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Speech by Mark Durkan MP MLA SDLP Leader at his party's annual conference in Armagh City Hotel, Saturday January 24th 2009

The SDLP comes together, even under economic clouds, to renew our positive vision of a reconciled people  living in a united, just and prosperous new Ireland.

To reaffirm our conviction that, far from being “mission accomplished” with the Good Friday Agreement; this  party’s mission is to keep narrowing the gap between what is and what ought to be. And to make this country the very best it can be.

In these deeply uncertain times, our duty is to give the people we serve the decisive, determined leadership they deserve.

To guarantee all those out there who have recently lost, or are worried about, their jobs not just sympathy for now but real support and hope for their future.

To ensure that firms aren’t forced to close or lose jobs because of credit denied or tax demanded.
To determine that recession doesn’t sap the resolve to build a competitive, productive economy.

To offer graduates prospects that are not saddled with debt.

To give children, parents and teachers confidence that devolution will produce a schools system that delivers equality and excellence.

Senior citizens the comfort they have earned and any care they need.

And all citizens the promise of rights affirmed and reconciliation achieved.

As we raise our sights to all this and more, we recall the challenges the SDLP has been through and all the change we have seen through.

Like so many, SDLP members were inspired by Barack Obama’s message of change during his campaign. We have been energised by his passion; encouraged by his idealism and enthused by his call to purpose.

As the new President embarks on his journey to change America; the SDLP draws confidence from the unlikely journeys we have made ourselves and on which we have brought others too.

The road we walked — and the risks we took — for an end to violence and lasting peace.

The course we navigated to the agreed Ireland we now have.

The courageous steps we took to bring about the new beginning to policing.

The steep hills we climbed for equality, inclusive power-sharing and real partnership.

The distance we travelled to keep hope alive in the face of despair.

This party will always go the extra mile for what we believe in — and for what people need. A vibrant, enterprising economy. A fair and just society. An honest, accountable democracy. An inclusive, prosperous region. Safer, stronger communities. A peaceful, truly shared future.

Throughout the last twelve months and more, we have been honoured to salute the achievements of the civil rights movement forty years on.

We pay tribute to all those who stood up to towers of power by sitting in their own streets.

Who rose to their feet to march for justice and brought an unjust regime to its knees.

And — without firing a single bullet, planting a single bomb or drawing a single drop of anyone else’s blood — changed the face of our society for the better and forever.

Delivering more meaningful change in a matter of months than violence did in the decades that followed — or ever could.

When President Obama speaks about the promise of change, the SDLP — more than most — gets what he means. Because bringing about positive change is in our DNA. It’s why we’re here and what we’re for.

The civil rights generation — the first SDLP generation — instilled in this party an abiding commitment to social justice, equality and rights for all. They imbued us with an enduring ambition to make tomorrow better than today. Inspired by their example, powered by our principles, this Social Democratic & Labour Party is determined to ensure that future generations grow up in a landscape of ever-greater opportunity.

Deep in me is a belief in this party and the people in it. We have it in us to recapture lost votes and recover lost ground.

Starting with Europe. Every one of us has felt the loss of the SDLP seat. So now let’s all put our shoulder to the wheel to win that seat back in June. Not just for ourselves and our own interests, but for the people of Northern Ireland and theirs.

With more candidates contesting and the political dynamics radically altered from the last time, this European election will have a very different feel to it. We already see that old certainties will be gone. New opportunities will emerge. Different outcomes can be achieved. It really is all to play for. And we don’t just have everything to fight for — we have everyone to fight for.

The SDLP is the strongest party for Europe in the North and the strongest party for the North in Europe. With Europe so relevant to the things that affect our lives, the North needs an MEP who will be relevant and effective in Europe again.

Only the SDLP will be offering voters a credible, positively pro-European choice in this election. In Alban Maginness, we have an outstanding candidate who will make an excellent MEP. The North needs Alban to pick up where John Hume left off; and succeed where our current MEPs have so dismally failed. Putting the needs of the people back at the top of the agenda. Bringing our interests to the very heart of decision-making. Using the SDLP’s influence to deliver.