The SDLP has chosen Margaret Ritchie to succeed Mark Durkan as party leader. Ritchie will seek to regain the party’s pre-eminence among Northern Ireland’s nationalist voters by differentiating itself from Sinn Fein on the economy, building a shared society, and by putting forth credible plans for a future united Ireland. Despite being seen as an earnest and honest politician, many SDLP faithful worry that Ritchie lacks the political muscle and business acumen needed to rebuild the party’s structures in the post-John Hume, post-peace process context. While some may have supported Ritchie’s candidacy to preserve the social democratic legacy of the SDLP, others worry that “more of the same” will push the party further into irrelevance. Regardless, Ritchie’s success or failure will affect the shape and future of centrist nationalism in Northern Ireland.
The SDLP Youth wing had endorsed Ritchie as early as late-October 2009, and its members served prominently as core elements of her campaign team and as visible backers during the party conference. In announcing its support for Ritchie, the SDLP Youth cited her “courage as a Minister standing up to the DUP, Sinn Fein, and the UDA, and her dedication and commitment to a shared future” among its reasons for backing her candidacy.
The possibility of southern party Fianna Fail making further inroads in SDLP-friendly districts in the North seems to have spooked some among the SDLP’s elected representatives and boosted Ritchie’s candidacy. Several party delegates told us that they feared that McDonnell’s leadership would render the SDLP as merely a northern arm of Fianna Fail, a theme alluded to in the speech to the conference by veteran MP Eddie McGrady.
The SDLP’s newest MLA Conall McDevitt, who the party appointed in December to fill the slot of illness-stricken South Belfast MLA Carmel Hanna, told us that Ritchie’s “social democratic” credentials where decisive in gaining his and others’ support, as they see her as stronger on issues such as public housing, health provision, education, and the environment. McDevitt, who left his career as the managing director of a public relations firm to take up the MLA role, had formerly served on the SDLP communications team and is seen as a rising star in the party.
Supporters of McDonnell, who many deem as more competent in matters of business and the economy and a proponent of radically restructuring the SDLP, worry that Ritchie will preside over “more of the same” and lead the party into further electoral irrelevance. A senior banking official and long-time SDLP supporter told us that Ritchie’s leadership of the party would be a “disaster” in terms of the SDLP’s approach to business and the economy, but conceded that McDonnell’s sometimes “bull-in-the-china-shop” approach had put off many party colleagues.
While Ritchie seems to connect well at a personal Level with both colleagues and constituents, she has appeared wooden and stilted during interactions with Consulate officials. She does not possess the rhetorical skills of her predecessor Mark Durkan, and is burdened with what some deem an unpleasant public speaking voice. Some of her public speaking engagements in the run-up to the party conference, to include live radio interviews, received poor reviews from both supporters and opponents alike. According to her supporters, however, Ritchie receives very high marks as a manager and organizer, and her sometimes bumpy public appearances are more than offset by an earnest and honest approach to politics.
