THE onward march of Sinn Féin has slowed to a stroll. That is a clear conclusion which can be drawn from the results of the Westminster elections held in Northern Ireland this day last week.

NOBODY can really claim to be surprised that Sinn Féin emerged as the largest nationalist political party in the Northern Ireland Assembly election last week. It has been on the cards since the 2001 Westminster and local election when the party out-polled the SDLP.

The SDLP has recruited strategists from the British Labour Party, Irish Labour and the PDs for its Assembly election campaign, it emerged today.