DUP announce Cusher candidates for election

The DUP has announced their two Cusher Ward candidates for the upcoming council elections.

Current DUP Councillor Alderman Gareth Wilson, a former Lord Mayor of the ABC Borough and local doctor and former Ministerial advisor, Philip Weir are the party’s choice for the 2023 campaign, bringing a wealth of experience to the table with sights set firmly on winning an additional seat.

Alderman Wilson said: “I am delighted to be once again selected by the party to contest the Cusher Ward on May 18.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed representing the Cusher for the past 18 years and I am delighted that Philip is my co-candidate.

“The wealth of experience we both bring is a really important factor in our campaign goal of electing two DUP councillors for Cusher.

“My focus over the past 18 years has been delivery for people and responding swiftly to the concerns of the electorate and that is our pledge to the people of Cusher to continue this important work and that is why we humbly seek the electorate’s endorsement on polling day.”

Dr Philip Weir lives at a small family farm, off the main Armagh Road, between Portadown and Richhill, with both sides of his family tracing their roots in the Cusher area back several centuries.

Philip works locally as a doctor for the Southern Trust, and has a wealth of political experience locally and at Stormont.

He was previously a councillor in Craigavon for six years and served as Deputy Mayor just over a decade ago.

He has also been a Ministerial adviser to three Health Ministers, and adviser and Chief of Staff for two Northern Ireland First Ministers.

Philip had two spells on the old Southern Education and Library Board and on the Board of Governors at three local schools, as well as serving on the SOAR Rural Development Partnership.

He is a former pupil of Royal School Armagh and married with two school-age children.

He is an Elder and Sunday School teacher in his local church in Richhill.

He has played cricket for Laurelvale for 36 years and is a member of Tandragee Golf Club, but only gets the occasional opportunity to play ‘very badly’, and will have even less time in the weeks ahead.

Ahead of the start of the formal campaign, Philip said: “When I was elected previously in Craigavon, we managed to win a seat back from republicanism.

“This time we are making every effort to try to win a second seat for the party which would be the first time in the expanded Cusher area, and would allow us to expand the first-rate service William and the team already provide, reaching out further into more of the less-populated parts of the area.”