Smart selected by UUP to contest seat in Strangford

Smart selected by UUP to contest seat in Strangford

12 June 2024

THE Ulster Unionist Party’s Strangford Westminster election candidate, Richard Smart, said his focus will continue to be bringing people together during his campaign.

The Ards and North Down councillor’s constituency now includes parts of the Downpatrick ward, in tandem with those of Dunsford, Kilclief, Strangford village, Saul, Raholp and parts of Teconnaught, Annacloy and Drumaness.

They were formerly in South Down but have been subsumed into Strangford following parliamentary boundary changes.

Cllr Smart said he is delighted to have been endorsed by his party to contest the July 4 election to provide the people of Strangford with a “positive, pro-active and future focused Ulster Unionist voice to vote for”.

He said he has been incredibly proud to serve as a councillor for his home town of Newtownards and as a former mayor of Ards and North Down Council.

“My focus was and is bringing the community together, firmly believing there is always more that unites us, than divides us, and instilling the essential hope and support, to see individuals and communities succeed,” he said.

“This is what I offer to the people of Strangford on July 4, a chance to break the cycle and vote for change, providing hope for a new generation of inclusive pro-union leadership in our community.”

The UUP candidate said he is also hungry for change in Strangford.

“I want to see more jobs, training opportunities and housing that is accessible to ordinary families, like my own, creating the diverse union of people that ensures our country is a successful and attractive place for people to live, work and visit in the next chapter of our history,” he said.

The Westminster candidate has been a campaigning member of the UUP since 2009 and was first elected to Ards and North Down  Council in 2014, serving as Mayor n in 2018/19.