Executive parties have to make a show of highlighting delivery in their conference panels and speeches, sometimes in very underwhelming ways. For the SDLP, local government delivery can be discussed, but delivery at the Assembly is a tougher ask. Yet this conference not only made a virtue of the party’s role in “constructive” opposition, but could cite some examples of when their probing and efforts had changed the direction of other political parties.
At the next elections, the SDLP want their vote share and seat tallies to increase. That could involve inspiring non-voters, as well as challenging Sinn Féin and Alliance supporters to switch sides. (And with former loyalist Davy Adams present in the room today, maybe their outreach will extend even further!) While Alliance came in for gentle criticism in the week leading up to the conference, and both Sinn Féin and Alliance got a few mentions in speeches, they were not allowed to become the focus.
Hanna’s speech was about setting the party up as an alternative to the politics of fear, instead favouring “empathy”, “restraint” and “reflection”. Whether such an approach will gain traction outside of focus groups and in the increasingly bullish and brash political marketplace will be tested in May 2027.
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Saturday morning’s agenda began with a panel discussions on votes at 16, followed by four councillors showcasing grass roots work in local communities. Attending SDLP conferences for the last 15 years, I’m well aware that the ‘S’ of SDLP comes to the fore on these occasions and it is traditional that there’s a significantly louder social buzz outside the hall than inside listening to the early speeches.
Delegate numbers had risen considerably by the time Alternative Ulster played out to introduce four MLAs to the platform: Colin McGrath, Sinead McLaughlin, Mark H Durkan and leader of the Opposition Matthew O’Toole (who would pop back up to deliver a speech) picked over the “inert” Executive, ways in which Opposition activity was affecting other parties’ policies and actions.
Before lunch, Matthew O’Toole was back on stage to deliver a 15-minute speech (that took 18) that opened with a couple of jokes.
“What a pleasure it is to be back with you all in this room. We may not be loyal to the Crown, but we are certainly loyal to the Crowne Plaza…I hope that doesn’t get me in trouble.
“Now, look. I know people sometimes accuse Opposition politicians of saying anything to curry popularity. But let me say this. This is unquestionably, the best looking and most intelligent conference audience I’ve ever seen. Certainly more intelligent than the other local party conferences. And unlike others, the intelligence is all natural. Let me also say, in case the Education Minister is watching, this speech is all my own work. And no robots were harmed in the writing of this remarks.”
“When the SDLP entered Opposition we said clearly that we would be a constructive Opposition. And we have lived up to that in word and deed. We have been fearless but also fair. We have tried to build something. Empower our people to believe that democratic debate and robust accountability are their right.
“We have led the policy debate with constructive proposals and papers on Europe, housebuilding, Lough Neagh, better budgeting, childcare, emergency waiting times, child poverty and lots besides. We have always been a party passionate about generating ideas. Healthy debate. And the possibility of politics to energise and empower a people bored of stale division.”
O’Toole said that Opposition was about “making good trouble, necessary trouble”.
“Don’t let anyone tell you that Opposition is negativity, as the First Minister has accused us of. Someone wisely put it like this: ‘It is where those elected by the people exercise their duty to keep those in power in check through fair, open and honest debate. It is how accountability is ensured and the interests of the people protected.’ Those are the words of my counterpart in Dail Eireann, Mary Lou McDonald, when she was rightly defending the principle of Opposition in the Oireachtas.
“So to be absolutely clear, if the Irish people are entitled to robust accountability in one part of the island, they are entitled to it everywhere. We aren’t trying to tear anything or anyone down. We are trying to build. Build a culture of accountability in our broken political system. Empower our people to believe they can build something beyond division. That they can build a new Ireland out of the divisions of the past. The truth is. Our big parties are addicted to stale division. It suits them to have a disengaged, disempowered public. With the occasional distractions and sham fights.
“And the idea of real, energized debate about ideas and choices isn’t in their interests. How do we rescue our environment and recover Lough Neagh. How do we fix our health service while also dealing with an aging population. How do we alleviate our shamefully high levels of child poverty. How do we decarbonize and reconnect our island. Our people, of all ages and all backgrounds want to talk about these things. Our politics constantly drags our debate into the tribal gutter. And it must be said that certain parts of our media are only too willing to facilitate it. We want to empower people to demand better than distraction.
