Martina Anderson will be part of rebuilding Sinn Féin in Foyle – O’Neill

Martina Anderson (Nick Ansell/PA)

The Deputy First Minister has said Martina Anderson will be part of rebuilding Sinn Féin in Foyle, after the veteran republican’s family said she had been “humiliated” by the party.

Ms Anderson said last week, along with party colleague Karen Mullan, that she would not be contesting the next Stormont election following an internal review of the party’s structure in Derry.

In a subsequent Facebook post Ms Anderson’s sister Sharon Burke said the family believed she had been “sacrificed” by the party.

The post said the review had created a “massive miscarriage of justice” and described it as “brutal”.

It continued that Sinn Féin had “come into Derry to fix problems and left creating more”.

Michelle O’Neill (Liam McBurney/PA)

The post also said the situation would never have arisen if Martin McGuinness had been alive.

Party vice president Michelle O’Neill said on Tuesday that the review was part of preparations for the Assembly elections next year.

She said: “We are working with the organisation in Derry and we hope to go the electorate in the next Assembly elections with confidence to stand up for the people with Foyle and we will work with Martina and Karen Mullan as part of rebuilding the party in Derry.”

Ms Anderson has represented Sinn Féin as an MLA and previously as an MEP.

In a video message posted last week she said the party’s recommendation for her to stand down had been a “body blow”.