Declan O’Loan

O’Loan loses the SDLP’s party whip….

Mick Fealty on May 25, 2010, 3:38 pm | Readers 26

Just in from the SDLP: Following a meeting with party leader Margaret Ritchie this morning the party whip has been removed from Declan O’Loan MLA until a future date, to be determined by the party leader. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

SDLP: O’Loan breaks ranks and then is pulled sharply back in…

Mick Fealty on May 24, 2010, 9:14 pm | Readers 11

Well, that didn’t last long. Within hours of suggesting the unthinkable, North Antrim MLA has pulled out of his bold statement earlier in which he noted: I believe that a major realignment of northern nationalism is now called for and I think that this means the formation of a new single nationalist party. The values of the SDLP and its ability to command respect and at least second preference votes across the whole community are not something that should be …