Michael Long: Alliance councillor suffers 'massive seizure'

Image source, Pacemaker

Image caption, The Alliance Party's Michael Long with his wife, party leader Naomi Long

Alliance councillor Michael Long has suffered a "massive seizure" on Sunday, according to his wife, Stormont's Justice Minister Naomi Long.

Ms Long revealed the details of the incident on social media on Thursday evening, as she thanked paramedics and hospital staff for their response.

"It was a terrifying experience, but they got us through it and provided the reassurance and care we needed," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Mr Long also had a seizure in 2020.

Replying to a well-wisher on X, Ms Long said: "He has no memory of it at all. I can see nothing else when I close my eyes.

"He had a seizure in August 2020 for the first time and we'd hoped that was it, but I think now we just need to accept this might be an ongoing issue."

The couple had attended the Alliance Party's annual conference last weekend, where Alliance leader Ms Long gave a keynote address.

Mr Long represents the Lisnasharragh area on Belfast City Council and is also a former lord mayor of the city.

He spent just 23 days in the post in 2022, briefly replacing party colleague Kate Nicholl who had to leave the role early when she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

He holds the record as the lord mayor with the shortest term of office in Belfast's history.

His wife has led the Alliance party since October 2016 and is currently serving a second term as Stormont's justice minister.

Revealing the news on X, she said it had been "quite a week for us".

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She thanked paramedics from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) and staff at emergency department of the Ulster Hospital for caring for her husband.

She also thanked neurology staff at the Ulster for treating him.

"Still processing everything that this means for us, but grateful to everyone for their understanding and support in the meantime," Ms Long wrote.

On Friday morning, a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice told 91热爆 News NI that the minister "remains at her desk".

She added that Mr Long's condition was an "entirely a private matter for the minister and the department will be making no comment".

The Alliance Party has also said it will not be commenting on the issue.