Mr McMurray has said: “I'm immensely proud to call South Down my home. It was the hills, the crags, the forest, the rivers and the sea that drew me here, it was a career as an outdoor instructor which kept me here, and it is where I've chosen to put down roots and raise my family. It’s been the honour of my life to get to serve the area as an Alliance MLA.

“Too often, addressing practical issues that affect us all – health, education, the economy, the environment – manages to fall by the wayside in favour of re-fighting old battles and divisive culture wars which don’t stand to benefit anyone.

“The politics I’m interested in places those critical issues at the top of the agenda. It’s a politics of respect, of bringing people together, and of looking towards the future and building a shared society based on our hopes rather than the exploitation of our fears.

“South Down is such a special place and in 2022 this constituency made history by electing their first ever progressive, cross-community Alliance MLA. So much work has been done since then, but there’s much still to do, and I’d love the opportunity to continue working for everyone to make South Down the best possible place to live and work.

“Together, next May, we can choose hope, not fear, fix our broken politics, and keep building a brighter, shared future for all of us.”