SDLP selects Ritchie as Durkan replacement

Stormont Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie (51) has been elected as leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Ms Ritchie and South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell stood against each other to succeed Mark Durkan who stepped down as leader yesterday.

The result of the vote to select his successor was announced at the final day of the party’s conference in Newcastle, Co Down, this afternoon. Ms Ritchie won the leadership contest by 222 votes to 187.

Addressing the conference after her election, Ms Ritchie said she would revive the SDLP’s fortunes and make it the largest party in the North.

“Together we can do this,” she said.

“We can put our party back on top and for the sake of the people of the North we must put our party back on top.”

Noting that she had risen from a local councillor to party leader in three shorts years she assured members she was not satisfied yet.

“You may ask if there’s no end to this woman’s ambition?” she said.

“Well there is - I want our party to rise again and I want to become First Minister.”

“I have a serious organisational plan and agenda for change that will make us stronger. I want to bring new people in and I want to give everyone a fair chance to succeed.

“I will lead a party that recognises and rewards performance and teamwork. I want to work with people who, like me, will put the party first.

She paid tribute to Mr McDonnell and urged the party to get behind the efforts to ensure he retained his South Belfast parliamentary seat.

“I know Alasdair is going to retain South Belfast and everyone of us must put our shoulder to wheel to ensure that happens,” she added.

The losing candidate wished Ms Ritchie well in her new role and pledged to support her as she led the party into the future.

“Today’s Margaret’s day and I wish and I want to wish Margaret every success in her efforts to move this great party forward,” he said.

Mr McDonnell, 60, had vowed to undertake a radical internal shake-up of the party if he had won. He said it was clear the majority of the party had felt his proposals too radical or unnecessary.

“I hold firm in my conviction that we need to professionalise ourselves and move forward,” he added.

Born in Downpatrick, Ms Ritchie was first elected to Down District Council in 1985 before standing down in June 2009.

She was one of the SDLP’s two representatives on the Assembly’s Programme for Government Committee and was a member of the party’s negotiating team at Leeds Castle in Kent in 2004, and also at St Andrew’s in October 2006.

Ms Ritchie was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in November 2003 and was subsequently appointed as Deputy Chair of the SDLP Parliamentary Assembly Group.

She was appointed Minister for Social Development on in May 2007.

She succeeds Mark Durkan who stepped down from the post yesterday. In an emotional speech delivered yesterday, Mr Durkan told the party conference of the importance of strong power-sharing government at Stormont, but he claimed that the deal unveiled on Friday at Hillsborough Castle had ring-fenced the future justice minister’s job to exclude his party.

He said the power-sharing government was being mismanaged by the DUP and Sinn Féin, while the scandal over MPs expenses eroded public confidence in politicians.

“People are crying out for change. Fed up with all the instability. Frustrated by the lack of delivery. Sceptical about more hype and spin,” he told delegates.

“We have to persuade them that the best antidote to DUP/Sinn Fein failure is a successful SDLP. Convince them that we offer a better way forward.

“That we are not just a party of deep principle, but of clear purpose and ready service as well. A real alternative with radical ambition.”

Additional reporting: PA