Comments on: The SDLP’s future http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/ Borderless thoughts on Public Relations, Public Affairs and anything else that matters from Conall McDevitt, MD of Weber Shandwick in Northern Ireland Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:35:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Sean Mck - London http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2471 Sean Mck - London Mon, 12 May 2008 20:38:38 +0000 http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2471 Conall, I have followed the debate on the future for a while now and was saddened to see increasing support for any tie-up with FF - including from old colleagues who once were, apparently, solid Irish Labour supporters. One question for the SDLP: why spend all these years using the PES-ECOSY and SI labels if you can so easily think about dumping them? Was it a ploy - something to act as a differentiator in the NI arena? As an observer surely in the new evolving NI situation why not let the FF supporters walk out and then get on with the game: continue to offer the local electorate a social democratic vehicle at council, assembly, westminister & euro elections. Start the north's long overdue political realignment now - from within! PS: The PUP will have an interest in the PES too, I recall discussing it at length with the late David Ervine and also with other PUP Executive members many years back.......... Conall,

I have followed the debate on the future for a while now and was saddened to see increasing support for any tie-up with FF - including from old colleagues who once were, apparently, solid Irish Labour supporters.

One question for the SDLP: why spend all these years using the PES-ECOSY and SI labels if you can so easily think about dumping them? Was it a ploy - something to act as a differentiator in the NI arena?

As an observer surely in the new evolving NI situation why not let the FF supporters walk out and then get on with the game: continue to offer the local electorate a social democratic vehicle at council, assembly, westminister & euro elections.

Start the north’s long overdue political realignment now - from within!

PS: The PUP will have an interest in the PES too, I recall discussing it at length with the late David Ervine and also with other PUP Executive members many years back……….

]]> By: Abdul-Rahim http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2378 Abdul-Rahim Sat, 10 May 2008 19:10:02 +0000 http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2378 If the party really wants to defend social democracy then they would do well to point out the great deficits that SF shows every time it makes horrible compromises and decisions that are against the will and benefit of the working class, and to truly oppose those policies, and be clear that their aim is a fairer, more prosperous, socialist Ireland. If the party really wants to defend social democracy then they would do well to point out the great deficits that SF shows every time it makes horrible compromises and decisions that are against the will and benefit of the working class, and to truly oppose those policies, and be clear that their aim is a fairer, more prosperous, socialist Ireland.

]]> By: Fearghal http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2315 Fearghal Fri, 09 May 2008 10:21:16 +0000 http://oconallstreet.com/2008/05/07/the-sdlps-future/#comment-2315 This is as good an assessent of where the SDLP are at that I have read recently. Are the FF group as small as 20%? Surely the cause of the current malaise is all down to organisation? For years the SDLP appeared to be a presidential support group, and once he (Hume) moved on, there was nothing substantial left. All the leadership as you say moved on over a 2 year period because they were all too old to keep going! Hardly anyone from the post-Civil Rights generation had been given any position of responsibility where they might contribute and learn. Sure when John Hume was straddling the world like a political colossus what did the SDLP need policies or organisation for? The key questions for the SDLP are (as they are for Labour in the south) 1. Do we have the members willing to go toe to toe with other political parties on the doorsteps? 2. Are we willing to give young talent real opportunities to become candidates in winnable seats or will we stick to the oul lads who've 'served their time' and who wont be a 'threat' to sitting MLAs? 3. Who are our potential voters - first timers, those who defected to SF once they put away the guns, those who are disillusioned now with SF in government, and/or those from the unionist community who are Social Democratic on social and economic issues and would sooner see an SDLP candidate elected rather than a DUP or a SF. Finally, I think anyone expecting FF to arrive like the cavalry over the hill is deluding themselves. Why on earth would FF, who so recently stomped all over SFs dreams in the south, now hand them the opportunity to outpoll FF north of the border? This is as good an assessent of where the SDLP are at that I have read recently. Are the FF group as small as 20%?
Surely the cause of the current malaise is all down to organisation? For years the SDLP appeared to be a presidential support group, and once he (Hume) moved on, there was nothing substantial left. All the leadership as you say moved on over a 2 year period because they were all too old to keep going! Hardly anyone from the post-Civil Rights generation had been given any position of responsibility where they might contribute and learn. Sure when John Hume was straddling the world like a political colossus what did the SDLP need policies or organisation for?
The key questions for the SDLP are (as they are for Labour in the south) 1. Do we have the members willing to go toe to toe with other political parties on the doorsteps? 2. Are we willing to give young talent real opportunities to become candidates in winnable seats or will we stick to the oul lads who’ve ’served their time’ and who wont be a ‘threat’ to sitting MLAs? 3. Who are our potential voters - first timers, those who defected to SF once they put away the guns, those who are disillusioned now with SF in government, and/or those from the unionist community who are Social Democratic on social and economic issues and would sooner see an SDLP candidate elected rather than a DUP or a SF.

Finally, I think anyone expecting FF to arrive like the cavalry over the hill is deluding themselves. Why on earth would FF, who so recently stomped all over SFs dreams in the south, now hand them the opportunity to outpoll FF north of the border?

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