McKinney to stand for key SDLP role

Rodney Edwards • Published 29 Oct 2010 09:00 0 Comments

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FEARGHAL McKinney is to stand for the vice-Chairman position of the SDLP next week, The Impartial Reporter has learned.

It will be the former journalist’s second election in a year following his unsuccessful attempt at getting elected to Westminster in May.

If successful this time, Mr. McKinney would find himself in quite a senior and pivotal position within the SDLP and therefore jointly responsible for the party’s internal workings, such as its policies and its future elections.

The Impartial Reporter understands that an internal election will take place at the SDLP Party Conference next Saturday, where party delegates from across the province will have the opportunity to vote.

It’s believed Mr. McKinney has support from around 10 SDLP branches across the country, including in Fermanagh, Mid-Ulster, Londonderry, Newry and Belfast.

North Belfast Councillor Cathal Mullaghan and Lord Mayor of Belfast Pat Convery are also in the running for the two positions of Vice Chairman.

Speaking to this newspaper, Mr. McKinney said he was standing because he wanted to be “more involved” in the SDLP internally.

“Now is the launching pad for the next 40 years. We must help to define the debate about the future of this island. The SDLP were involved in altering the context of the violence and strife in Northern Ireland and Ireland for so long. This is a very important and senior role; a pivotal role in the SDLP and I feel it’s important to be involved in the internal mechanics of the SDLP as we look to the future,” he said.

Mr. McKinney added: “I don’t see any other party, despite their All-Ireland credentials, that are able to lead in the way the SDLP can. It was their ideas that dominated and were used to resolve the big issues here and it’ll be their ideas around the economy, unity and sharing this island that will be bought to go forward. I don’t doubt that for a second. You look at the other two parties and they are constantly log-jammed up at Stormont and are going nowhere. One side is trying to prove that Northern Ireland is ungovernable and the other is happy to sit them out. We need to be addressing the big issues about making this a strong region. We need to be getting out of the narrow, narrow mindset that occupies political life in Northern Ireland. We need to broaden that out and I think the SDLP will bring new ideas to the table. That’s why I am standing,” he said.

Last month Mr. McKinney revealed how he intended to fight against colleague Tommy Gallagher to become the SDLP candidate for Fermanagh and South Tyrone in next year’s Assembly Elections. It’s not known if his potential elevation to Vice Chairman would scupper such a plan.

“That doesn’t even figure at this stage, I’m still up for representing the SDLP in any way I can and I want to see a team of people in Fermanagh and elsewhere to further the SDLP and the constituency,” he said.

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 28 Oct 10

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