Michelle Guy co-opted to Assembly to replace Alliance’s Sorcha Eastwood in Lagan Valley

The Alliance Party have selected Councillor Michelle Guy as their new Assembly member for Lagan Valley. She will replace Sorcha Eastwood, who was elected as a Member of Parliament in the general election last week.
Image: Alliance Party

The Alliance Party has selected Councillor Michelle Guy to replace Sorcha Eastwood as their Lagan Valley MLA.

Sorcha Eastwood was elected to Westminster in the general election last week.

Assembly rules mean that parties can co-opt a replacement if one of their MLAs leaves to take on another role, or resigns, without the need for a by-election.

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) have selected Councillor Colin Crawford to replace Robin Swann in North Antrim.

TUV leader Jim Allister and Independent Alex Easton still need to select replacements as they were also elected to Parliament.

“I am absolutely delighted to have been selected by Alliance members in Lagan Valley as the new MLA for the area. It is truly an immense honour to represent the constituency where I live in this role,” she said.

“I look forward to getting straight down to work. Sorcha Eastwood leaves huge shoes to fill with her history-making election but I will continue to work closely with her as the new MP, as well as my constituency colleague David Honeyford MLA. I look forward to building on their work and mine as Councillor to serve the people of Lagan Valley on the issues that matter to them.

“As a team, we will continue to advocate for positive change in Northern Ireland and its institutions. The people of Northern Ireland deserve to have a functioning government, and Alliance believes that reforming our institutions is the right way forward. No single party should have the power to bring down our Assembly and Executive. 

“Lagan Valley is an increasingly diverse constituency as symbolic of the new Northern Ireland. Alliance continues to grow here, as the positive and progressive voice people know they can trust, and that has been evidenced across several elections now.”

– Michelle Guy MLA

Leader of Alliance, Naomi Long MLA, said she was delighted that Michelle was joining the team.

Guy served as a councillor on Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council since 2019, and was deputy mayor in 2022.

Join the discussion

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Scroll to Top