful to democracy or trust in institutions, and, coupled with the awful social media abuse endured by most politicians, is a legitimate reason why many good people do not go into politics.”

Mr Brown added: “I remain an Alliance Party member and supporter and refute any speculation that I was made to resign or resigned because of issues within the party.

“No party is perfect but I still firmly believe Alliance is the best vehicle for change in Northern Ireland and hope my supporters in South Down will continue to show the party their support in forthcoming elections.”