Graham Warke to run as independent in Faughan

Former DUP Councillor and Mayor, Alderman Graham Warke, has announced his candidacy in the forthcoming Local Government Elections.

Alderman Warke is standing as an Independent candidate for the Faughan District Electoral Area of Derry City and Strabane District Council. 

The Local Government Elections take place on May 18 and will see a total of 462 councillors elected across 11 local councils across the North.

Alderman Warke, who is from Newbuildings was co-opted onto Council to fill the vacancy left by Gary Middleton who became a Foyle MLA. 

In the 2019 Local Council Elections, Alderman Warke topped the poll in the Faughan ward and subsequently served as Deputy Mayor and then Mayor between June 2020 and May 2022. 

In June 2022 he announced he was leaving the DUP but remaining on Derry City and Strabane District Council as an Independent councillor.

Speaking to Derry Now about his decision to throw his hat into the ring in May, Alderman Warke said he felt he had not received DUP support during his mayoral year.

He said: “I’ll be honest, support wise it wasn’t there, for what I was doing. I felt the party could have supported me a lot more. 

“In my heart, I was getting frustrated by what was going on in the Assembly and, for me, I had two schools in the Cityside and two schools in the Waterside one day and all they needed was an Education Minister’s signature. 

“As the Mayor, I was promised the Education Minister was coming down and for whatever reason, they couldn’t make it that day, which was fair enough, and we set it up again, and it happened again. By that stage I was very frustrated. You heard it all the time but it just seemed as if there was a roadblock on the Glenshane.”

Alderman Warke said since he had gone Independent, he had received “a lot of support”.

“I love being a councillor,” he added, “and I respect every councillor in there. They are not in it for money, they are in for the love of their community and that is what I love.

“I love where I live and I want to make it better. It’s wee Betty up the street or wee Bob down the street, it might not be a big job to me but it is a big thing to them and it is about helping them as an elected representative. 

“That is why I have decided to do what I love and I want to give it a go here now for the next elections on May 18. I have a good team built up around me and we are already on the ground canvassing. As anybody knows, I’m only a text or a phone call away. I’m not the hardest to get. I am always there for anybody and everybody.

“My journey as an elected representative is not finished yet. I still have a lot to achieve, a lot of jobs out there to complete. I feel we need that voice for people out there.”

Expanding on his decision to seek re-election, Alderman Warke said he had been honoured to serve as Deputy Mayor and Mayor of the city.

“As Mayor, my main objective was to more or less get the city moving in a safe way post-covid. I think we achieved that with occasions such as the Boyzlife concert and the Hallowe’en and Christmas events. We brought a bit of normality back. 

“I also felt it was very important to build bridges. What I saw as Mayor was that there were a lot of unsung heroes throughout the whole district and there was a lot of amazing work going on and it was important to recognise that. 

“As I have said before, we have a Peace Bridge here but there are hundreds of people in our community building peace bridges daily, including the principals of our post-primary schools. There was a lot of community outreach taking place of which I had not been aware until I became Deputy Mayor and then Mayor. 

“I have also had the opportunity to work with the UK and Irish Governments and there are definitely good things happening in terms of business. We are a hidden gem here in the heart of the North West. You have the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coast Way and we are bang in the centre, a magnet for tourists,” said Alderman Warke.

Graham Warke described Derry as a shared city.

“This is a city for everyone. Everybody loves the place. Then let’s go for it. 

“As Mayor, I was determined to recognise anyone who made a contribution. If a young person raised £50 for a charity they had to be acknowledged. I felt it was very important and it opened up the Guildhall and the Mayor’s chamber especially. I had really good support that year with the Council council staff and elected representatives from all parties as well. 

“I think what was very important for me too was the charity organisation, Foyle Down’s Syndrome. I think we raised nearly £60,000 for them that year. Every school in this district got behind me. There was money coming from everywhere, businesses, community organisations, young people doing events. 

“Tuesday past was ‘Odd Socks Day for Foyle Down Syndrome Trust and I would encourage everybody to make a wee donation to a group which does amazing work.”