Veteran SDLP member Rosemary Flanagan, from Enniskillen, has broken her silence over stepping down as Chair of the party in October, revealing that  she had “a range of concerns”.


At the time of her departure, former party leader Alasdair McDonnell said that she had concerns about internal discipline.


The dispute last Autumn is understood to have involved party activists in West Tyrone mounting a boycott at the selection convention where Daniel McCrossan, 27, was picked as the candidate for the next assembly election.
Asked if she has confidence that new leader Colum Eastwood will deal with her concerns, Mrs. Flanagan responded in a written statement, saying: “Age and experience should always be valued in organisations and that has always been the case in SDLP.  But there comes a time when change in personnel, processes and approaches is essential.


“The reminder from the Bible that: ‘There is a season for everything and a time for every occupation under heaven’ ... has been recognised by SDLP and taken on board at a time of changing requirements in a rapidly changing world. We are undertaking a generational change in SDLP, new faces taking over the tasks of leading our communities into a new future at a time when young people have different ideas about how their world should operate.
“In the words of John Hume the challenge remains for the party to show that past grievances and injustice can give way to a new generosity of spirit and action, and to build a future together.


“Colum Eastwood and the newly emerging MLAs are now leading that journey, with the support of the entire SDLP membership, translating our clear and considered vision into reality. They will work hard to create an island of real partnership, charting new directions for our economy and for our society but still continuing our historic fight for fairness, equality, reconciliation and opportunity for all.”