“Any of you lucky, or unlucky, enough to spend your days watching proceedings in the Assembly Chamber will know that most of the energy comes from the SDLP Opposition benches. DUP MLAs spend much of their time pursuing tribal grievances or MAGA style culture wars. Sinn Féin MLAs don’t say much at all, beyond short scripted remarks. What happens in Stormont only matters to the extent that it resonates and delivers for real people.
“And the brutal, unavoidable truth is that the Executive isn’t delivering at all. It isn’t just failing.
“It’s inert. It’s comatose.”
O’Toole outlined how his February 2024 question to The Executive Office about when a Programme for Government would be published took 20 months to be finally answered this September.
“In that time Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen both completed world tours. France had four different Prime Ministers. And my baby daughter, then not even a twinkle in my eye, has just started on solids. If only the Executive had been made the same progress. If Emma and Michelle were as quick to answer questions as they are at RSVP for royal invites, we’d be flying.
“It doesn’t have to be like this. Of course, our politics is constrained by power sharing. And of course the Executive could use more resource. But let’s be clear: every Government in the world is constrained – politically and financially. No Government anywhere has complete freedom. The test is what you do with the power that you do have. Do you strain every sinew to deliver what was in your manifesto. Do you try everything to deliver for the people you serve. And to deliver on your values. On that test, the sad truth isn’t just that the Executive isn’t delivering.”
He opined that “the DUP is scared of the future and scared of the TUV so can only offer people fear [and] a Farage future”.
“But many people also invested their hopes in the Alliance Party after its extraordinary and historic mandate in the 2022 election. We know how historic their success was – because, let’s face it, it came at our expense. Their electoral success was the biggest change to local politics since the St Andrews Agreement. But the test in politics is ultimately what you do with power after you’ve won it. And sadly on the most fundamental issues, Alliance has failed to prioritise and deliver change in the areas that should have been fundamental and non-negotiable for them. Days into the new Executive, Paul Givan took 150 million off integrated schools, apparently without any dissent from Alliance Party Ministers.”
On the question of SDLP participation in a future Executive after the next election, O’Toole set out his bar.
“So my recommendation to party colleagues would be that after the Assembly election, we don’t make the same mistake Alliance did. Our participation in an Executive would be contingent on securing clear commitments to reform of Stormont as part of a Programme for Government. Put simply, we can’t give cover to an unreformed, broken Stormont system. From changing the way First Ministers and Speaker are elected, through to creating a statutory duty for ministers and departments to cooperate rather than working in their own little boxes. The SDLP has championed reform since Stormont returned and we will continue to do that. Because we want to build a better north in the here and now. It is possible to make our government, and our politics, work better.
“But to be clear. I don’t know anyone who thinks even a reformed Stormont can deliver the future we want. Other than, perhaps, the Alliance Party.”
He turned his sights on Sinn Féin.
“On Thursday [Sinn Féin] published an alternative Budget for the south, full or great ideas for the south. Not a single one of which is being implemented by them in the North. I say honestly to Sinn Fein, to build the new Ireland we need to start in the north now. Don’t just shift blame to the British Government or the DUP – build something…
Don’t just pose for the cameras – build something. And while you’re at it, how about finally building the A5 and Casement Park.
“Developing a prospectus, securing a referendum and winning one is going to require planning and persuasion. It’s going to require more than bland platitudes and photo opps More than whatever your having yourself populism. Am I being negative or churlish in pointing these things out? No doubt some will say so.
