MP for South Belfast, Claire Hanna, has received the backing of the SDLP to become the successor to Colum Eastwood as head of the party after the nomination process ended last Friday. The politician, originally from Connemara and now 44 years old, was the only contender for the role and her appointment will be confirmed at the annual conference of the party on October 5th.
The SDLP released a statement declaring that Ms Hanna had garnered the nomination from every eligible branch and support group within the party. This announcement follows a week after Mr Eastwood expressed his decision to step down after a nine-year leadership, citing his intention to “step aside”, although he will carry on his duties as the MP for Foyle.
Upon announcing his resignation, Eastwood openly backed Ms Hanna to be his replacement, praising her as indisputably the finest choice. Ms Hanna, the SDLP’s ex-spokesperson on Brexit, comes from a family deeply entrenched in the party’s history. Her mother, Carmel, had a lengthy tenure as an MLA and briefly served as a minister in Stormont while her father, Eamon, was previously the party’s general secretary. The family relocated to south Belfast when Hanna was just three.
Before joining politics, Ms Hanna, recognised as one of SDLP’s most competent representatives, had a career in international development which took her to countries like Haiti, Zambia and Bangladesh for policy and education roles. She was first elected to the Belfast City Council in 2011 for the Balmoral ward, then chosen to fill a seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly as an MLA, subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2018. She made a significant leap in 2019 with a resounding victory in the Westminster election, where she displaced DUP’s Emma Little-Pengelly, who currently serves as Stormont’s Deputy First Minister.
Ms Hanna secured her re-election to South Belfast’s seat in July, maintaining a lead over 12,000 votes despite the downturn in the SDLP’s electoral fortunes. The party, previously a powerhouse in Northern Ireland’s nationalist politics, has seen a decrease in its MPs, MLAs and councillors over the past decade, ranking fifth in the Assembly order.
Ms Hanna, holding a position in the Northern Ireland Affairs scrutiny committee in Westminster, acts as the SDLP’s spokesperson for Europe and International Affairs. In 2019, a proposed partnership with Fianna Fáil led to her resignation as the party whip. In a recent BBC interview, she confessed that the plan had almost caused her to leave the party.
Following her announcement of intent to run for leadership, SDLP insiders report a renewed energy among the party’s grassroots supporters. One insider quoted, “People seem refreshed by her and are relieved with the change.”
The former SDLP vice-chair, Tom Kelly branded Ms Hanna as an “appealing politician”. He compared her charisma to that of Leo Varadkar. He also noted that even if you don’t agree with her points, you won’t necessarily disagree.
Mr. Kelly highlighted that Ms Hanna has “mastered the fundamentals” of politics through her early career experience as a councillor and has visibly embodied the essence of the SDLP. Despite having the opportunity to enter as an MLA, she chose the more challenging route of getting involved in local government at the grassroots level. Kelly asserts that this was the fitting career path for her.
Ms Hanna admitted last week that the prospect of assuming leadership is intimidating. She does not claim to have all solutions, but through her long standing association with SDLP, she has gained valuable insights on organising and motivating people. She is eager to step up and make an impact, with the hope that her party members share the same sentiment.
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