SDLP MLA Margaret Ritchie has said she is receiving calls from inside and outside the party to enter the race to succeed Mark Durkan. Speaking on The Politics Show, Ms Ritchie said she would make her mind up soon but was very heartened by the number of people asking her to run. Alasdair McDonnell, the other likely contender is also expected to be a candidate paving the way for the first ever contest for leader in the SDLP’s history.
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Is the best way to overcome the legacy of conflict simply to forget about it? Author and journalist David Rieff spoke on this subject last week in a seminar at the Institute for International Integration Studies (IIIS) at Trinity College Dublin. Rieff has recently written a book titled, Against Remembrance (published in Ireland by Liffey [...] read our review »
Michael,
The WP is neither nationalist nor unionist but socialist.
As for you placing all your faith in the southern parties. A joke. FG and Labour have made clear they have no intention of getting involved up here. And FF has bigger fish to fry. If you want to change NI politics, don’t think the southern parties will do it for you. Get organised and do it yourself.
Why a re-alignment in “Northern Nationalism”?
Why not use this as an opportunity for the SDLP to live up to its name and force an overall re-alignment where primacy is given to issues and ideas, not identities?
After reading some of your posts concerning the sticks, I`ll discount any of your comments as the rantings of a bitter anti-Nationalist.
As for the workers party being socialist as socialist! As socialist as any mafioso.
Why not use this as an opportunity for the SDLP to live up to its name and force an overall re-alignment where primacy is given to issues and ideas, not identities?
This is something the sdlp is now incapable of doing. Their 5 minutes of fame is over.
Ritchie is formidable. She stood up to the proddie paramilitaries and I’d be surprised if she was not safe on Sinn Fein as well. She scraps hard for her constituency and I would love to see her put her opponents’ noses out of joint, even without knowing where she would end up on various issues.
Drab sexist MLAs could do with a bit of colour.
Pity it probably won’t be red.
The Sdlp will implode and disappear and as for the dissidents and the sticks, they and all their supporters could fit into a medium sized toilet.
I thought the SDLP would implode years ago. Despite a rather badly run assembly election campaign, they have done better than expected. I think they are also the most competent performers within the assembly of all of the executive parties. I think they would really shine in opposition.
This is something the sdlp is now incapable of doing. Their 5 minutes of fame is over.
Obviously you’re posting from the bedroom in your parents’ house. 5 minutes of fame ? The SDLP have been around for 40 years. I think they’re misguided in a lot of ways, but it wasn’t that long ago that they were the largest nationalist party, and only slightly longer ago again that republicans burnt the SDLP leadership out of their own houses for daring to speak out against them.
IJP,
Are you advocating that they should join the Conservative Party?
As a Nationalist who has flitted between Sinn Fein and the SDLP over the years I could honestly say I would NEVER give the SDLP any preference vote again if McDonnell or Ritchie became leader. Neither is leader material and sole ambition seems to be eating away at both. Speaking personally to me McDonnell comes across as arrogant, dismissive, a bit stuck up and more interested in pleasing Unionists. Ritchie strikes me as frantic like a pneumatic drill that is never switched off and tends to freak you out a bit, the woman needs to relax. As I say the SDLP are in a bad way if this is the choice.
Michael,
I’m not particuarly fussed about what you think of my comments. I was just pointing out the inaccurate nature of your characterisation of WP politics as nationalist. Added to your placing faith in the southern parties, I think it shows your political judgment is highly suspect.
Picador
Dont know about the cross posting. Here are some facts on possible candidates no matter how worthy or articulate. I dont want the SDLP to beat itself up necessarily -there just needs to be some reality stock-taking..among the SDLP membership
Alban/SDLP North Belfast – (1998) 6196 (2003) 3186 (2005) 2212
Alex/ SDLP- West Belfast (1998) 10420. (2003) 3910 (2007) 4110
John Dallat/SDLP East Derry. (1998)9954 (2003)5584 (2007) 4435.
Dolores Kelly/SDLP (1998) 11947 (2003) 6818 (2007) 5450
All of these have been front runners for the SDLP in their respective constituencies and its clear that some no longer have a quota despite coming from constituencies which had two full quotas or at least a quota and a half. If Sinn Fein managed their votes better at least two of those seats could fall and one more is potential for loss. Just look above some of the votes are now a third of what they were and most are half or less.
Anyone recall the “brawl in the hall”?
Was it Margaret who was videoed shoving for all she was worth?
lol. no that was Alasdair!
I think it shows your political judgment is highly suspect.
From a person who denies the official ira exists, controls and runs the workers party and shot a young lad a few weeks ago in Downpatrick.
As I said earlier, the rantings of an idiot.
Garibably,
You recently outlined for me the position of the WP in relation to not being a 2 nations party and being one still in favour of a united sovereign irish state which would be socialist.
That clearly puts the WP in the nationalist/republican camp.
Or have i missed something?
