Colum Eastwood Steps down as SDLP Leader - Main News NI 29/08/2024

to some politics news now and the sdlp is to get a new leader colum eward today announced he'll step down at his party's annual conference on the 5th of October he's held the job for nine years the second longest serving sdlp leader after John Hume and Mr Eastwood's announcement came at a news conference in London Derry from where we're joined Now by our political editor Anda mclf and and a rather surprising announcement from Colwood today yes that's right Katherine column Eastwood's political Journey began more than two decades ago in the Guild Hall behind me when at the age of 22 he was elected the city's youngest ever counselor he went on to become mayor and then as you say took over the Reigns of the stlp some nine years ago and in that time he has fought no fewer than 10 very difficult elections in a moment we'll explore how we arrived at this particular point for column Eastwood and also assess the challenges now facing his successor but first of all our political correspondent Jen McCormick has this report I would now like to make the announcement of the leader of the sdlp and that is colum Eastwood as stints in political leadership go column Eastwood has been long and at times gloomy when he took over in 2015 he made this promise we can make the political weather again we can win again it's time to win again let's Unite let's unite let's win again it would take four years in charge and six elections before he'd reap any success snatching back the foil MP seat his party lost to Shin F two years earlier and South Belfast but fast forward another 5 years has leading a party that loses more than it wins taken its toll some people maybe don't realize how much effort you have to put in to the day-to-day running of a political party and when I've been privileged and happy to do that uh the moment now has come for me to step aside to allow other people to take on that mantle uh to allow myself actually to focus on things that I need to focus on uh primarily representing the people of this city but also uh making the case for a new island making the case for change across this island from one former leader to soon to be another came a show of support today the fact is as party leader you're more than comfort with the day-to-day cares of the party uh than people might realize colum is absolutely passionate uh about politics he remains fully committed the city here is going to benefit from having more of his time and attention and as attention turns to the next leader one name already stands out I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that Clare Hannah has what it takes to be the leader of the sdlp she'd be Far and Away uh the best option for the member so if this is my opportunity need to be the first first person to endorse Clare Hannah I absolutely take it and I hope that uh it's up to CLA but on that very question last month Clare Hannah was koi it's not something okay to say Yes um no it's it's actually it's the opposite it's not it's not something that that massively I I love being South Al MP but it is a big big job um I love being a mom of three and it's a big big job as well so um I I like I like doing you know I work a lot and and to shape the things um that I can but I know it's a really tough job colist had at times found out how tough a job it can be will whoever comes next fair any better Jan McCormack BBC newsline and a real change ahead then for the sdlp but how will colum Eastwood's time as leader be remembered well when colista took over the sdlp it was in a party in Decline it has been in decline of course for many many years he set his key priority of course to reverse its electoral fortunes on that front he failed whenever he we find himself in the position now the party has eight mlas at at 14 when he took over the party had three MPS back then it now has two and back then the party had 66 counselors it now has 39 Colwood also failed and building and forming that big relationship with Fina fall it didn't amount to anything whenever everything settled but he will of course point to the success he had during the brexit years he came to four of course during those turbulent times he will talk about the fact that he reclaimed the parties seat here in Westminster recording the party's highest ever vote in the constituency and now of course the second longest serving leader of the sdlp but on truth I think colum Ewood well enjoyed leading the party he didn't really enjoy managing the party behind the scenes and you got a real sense today Catherine of a lift a weight been lifted from his shoulders whenever he confirmed to everybody that he was now stepping down as leader albe it remaining as foil MP and what are the challenges facing his successor if it turns out to be Clare Hannah as is is looking likely well the smart money would suggest that this is going to be effectively a coronation that Clare Hannah is going to step in and I think column Eastwood made that pretty clear today in what he had to say Clare Hannah took to Twitter today to X of course formerly known as Twitter to say that she was going to declare her intentions in the coming days and also pay tribute to colum Eastwood but whoever the leader is they're going to face massive challenges trying to reverse the Electoral fortunes that remains a massive ask we also have the new Dynamic of course we have the sdlp and opposition at Stormont but sitting on the government benches at Westminster albeit they say they're going to hold the labor party's feet to the fire but whenever big decisions are made at Westminster and they're going to have to be defended the pr pressure will no doubt come on the stlp over all of that so I think that's going to be where the real focus is going to be for the new leader whoever that is and we will know for sure of course come October the 5th when the party holds at Danel conference okay and uh many thanks accy