It's two weeks since the local council elections and we've decided to bring red lines out on the road to test the political temperature in the northwest.

I've been joined by three newly returned councillors to hear how they're feeling about the new political map and the challenges they're facing at the start of a fresh political term.

We're at the McGee campus of Ulster University and the council in question is of course

Derry City and Straband District Council to give it its full title and the councillors in question are Lillian Sinoi Barr from the STLP,

Ryan McCready from the Ulster Unionist Party and Sean Harkin from people before profit.

Welcome to all of you.

We're sitting just outside the main building here at the Derry Lundon Derry campus

and we're in glorious sunshine. We're enjoying it.

We need to clear up a few things before we go any further.

You've all served as councillors before, but in fact only one of you was elected for the first time a fortnight ago.

Lily, and that's you. Does it feel different to have your own mandate this time?

Absolutely. It's a vote of confidence from the public and I'm really humbled and very excited for what the future holds for our city.

You were co-opted back in June 2021, I think it was after Mary Durkan's resignation.

So you know how the Guildol works. You know a lot of the other figures you're going to be going back in there as councillors alongside you.

But I noticed definitely an extra spring in your step today.

Yes.

Things have changed.

Obviously, the council is different from what I saw in 2021.

But I think the group in the council have always worked very well.

We have, all of us have a mandate and people trusted us on the doors.

We had a message we were selling to them and they bought that message and all

we have to do is now deliver for them. That's, that's all you have to do. That's the big challenge,

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