David Griffin - the best choice for our villages

Many people forget that the Dromore electoral area covers more than just the town. In fact, only around 40% of the electorate of the area are in the town itself.

While David has hardly been neglecting the town, he has also remembered that he has a duty to represent the majority of people who live outside the town. If Dromore sometimes feels like the neglected smaller twin of Banbridge, then our local politicians can seem to ignore villages like Finnis, Moneyslane and Leitrim entirely. However, the rural population of our area is growing rapidly - indeed, Kinallen is one of the fastest growing villages in County Down.

Here, David looks at the facilities in the children's play area in Waringsford, as he examines whether our children and young people have adequate facilities across Dromore and district.

Nomination Day!!!

David returned his nomination forms at Banbridge District Council offices today and his nomination was duly accepted by the council staff. Nominations close tomorrow, and while it seems certain that there will also be candidates from the DUP, UUP and Jim Allister's 'Traditional Unionist Voice' outfit, there is some confusion as to whether the SDLP and Sinn Féin will be standing.

Regardless, David will be fighting on the issues that really matter rather than the usual ego-tripping and grandstanding from the usual suspects.


Here is David with his election agent Gerry Lynch, just doing a few last checks on nomination forms with council staff.

David Ford visits Dromore to back David Griffin

On Saturday 12th January, Alliance leader David Ford visited Dromore to show his support for David Griffin's campaign for the by-election to Banbridge District Council. David is the first party leader to make a campaign visit to the town.


David Ford said, "David Griffin is a first rate candidate - just walking around the square with him today, it is clear how many people know David and respect him. David knows Dromore and the villages nearby intimately and will be an excellent, in-touch, Councillor for the area.

"I am also very pleased to the see positive response to the Alliance message here in the town. While most people want this political deal to work, they are also more and more concerned that Paisley and McGuinness chuckling at one another doesn't amount to good government. People know that our public finances are in a mess, our planning system is in chaos, our primary school children are faced with uncertainty over their future and the Executive seems to want to duck all the difficult decisions.

"I am really heartened by the way that people are interested in hearing Alliance's concrete proposals to deliver financial responsibility, sustainable public services and economic growth in a globalised economy.

"The Executive also wants to duck the issue of tackling sectarianism. Not a single proposal in the Programme for Government deals with sectarianism and segregation. With Orange Halls, churches and GAA clubs being burned on a more than weekly basis at the moment, we all know that isn't good enough. We waste £1.5 billion pounds on the cost of segregation annually in Northern Ireland, money that could be used to provide vital public services and cut taxes.

"For all these reasons, people are seriously considering Alliance from well outside our traditional heartlands. I am confident that David will pull in a record vote for Alliance in Dromore in this by-election."

David Griffin - the best choice for Dromore and district

David Griffin has been selected as the Alliance Party's candidate for the Dromore by-election. The by-election was caused when Ulster Unionist Tyrone Howe resigned from Banbridge District Council. Had the council unanimously accepted the Ulster Unionists' choice for a co-option, which is standard practice in many other councils like Belfast, Banbridge ratepayers would have been saved thousands of pounds. But the DUP saw the opportunity for an easy gain, put their narrow party interests ahead of the interests of ratepayers, and blocked the co-option.
David has decades of service to the people of Dromore, Banbridge and the surrounding area. For 30 years he taught history and politics at Banbridge Academy, and even though he retired as Vice Principal a few years ago, he continues to teach on a supply basis in the school.

David has also been very active in sport in the district, as a former playing member of Banbridge rugby, tennis and squash clubs. David is committed to helping our rugby, football, hockey and GAA clubs expand their work in providing a safe, fun and healthy environment for our young people to grow up in.

He has recently stood down as Vice Chairperson of Banbridge District Policing Partnership, and has played a key role in leading the fight against crime and anti-social behaviour across the district. This reflects a lifelong interest - David helped set up Northern Ireland's first neighbourhood watch scheme many years ago!

David is an extremely well known in the area. If you don't know David, then you know probably somebody who knows David!

David also thinks that councillors need to do more to stay in touch with local people and respond quickly to problems. He has already delivered a residents' survey to nearly every home in Dromore Town, and over the next few days hopes to cover the smaller villages in the area. He has already picked up a number of issues with parking, litter and dog fouling and is working to get things done. A local man, living in the countryside near Dromore, he will put your needs first.

So whether you live in Dromore, Ballyward, Finnis, Kinallen, Leitrim, Moneyslane, Waringsford or out in the country, David wants to work for you and with you to make this beautiful part of County Down an even better place to live.