[2] Graham came to attention in the summer of 1985 when, in response to a call from local DUP councillor Ethel Smyth, he accompanied Rev.
Ivan Foster and a group from the Third Force to join a banned loyalist parade attempting to march through the village of Castlewellan.
[3] Graham ran afoul of the DUP leadership in 1987 when he continued to attend council meetings despite the party having adopted a policy of abstentionism in response to the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
[2] Representing his hometown of Kilkeel, he reasoned that he was of more value opposing the Agreement from within the council rather than following the party policy, which he felt was not an effective protest.
[2] Graham would later join the Progressive Unionist Party and unsuccessfully ran in South Down as their lead candidate in the 1996 Forum election.