“We need to show voters that we’re a voice for positive change,” insists SDLP local Councillor, Paul Blake.
Cllr Blake was speaking after the recent SDLP conference in Derry which was held in the spectre of a disappointing showing in the opinion polls.
The latest one, conducted by The Irish News-Institute of Irish Studies-University of Liverpool, showed the party’s support plummeting to 6.7 per cent – the fourth largest party in the North.
Sinn Fein command the biggest level of support as they topped the poll with 30.6 per cent – a far cry from 25 years ago when the levels were the reverse with the SDLP being the second party in the Northern Ireland Executive.
While Cllr Blake concedes the numbers are far from encouraging, he insists that the party’s fortunes can be reversed by continuing to put out a positive message to voters ahead of May’s Council Elections.
He said: “We believe in the SDLP’s ability to change things so it does get very frustrating when you see those polls. There’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the party within sections of the media.
“But we still believe, as elected representatives, the vision of the SDLP – that’s why we joined the party. There’s still a need for the SDLP going forward.
“We need to show voters that we’re a voice for positive change. That’s always been the vision for the SDLP – an anchor for stability but an engine for change and knowing we’re a consistent voice throughout.
“We want to work for the betterment of society. We’re here and we’ll always be here presenting our vision on how we make this country work.
“We’ve seen so much in Northern Ireland in the past few years with the lack of government and the lack of any form of accountability. We’ve seen the collapse of services in health, our economy crumbling and something has to change.
“It is not acceptable when politicians do not do their work or don’t do what they are elected to do. When people put selfish interest before the needs of their community where people are in poverty, politicians need to step up and take responsibility and act on behalf on their constituents.”
The conference saw SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, categorically refute claims that the party would be merging with the Labour Party in the Republic of Ireland with Cllr Blake adding that the decision may have been down to the failure of their previous pact with Fianna Fail.
“I would say so,” he said. “It was never my thing in terms of the merger with Fianna Fail.
“But the SDLP needs to work with anybody in government – be it in London, Dublin, in Brussels or in Washington D.C. That’s how we’ll achieve the best thing that we can for this country is to be willing to work with everyone.”
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