New SDLP leader McDonnell pledges to 'cure' party

Doctor-turned-politician Alasdair McDonnell pledged to cure the ailing SDLP as he was elected its new leader.

The South Belfast MP said he would lead the SDLP’s political recovery after he was voted by party members to succeed the outgoing Margaret Ritchie at its annual conference.

“This is the proudest moment of my political life,” a visibly emotional Dr McDonnell told delegates at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast after the result was announced.

The long-time GP saw off the challenge of three party colleagues for the leadership of the nationalist party – Patsy McGlone, Alex Attwood and Conall McDevitt.

He thanked them all for the manner in which they had fought their campaigns as he challenged all party members to unite to revive its fortunes.

Once the dominant force within nationalism, the SDLP has seen Sinn Féin assume electoral pre-eminence in recent years.

Ms Ritchie’s decision to stand down in September came amid growing internal anger at her stewardship, as the party suffered further losses and fell to 14 seats in the May election to the Stormont Assembly.

While the SDLP and Ulster Unionists were at the forefront of the negotiations to secure the historic Good Friday peace accord of 1998, now Sinn Féin and the DUP control the North's powersharing executive.

Dr McDonnell had a stark message to those parties after his victory was confirmed.

“We helped arrive at an agreed Ireland in 1998,” he said. “The two parties that are now in power have turned that agreed Ireland and tremendous opportunity into a grubby little deal – they are like Afghan warlords dividing up the spoils.”

He said he would restore the party to its position of relevance and claimed the SDLP would be setting the agenda in a new political narrative in Ireland.

“For me the task is set,” he told fellow party members. “You’ve chosen me to lead the recovery and the renaissance of this party.

“I will do it. I want you to enjoy yourselves for the rest of the evening because tomorrow the work will have to start.”

Upper Bann Assembly member Dolores Kelly was also elected the new deputy leader at the conference.