“But here’s the thing, conference. The SDLP doesn’t think the people of the North should have to simply settle for what we have. For poor public services and no ambition to improve them. We don’t think our people should be told that real politics, real democracy, real empowerment. Are for other people. Whether its Sinn Féin saying they don’t have the power to change things up here so be grateful for photo ops and warm words. Or establishment voices in Dublin telling us again and again that people aren’t ready yet to talk about a new Ireland. That we must forever live in a limbo of dysfunctional process. To even talk about a new and reconciled Ireland, back in Europe, is wrong or divisive. It isn’t. Our people are entitled to build a new future. They are, in many ways, so far ahead of our stale, broken politics. Our work as Opposition is to empower them to demand better in the north now. To empower them to build a new Ireland for them and their children.”
“Our job isn’t to curse the past. Or bask in it. Or tell people what they already know – that our politics isn’t working. It’s to empower them to build something new and better than we have now. To give them hope that politics can offer them more than stale division and culture wars. To build with them. To build for them. Let’s go and build together.”
Delegates rose to their feet to enthusiastically applaud their popular leader of the Opposition. A lunchtime fringe event on planning was cancelled … perhaps for the best since it was to be held in the Hemlock Suite!
After lunch, the hall filled back up for Claire Hanna’s speech with Daniel McCrossan introducing his party leader as “the right woman, in the right job at the right time”.
Her 19-minute speech was well-written, almost poetic in places, but the delivery was so hurried in comparison with O’Toole’s much more relaxed style. Sound bites were rushed. Audience applause was nervously spoken over rather than being savoured, as if driven by deadline rather than impact. She’s so much more confident in debate and answering audience questions than sticking to a script.
Hanna began by explaining that “over the last year we’ve been focused on getting the basics right – on our message, on delivering effective opposition, on visibility in communities”.
She name-checked councillors who are making a difference in their communities, and paid tribute to Oisín Johnson.
“Party conference is more than a moment. What begins in this room flows out into the work we do every single day. In the year since you gave me the honour of leading the Social Democratic and Labour Party, we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the kind of politics that’s needed today and we know, the space for our values has never been clearer.
“We’re centre left, we’re anti sectarian and we’re proudly for progress and a New Ireland. Put simply, that means fairness, respect for everyone and improvement in their lives.
“We’re a party with a history of bringing people together and moving things forward in difficult times. Of listening, empowering, persuading. Of seeing difference as a strength, and not a dividing line. Of letting in light where there has only been heat. Well we’re ready to do that again.
“Throughout my time as an MLA, a councillor, an MP and now SDLP Leader, I’ve had the chance to see the best of what our region is. Neighbours stepping forward to support those in need. Communities standing up against hatred. The spirit, the talent the, belief of people shining through. Athletes who inspire us, business leaders out on the world stage, artists who capture what it means to be human. From Nobel Prize winners to those quietly serving noble causes. This is who we are. This is the Northern Ireland I know and love.
“But the fact is, politics here is holding our people back. Successes are in spite of government – certainly not because of it. Yes, we have peace – but we don’t have reconciliation. Yes, we have equality in law – but not all have the chance to succeed. Yes, we have North South structures – but they’re only going through the motions. Yes, we have power shared out – but no one can call it good government.
“And what’s the result? It’s marathon waiting lists, a housing crisis, public services people can no longer rely on. Our most precious natural resource – polluted. A home for the GAA in Ulster – unbuilt. A safe A5 – stalled.
“And every day, confidence draining in politics that kicks big decisions into the long grass and that never seems far from collapse. They’re in Government, but not truly in power. Two big parties with neither in the driving seat, allergic to responsibility. And a third, seemingly, along for the ride, no matter the destination. They do have the tools, but not the will to use them.
“By every meaningful metric, a child born here has worse outcomes than a child born in Dublin, London or Edinburgh. I firmly believe that it doesn’t have to be this way. And that conference, is the driving cause of the SDLP – to fight for opportunities for everyone. Good jobs to help support families. Affordable childcare that makes work worthwhile. Access to health services when and where they’re needed. The chance to enjoy life, not just to get by.
“And if the Executive is judged on these tests, it must be judged a failure. In our role as the Official Opposition, we’re driving forward accountability from the four parties in the Executive. To show that people are allowed to expect something better. We don’t just oppose – we offer. We don’t just describe the problem, we find the solutions too. On Lough Neagh, on housing, on childcare, on Europe, on actually making Stormont actually work.
