Gary Middleton Steps Down for Mental Health

0:00On April 9th, Gary Middleton, the Democratic Unionist Party politician from foil, is stepping down from the Northern Ireland Assembly on Friday, too. Tackle some serious mental health struggles. He's been serving as an MLA at Stormon since 2015, even holding a junior minister pose briefly and working as a counselor before that. Lately, health issues have made it tough for him to fully represent his people, so he's choosing recovery over public office. And up leader Gavin Robinson prays Middleton as a dedicated voice for unionism and foil, facing down threats from Republicans without backing off. Robinson said the party regrets his exit, but fully supports his focus on getting better. In his own words, Middleton shared that he's been in treatment, backed by family and friends, and sees a light ahead after a dark stretch. He wants folks in similar spots to know help is out there, and that it's fine not to be okay. The DUP now has seven days to pick a replacement, and Middleton wished everyone across parties well as he steps back to heal.