Belfast may get second SF mayor

Sinn Féin will discover today whether a member of the party is to be Lord Major of Belfast for only the second time.

Belfast city councillors meet later to elect a successor to serve for the next year in succession to Pat McCarthy of the SDLP.

It is Sinn Féin’s “turn” to hold the top City Hall post again, but although it is the largest party it does not have a majority and needs the support of other parties to get their candidate elected.

The party is putting forward 30-year-old north Belfast councillor Tierna Cunningham for the Mayorship and insiders believe she will get the job.

However there have been reports the Alliance Party is considering putting their own candidate forward to oppose her, possibly former Lord Mayor Tom Eakin – and they would be sure to get the support of the Democratic Unionists.

Nevertheless Ms Cunningham is the most likely winner when councillors meet tonight.

Alex Maskey, now an Assembly member, was the first Sinn Féin Lord Mayor in the history of the city and despite some unionist criticism is generally perceived to have played a blinder during his year – he was elected in 2002 – and to have done much to bring down barriers and foster better relations between unionists and nationalists.