This woman needs serious presentation coaching. If they select her then the end is nigh
Just to respond to the claim about young Councillor issues in Downpatrick. Yes it a shame about Mr Andrews – however I think it perfectly acceptable for the party and the branch to elect who they feel is the best for the position. Obviously in this case it opted for the Younger candidate.
Yes i am sure that Mr Andrews was disappointed but the position is not just his for the taking regardless of what he has done in the past! Thats politics sometimes its not fair !
However I heard the young councillor on the radio last week and she sounded great – an ambassdor for the younger face of the SDL.
I am glad that Margaret has stepped forward as new possible leader – given that the current deputy leader is under the same delusions as Mr Andrews!
Just to respond to the claim about young Councillor issues in Downpatrick. Yes it a shame about Mr Andrews – however I think it perfectly acceptable for the party and the branch to elect who they feel is the best for the position. Obviously in this case it opted for the Younger candidate.
Yes i am sure that Mr Andrews was disappointed but the position is not just his for the taking regardless of what he has done in the past! Thats politics sometimes its not fair !
oops – sorry for the double posting ! Damm computer !
Dub,
The WP is an internationalist party that believes that neither nationalism nor unionism are a progressive force. Nor is any political force that links religion to politics.
The WP however believes that the best unit for ensuring that the working class on this island has the dominant say in government is a secular, socialist unitary state. That analysis comes from a socialist rather than a nationalist perspective.
Michael,
You seem to be imagining things. You’ve only called me an idiot once.
The WP is an internationalist party that believes that neither nationalism nor unionism are a progressive force.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24945282@N03/2356443052/
The Workers Party look very Nationalistic to me!
So did the official ira the armed wing of the workers party shoot that young fella in Downpatrick?
And do you alone maintain that the officials don`t exist?
This is the reason I called you an idiot and a raving looney one at that.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/hated-are-the-peacemakers-smears-have-put-members-of-a-small-but-vocal-irish-peace-group-at-risk-says-ruth-dudley-edwards-1381109.html
Whatever happened to Henry?
As an Ogra FF member who visited the QUB Fianna Fail cumann launch in 2007, McDonnell addressed our cumann that day and you could almost see the saliva drool down his face in wanting an SDLP/FF merger. Pity that even if he gets the leadership we don’t want him! Once you sit in WM, your Republicanism is tainted forever. Having said that there apparently plenty of excellent former SDLP and SF members joining FF (and apparently some SDLP cllrs are already members on the sly), those who write us off as a walking dead party are very very foolish. We may not be reelected to government next time around, but that gives us the chance to truly evolve as a 32 county party.
The SDLP would have far more in common with a FG-Lab govt than a FF one.
Especially since it looks very likely that Ireland will have its strongest ever FG-Lab govt in a year or so.
The Bruton and the Fitzgerald eras always had FF snapping at their heels, but the Kenny govt will practically have Dáil Éireann to themselves.
That is why the FF merger is dead, because the horse trading has already begun.
Mc Donnell or Richie? Says it all really. The SDLP are fooked!
I wish people would stick to the thread.. the FF FG.. Labour crap does not feature in the SDLP leadership election and if it does then the Party really is f*uked. It may suit some to portray the fight as somekind of battle for the soul of the party but its about survival through the forthcoming Westminster election next Spring and the Assembly elections the following year. Whoever wants to lead the SDLP would need to a) want it b) have the energy for it c) be electorally secure and c) possess an ability to inspire the troops. This is a tall order for the SDLP in its present condition. All pretenders to the throne have some convincing to do before nominations and I guess the front runners know that already.
Joe please learn to distinguish between SDLP membership and the electorate. Close to over 100,000 of the electorate have departed SDLP. Practically every seat has lost nearly 50% of its vote and it has not gone directly to Sinn Fein. If there is a myth its in the minds of those who believe in the law of diminishing returns.
Who better to lead a party of old women than an old woman? Eh, Con?
OgraFFer
You’re either a fake or a fool. Don’t embarrass the organisation with that sort of nonsense.
“As an Ogra FF member who visited the QUB Fianna Fail cumann launch in 2007,”
No I was there, FF were giving out chocolate Euros and other fun stuff, but I think he’s right.
I reckon TK is correct – FF have no interest in the election any more than they would have for any other party. It is an internal issue for the SDLP.
Not that SDLP needs any adice from me,and (to paraphrase TK) they are really f***ed if they do, I would imagine the action plan is to get a leader who will lead them through the next set of elections and hopefully pull the party together to rival the opposition no matter who they are.
By the way Quagmire – you are wrong
TK,
Thanks for the election stats.
Re: N Belfast
Pat Convery was on the SDLP ticket at the last Assembly election. Raymond McCord, a one-off independent standing on the issue of collusion also stood. Boundary changes will bring in suburban Glengormley at future elections. A seat is safe for Alban.
I believe Dallat also had a running-mate in East Derry BTW.