Helen Quigley is a former Irish

Social Democratic and Labour Party The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; ) is a social democratic and Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly ( MLAs) and two members of Parliament (M ...

politician from

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest City status in the United Kingdom, city in Northern Ireland, and the fifth-largest on the island of Ireland. Located in County Londonderry, the city now covers both banks of the River Fo ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

Career

She had been a member (for the Northland District Electoral Area) of

Derry City Council Derry City Council (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Derry Cittie Cooncil'') was the Local government in Northern Ireland, local government authority for the city of Derry in Northern Ireland. It merged with Strabane District Council in ...

since 2001 and the Mayor of Derry in 2006–07. She was awarded the

Freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

of the

City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...

on 6 February 2007. Helen Quigley was an unsuccessful SDLP candidate for the Foyle constituency in the

2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election The 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on Wednesday, 7 March 2007. It was the third election to take place since the devolved assembly was established in 1998. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two ...

s finishing 104 votes behind the last member elected, but remained as SDLP leader on Derry City Council. In November 2010, she confirmed that she would not contest elections in May 2011 and the SDLP announced that she was leaving public life. She resigned as SDLP leader on Derry City Council, but would remain a member of the party. She has been active in the Inner City Trust since then, where she is the Strategic Projects Advisor.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Mayors of Derry Social Democratic and Labour Party politicians Women mayors of places in Northern Ireland {{NorthernIreland-mayor-stub