SDLP MP Claire Hanna has confirmed her intention to seek election as the party’s next leader following Colum Eastwood’s recent resignation.
Mr Eastwood announced he was stepping down from the party leadership in a statement made on August 29, claiming the time was right for him to take on a “new challenge”.
Ms Hanna, the party’s MP for South Belfast & Mid Down, has since confirmed that she is seeking to be elected to fill his shoes.
“If I am selected by members to be SDLP leader, I’ll work determinedly with elected representatives, activists and new members we need to go out and recruit, to make SDLP values relevant for the modern political landscape, grow our vote and pursue our goal of the ending the divisions that have held people back for too long,” she said.
Claire Hanna will stand for election as the next SDLP leaderShe also took the opportunity to thank Mr Eastwood, who has led the party since 2015, for his “service during turbulent times”.
“In friendship and respect, I thank Colum Eastwood for his service during turbulent times, including 10 elections in just 9 years,” Ms Hanna said.
“His skills and instinct have been invaluable for the SDLP and politics as a whole.”
She added: “I know Colum will continue to serve people as a passionate MP for Derry, and play a substantial future role through our New Ireland Commission.”
The SDLP MP claims the party must 'work harder' to connect with the people of Northern IerlandRegarding the future for the party, Ms Hanna claimed the SDLP must realise it has to “work harder” to resonate with the people of Northern Ireland.
“Politics should be about finding practical solutions to the challenges faced by all our communities, that’s what motivates me every day,” she said.
“But people are losing faith that Stormont and politics more generally will deliver for them.
“They live with failing public services and a politics driven by division, dysfunction and pettiness.
“This period has also been challenging for our party,” she explained.
“The SDLP must have the humility to recognise that we have to work harder to resonate with people and earn future electoral success.
“We have to listen more, organise better, and offer a fresh, compelling message of optimism and clarity of purpose.
“We must more actively engage voters, including those who didn’t grow up in the nationalist tradition, who share our social democratic and anti-sectarian principles, many of whom are curious about the potential of a reconciled new Ireland .
“We need to offer and campaign with a dual mission of making life better in the present, while building for a new Ireland, explaining why we believe constitutional change will improve people’s lives and opportunities.
“We have to make our values real for people and sell them relentlessly door to door.
“We need to recognise that too many towns and neighbourhoods don’t see or feel SDLP’s effort locally.”
She added: “We have a real opportunity to grow our electoral reach.
“No other party is fundamentally committed to tackling all three of the major divisions - inequality, sectarianism & partition - limiting our region’s potential.
“No other party is driving accountability in Stormont, standing up for Northern Ireland in Westminster and actively shaping constitutional change.”
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