Mark Durkan

‘Let’s look again at the Eames-Bradley approach to the past’

Paul Gosling on May 6, 2019, 7:00 am

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The Eames-Bradley report was the best approach yet to how Northern Ireland should deal with Troubles legacy issues, argues Mark Durkan. The former SDLP leader and deputy first minister was interviewed for the ‘Forward Together’ podcast series immediately before declaring his candidacy for Fine Gael for the Dublin constituency in the European Parliament elections. Mark argues that the proposals tabled for the 2013 talks mediated by US envoy Richard Haass were “not as good as Eames-Bradley”. The challenge is also …

Mark Durkan running for Europe … in Dublin for Fine Gael rather than Fianna Fáil #eu19 updated

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 4, 2019, 4:08 pm

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Mark Durkan is standing in a Dublin constituency as a Fine Gael candidate in May’s European elections. While the current SDLP leader Column Eastwood has thrown his party’s lot in with Fianna Fáil, Durkan is making his strategic partnership with their main rivals in a bid to return to active politics.

Mark Durkan suggests renewal review of Good Friday Agreement

David McCann on March 21, 2018, 7:17 pm

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Former SDLP Leader, Mark Durkan speaking in Dublin tonight has suggested a renewal review of the Good Friday Agreement. He told his audience; “As the Brexit negotiations intensify, it’s welcome that the EU27 have continued to voice a strong commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts. It’s critical, however, that such a commitment extends to protecting it in its promise and potential as well. “The full potential and flexibility of Strands Two and Three must be …

SDLP needs a real political debate and not another micromanaged succession…

Mick Fealty on May 15, 2015, 1:37 pm

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After last night’s The View it’s hard to know whether to go with MacBeth’s “…art thou but a dagger of the mind, a false creation, proceeding from the heat-oppressèd brain?” for Durkan, or the Carry on Cleo, “Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it infamy…” route for Alasdair. Neither would quite be fair to either man. It’s hard, despite his protestations, to imagine Alasdair lasting for too much longer after Mallon pulled his support. Yet his reluctance to go quietly may provide the party …

#ShinnersList is “a consequence of Sinn Fein’s selfish misdealing…”

Mick Fealty on March 2, 2014, 2:57 pm

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Interesting response to the Hain interview this morning from Mark Durkan… “It is no surprise that Peter Hain has now articulated this view. That was clearly his position. Sinn Fein, who have been quoting him in aid this week, know that this was Peter Hain’s view when they were collaborating together to push forward the NI (Offences) Bill in 2005 (which was misnomered as the On The Runs bill). “In the context of the Hain-Adams Bill, which Peter Hain was …

SDLP conference – a party ill at ease with itself over opposition & strategy #sdlp13

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 9, 2013, 11:17 pm

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Over half the motions at the SDLP policy-making annual conference were addressed on Friday afternoon and evening. Participation in debate was sporadic and the numbers of delegates in the hall were low compared to the number catching up in the hotel corridors and social areas. One observer recalled that not much more than 50 people were in the hall for Friday’s health debate, and a fifth of them were lobbyists! That was a large attendance compared with mid-morning on Saturday. …

Just how independent is the Assembly of the Executive?

Mick Fealty on October 23, 2007, 3:22 pm

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This might strike some as pure anorak fare. It begins slowly as Mark Durkan tries to get to the bottom of Peter Robinson’s controversial point of order last week. He doesn’t get much change from Speaker Willie Hay though. Yet Durkan points out at least four counts grounds for supposing important Assembly protocol was breached: There was no mention of standing order in Mr Robinson’s question, therefore it was not actually a valid point of order. It should not have …

Nationalist backroom

Mick Fealty on September 19, 2002, 11:37 am

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The SDLP rarely get a share of the headlines, but Mark Durkan’s visit to the Shankill has certainly bought him plenty of column inches, here, here and here. However he followed up with an attack on Jeffrey Donaldson’s article (see here), saying: If Ulster Unionists give Jeffrey Donaldson a role in Agreement politics, it “would be like trusting Sellafield with environmental safety’ Speaking of the upcoming UUC meeting, he comments: …we do know is that every single strategy that he …