The South Belfast MP, Claire Hanna, was recently found taking a breather in the shadows of wildflowers at Ormeau Park, Belfast. In the middle of a surprisingly hot day in mid-September, just shy of three weeks after expressing her wish to succeed as the next SDLP leader.
She had finished a cycling shoot uphill, intended for a forthcoming party political broadcast, leading to her confirmation for the coveted position. Post filming, as she posed for photographs in Belfast’s earliest public park, she humorously shared that the cycle ride, captured from the car boot by SDLP’s own camera operator, left her “somewhat perspiring and hurried”. Noting how her ordinarily full curls were worse for wear, she chucklingly tried to smooth them down.
The preceding party leader, Colum Eastwood, declared his departure from the leadership role after a tenure of nine years at the end of August. Eastwood, who’ll keep serving as the Foyle MP, officially pronounced support for Hanna during his resignation announcement, hailing her as the unrivalled candidate.
On an upcoming Saturday, a little post four in the afternoon, she’s scheduled to take on her official position as the seventh party leader during their annual convention at a hotel in Belfast. Despite acknowledging the uphill task face by the party, Hanna isn’t flinching. The SDLP, once a leading nationalist party in Northern Ireland that significantly contributed to the peace process under John Hume’s leadership, has experienced a decline in Westminster MPs (now two), Stormont MLAs (now eight) and councillors (37) as compared to ten years prior.
As a 44-year-old politician hailing from Galway, she has the SDLP strongly cemented in her bloodline, as narrated by a seasoned party member. Her father, Eamon, has served as the party’s general secretary and was one of the first six to sign up post its establishment in 1954 (Hanna cherishes a framed receipt of this as a gift). Her mother, Carmel, acted as an MLA and executive minister, while her spouse, Donal Lyons presides as a councillor in Belfast City.
Only once did she briefly contemplate leaving the party due to a contentious internal disagreement over Eastwood’s ill-fated alliance with Fianna Fáil in 2019. She compares the experience to a familial discord. Nonetheless, while sharing a coffee in an artisanal beer bar on Ormeau Road, she maintains that she never sought the party leadership role.
“It was never something I aspired to or planned,” she asserts.
As a Member of Parliament, she dedicates roughly seven evenings per month in London for her duties at Westminster, commenting that she is “constantly busy”.
“I enjoy being busy, it enables me to engage in the political activities I’m fond of. I have the opportunity to immensely focus on constituent matters and participate in events of my choice.”
She admits to working strenuous hours, yet maintains some form of work-life balance, pointing out her family’s significant importance.
Eastwood’s planned resignation disclosed over a meal in Derry last month wasn’t a total surprise to her, acknowledging the inevitability of change. His idea of her succeeding him wasn’t met with rejection, albeit she had some doubts. Matthew O’Toole, SDLP Stormont leader, was a strong candidate as well.
“In spite of no claims to having all the solutions, my conviction in my work is unwavering,” she comments, drawing parallels between quality over speed in home improvements and a Border poll.
As a mother to three daughters ranging from seven to twelve years, Hanna admits her primary concern was them.
“It’s difficult to put it into words without sounding overly sentimental, but they occupy the core of my existence and I cherish them deeply. I worried I would have even less time to spend with them.”
She often flies back home to Dublin from London, because the last flight to Belfast departs at 8pm, whereas one to Dublin is available at 10pm. She then takes the Aircoach to reach home by 1 am, so she could be there for school the next morning.
Simultaneously, she passionately believes in shaping a brighter future for her children in the North.
Hanna, who represents Belfast’s most multicultural southern district, sees great importance in the idea of it being a blooming city where younger generations would choose to reside. Her seat was recently in the headlines due to an unprecedented surge in racially motivated violence and attacks on immigrant-owned enterprises.
Hanna moved to this section of Belfast when she was nearly four, relocating from Bearna in Connemara, and has been fortunate to largely avoid sectarian assaults. A notable exception to this was in 2012, during her tenure as a local councillor, when her house windows were shattered amidst protests regarding the display of the union flag at the Belfast City Hall.
While watching an episode of Derry Girls with one of her daughters, Hanna realised just how oblivious her children were about historic events. One of her daughters was genuinely astonished to find out about the previous military conflict in the area, showing a clear lack of historical awareness.
Hanna passionately highlights that she wants these experiences to not become part of her children’s lives, not simply the sectarian aspects but also the palpable societal disorder. She deplores the years without effective governance and what she sees as low societal aspirations, which sabotage both the economy and public services.
She contends that by falling back on blaming British influence without striving for self-improvement, potential is limited also for a future Ireland. Hanna believes opposition plays a vital, honourable role in democratic governance. She was present to back Eastwood as well as the former taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, as they delivered a speech on behalf of the SDLP’s New Ireland Commission. She displays a dislike for any comparisons being made between Sinn Féin and the SDLP concerning their shared objective of a unified Ireland.
The representative argued that the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) does not merely serve as a smaller counterpart to Sinn Féin. The party appeals to a voter base that may not necessarily vote Sinn Féin. Her viewpoint elaborated that voters aren’t vitriolic in their view of Sinn Féin, but they are attracted towards SDLP’s independent global outlook.
The representative strongly suggests that her party presents a distinctive method to address the triple threat faced by North Ireland: sectarian division, inequity, and territorialirsm. While believing in the prospect of a ‘new Ireland’ or a unified state during her lifetime, she emphasises her reluctance to rush into a Border poll, arguing that the deep-seated issues of the North can’t be swiftly resolved by conducting this poll.
She likens the situation to house renovations, questioning whether speed is preferred over thorough execution. She expresses growing resentment towards being part of the UK, feeling constrained and overlooked, even under a Labour UK government which portrays an interest in and respect for Ireland.
The representative additionally expresses her concern over a surge in misogyny in politics. Referring to her own experiences with misogynistic abuses on social media platforms, she implies a significant overlap between sectarianism and misogyny. She also points out an alarming increase in gender-based violence, with 23 women having been killed since 2020.
Amidst all the turmoil, the representative finds solace in Galway. Her family owns a bungalow in Bearna village, purchased by her parents in the 1970s, which continues to exist as a source of comfort to her in the face of challenging times.
Expressing her sentiment might be challenging, but she perceives Galway as a home base of sorts, a harbour, where she, Donal and their children frequently visit. Although she is fond of the environment, she experiences slight disappointment that cities in the north, like Derry, do not mirror Galway’s self-assured and laid-back nature.
Currently, Hanna is adapting to her party’s oppositional role on the Stormont Assembly benches, a position led by her close associate, MLA Matthew O’Toole. She strongly believes in the significance and respectability of this position in a democratic system. It has the power to challenge ideas and shatter the collective mindset that has been associated with the assembly’s shortcomings.
Hanna is well aware of the magnitude of the upcoming challenge, but is simultaneously optimistic that her management abilities – a testament being her campaign team during the previous Westminster elections attracting over 100 volunteers – will invigorate the party.
She concedes that the party’s electoral performance is declining and doesn’t evade this fact. However, she is concentrated on gearing up for future elections. The intention is to enhance the organisation and increase the manpower where it is essential. She isn’t claiming that organisation will solve all issues, but having been involved in it for an extended period, she believes in its importance.
The continued support of those remaining with the SDLP is an indication of their fundamental belief in the project, she said.