Sinn Fein miss out on three seats as SDLP hold nerves

Sinn Fein miss out on three seats as SDLP hold nerves

24 May 2023

THE focus in Downpatrick was on the gladiatorial head-to-head battle between Sinn Fein and the SDLP.   

Republicans set out their stall to secure three seats for the first time and while Louise Rooney lost out to the SDLP’s Conor Galbraith in the race for the fifth and final seat, the SDLP needs no one to tell them that Sinn Fein smells blood and will be back hungrier than ever in 2027.

Oonagh Hanlon produced a stunning result to top the poll with 1,579 votes and while she was surprised, her party colleagues were not, insisting the huge number of first preferences reflected her hard work on the ground over the past four years.

In his first election, Philip Campbell polled 1,116 votes for Sinn Fein — another stunning performance from the highly rated local man who said he “can’t wait to get started” when the council begins its new four-year term.

The very fact that Rooney almost bagged the fifth seat vindicated Sinn Fein’s aggressive policy to go for three seats. The party knows it came tantalisingly close to securing them and will be pulling out all the stops to do exactly that in four years’ time.

The body language of the SDLP during the count at Newry Leisure Centre was telling at times, especially during that race for the final seat and the sense of relief when Galbraith nudged ahead was palpable.

Sinn Fein insists that the results of the local council elections is a clear signal that people want politics to work for all, with the party going into last week’s poll with a positive message of wanting to make politics work for everyone.

Republicans secured just over 48% of the total vote in Newry, Mourne and Down which it says is a “positive endorsement” of Sinn Féin’s message that workers, families and communities need to be supported and that the blocking of a new Assembly by one party must end.

The party’s South Down MP Chris Hazzard said securing 20 seats on the council presented a “historic opportunity” to transform local council and deliver for communities.

“We want to work together with others,” he said. “To build a better future for everyone, protect public services, attract investment, create jobs for our young people, and deliver the change people here demand and rightfully deserve.

“The onus is now on the British and Irish Governments to get together and focus their efforts on the immediate restoration of the Executive and Assembly and we expect to see an early meeting of the British Irish Intergovernmental Conference. The boycott of the Assembly cannot go on and an Executive must be formed.”

The SDLP’s Gareth Sharvin had double cause for celebration.

In addition to retaining his seat despite a slight decrease in his vote, it was also his birthday and while delighted to be going back into council for another four years alongside Galbraith, he admitted the party was acutely aware that retaining its third seat would be challenging in an intensive campaign.

Cllr Sharvin said the election had not been his party’s best day across Newry, Mourne and Down and tellingly revealed there was no point in the SDLP “fooling itself” and believing that retaining its three seats would be easy.

The party’s Aurla King, who was in the running alongside Galbraith for the fifth seat into the wee small hours of Saturday morning, polled 613 first preference votes, with the party delighted with her performance but disappointed she did not make it home.

Cadogan Enright, who was contesting the election under the Alliance banner for the first time, increased his vote by six per cent and was delighted to now be part of a five-strong team on the local authority. He stood as an Independent on 2019 polling 1,052 first preferences with this increasing to 1,1124 last week.

And while he admitted he benefited from the Alliance surge, Cllr Enright insisted local people are vexed about the money earmarked for the controversial gondola project in Newcastle and a proposed £40m spend on a new civic centre in Newry in particular.

Elsewhere, former Sinn Fein councillor Eamonn Mac Con Midhe, who was standing on an Independent ticket, failed to have a major impact, polling just over 400 votes.

The battle for the hearts and minds of unionist voters was won by the DUP’s Sharon Harvey who increased the party vote by 56%, polling 267 first preferences.

The UUP’s  Alexander Burgess was just 67 votes behind Harvey on 200, with the Green Party’s Declan Walsh recording 117 votes.