“We’re creating a culture of accountability. To draw some lines between actions and inactions, and their consequences in people’s lives. That government has to do more than just exist. None of this is about political games. When we’re up there speaking, we’re speaking up for you.
“The change and the reform, we heard so much about at the last election has barely moved an inch. Power, won by promises at the ballot box, neglected to actually use.
“Devolution was meant to show the possibility of power in local hands. It was meant to build a case for the future by delivering in the here and now. That’s the SDLP’s job right now – to force the Executive to do what it can, what it’s meant to do, what it told the people it would do just a year and a half ago. Challenging failure when we see it- but also driving new ideas. Showing that politics is about lifting people up, not driving them apart.”
“As we speak today, our purpose has never been clearer. Across the globe, and here at home, things feel fragile, and frightening. Divisive rhetoric has been normalised – fuelling division and fear. Every day on our screens we’re confronted with the most unbearable images of human suffering.
“Like many of you, I pick up my phone in the morning and somehow the alerts are even worse than the day before. A strange and confusing time. Trump in the White House, power amassing to tech bros, rising inequality, a genocide in Gaza … they all run deep in our minds and deep in our souls.
“And perhaps most dangerously of all, a sense of hopelessness is taking hold – as if the future can only ever be worse than the past.
“Solving these enormous challenges needs depth, honesty and courage. But what we get are hollow slogans: Stop the boats. Ireland is full. Take back control.
“Those peddlers of myths and misinformation, they don’t want solutions. They want profit from the divisions they create and they are stripping away optimism, vision and hope. But that’s exactly what so many people want and need most right now.
“Conference, remember – after the darkness, comes the dawn. Leanann an gile gach dorchadas.
“We know better than most that even in our darkest days, hope survives. And it’s our energy and our ideas that can let in light to lift the gloom. If history shows us anything, it’s that we have to fight for hope in every generation. And the SDLP will fight for hope and work to create a better future.
“And conference we can be clear about that better future. Stormont ‘ticking over’ is far from the limit of this party’s ambition. We have make it work while pushing further, creating what comes next. Because the ways things are now, the potential of this place is just so limited. That doesn’t mean we stop trying to make things better right now.
“While some of us aspire to a different future, that doesn’t mean Stormont can’t address the problems of now. It doesn’t mean you can’t do both. We absolutely have to do both.”
Hanna was more up-front about Irish unity and a New Ireland than before. Green was even to the fore in wardrobe choices.
“Conference, there are some who say that having our view about the future is tribal, that you can’t deliver good outcomes for people today, while designing something better for tomorrow. Well, this party has its feet on the ground, but its eyes on the horizon as well.
“And the truth is, events beyond this island are shaping how people think about their future… Today’s Britain is more and more at odds with our values. Politics there doesn’t have much to say about the people who live here. In a lot of cases it barely has the energy to care.
“And looming it over it all, Nigel Farage. He has never hidden his complete disinterest in the people of this place. The high priest of Brexit, who was only too happy to burn our Agreement on the way. An architect of chaos who is forcing people to question where they belong. A man so principled he’ll wrap himself in a Union flag but do you an ‘Up the RA’ video if the price is right.
“The UK is changing, no matter what we do. I know there are parties here who’ll tell you just how awful it all is, but who seem happy to sit back and let the future sort itself out. I know people are overwhelmed watching the politics evolve. But political parties are supposed to find the paths.
“From some, it’s starting to look like Boris Johnson with two versions of the article, one in each pocket, waiting to see how the wind blows. People who are putting electoral calculations put ahead of values and courage.
Conference the choice is simple: we shape the future – or we become its passengers. And if the SDLP was to sit back, if we’re not there, there will be no real conversation about where our interests are best served. And that real discussion, it can’t be put off any longer. A New Ireland is not just about removing a border. It can’t just be about reversing partition. It is about so much more.
“A time for real reconciliation. Not just a photo-op, a handshake, a soundbite. We’re talking about a way of life in a complex place. A way of living defined by empathy, by restraint and by reflection. Not always scoring the point, not always seeing the worst in each other.
“The journey itself shaping the destination. The courage to have the hard conversations, to talk past the holding lines and the shibboleths, to find a better way forward, together. For those who say it’s too soon, what exactly are we waiting for? What’s about to come in year 27, or year 30, of Agreement that suddenly offers a better plan? You tell us how this arrangement is somehow better for reconciliation that something new we build together.
“A New Ireland can bring a focus on opportunity. Deeper economic integration – wider horizons, innovation. The opportunity to redesign public services, the best of both systems for the benefit of all. It’ll be a cultural superpower. It’ll allow people here to be proud of what’s done in our name on the world stage. It’ll allow us to finally think beyond the next election.
“The chance of a new shared identity – outward-looking and compassionate, soulful and robust, forged from history, ready for the future. It’s the chance to move beyond the dusty labels of unionism and nationalism, to embrace the very real diversity of colour, creed, idea, belief on this island in 2025.
“And when I speak about a New Ireland, we don’t just mean new to us. The Republic is not a utopia either. It has had dark episodes in the past too. Systems that don’t work for all the people. But more than almost any country in the world, it has shown a incredible capacity for transformation. So this isn’t just the chance for change for the north, this process can drive what needs to be new in all of Ireland.
“A brand-new nation. A social democracy. With public wealth and not just private. And one which that can know the north not as the troubled and distant cousin but as a sister, a brother. The fiery northern star that is so much more than the sum of our broken parts.
“We understand that we take seriously that for many, big change feels daunting. I respect those who disagree, just as I understand those who remain unsure. In a place shaped by history and scarred by division, those feelings can’t be dismissed. They’ll never be dismissed by the SDLP. And that is why the journey really matters. How we have this conversation really matters. A road where fears and doubts are addressed and overcome. Where both challenges and opportunities are faced squarely and truthfully. Hopes voiced honestly and concerns addressed with respect.
“And for those who see a different future: tell us, show us, let’s have that conversation too. But let’s stop doing nothing. let’s stop being frozen in a stale status quo, in a political Hotel California – where the past is ever present, and the future never arrives. Only by facing all the futures available to us is the choice made real. And at its heart, the idea is so simple and so exciting: people here, in all our difference and diversity, coming together to write our own future.
“And we know that no one party alone can deliver a New Ireland. But this one has an enormous part to play. I don’t think that anyone who wants to see that future can honestly say we’ll get there better without the SDLP. We can’t answer every question, but we will put forward our arguments with substance and good faith. We’ll be, as so often in the past, partners, pathfinders, convenors. Putting the people first, making the case for a better future for everyone.
“And this means a challenge to the Government in the South. The shifting nature of politics means they cannot afford to be caught off guard. They can’t keep denying responsibility to plan for constitutional change. We’re not just a peace project to be managed and soothed. Many people are looking to Dublin for leadership that they have yet to provide.
“This is not about an arbitrary deadline for a border poll. It never has been for this party. But it is about doing the work, the how and the why – so that when the time does come, we are prepared. We’re calm, we’re confident. The SDLP knows that free beer tomorrow isn’t a manifesto. But neither is waiting endlessly for the fruit to ripen.
“So, my call is simple. To the Irish and British Governments – now is the moment to begin real planning. Give the New Ireland the focus it deserves with a new Ministry in the South. Create a defined structure for all island dialogue. Allow people to have open minds and clear eyes. Where it doesn’t have to derail work on the every day. A forum where all voices are welcome, but no one view can stop play. Preparing for a future which might be closer than many think.
“If you want to write the chapter of something bigger and better, the SDLP is the party for you. We have faced moments like this before, when politics was broken and people felt there was no clear way forward. The SDLP showed that progress is possible, that progress was possible together. We’re ready to do that again, and we want you with us on that journey.
“Let’s Build Something New.”
Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic and political events and conferences. He delivers social media training/coaching; produces podcasts and radio programmes; is a FactCheckNI director; a member of Ofcom’s Advisory Committee for Northern Ireland; and a member of the Corrymeela Community.
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