Social Democratic and Labour Party

This article is about the political party of Northern Ireland. For other uses, see Social Democratic Labour Party (disambiguation).
"SDLP" redirects here. For other uses, see SDLP (disambiguation).

Social Democratic and Labour Party
Páirtí Sóisialta agus Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre
AbbreviationSDLP
LeaderClaire Hanna
PresidentBríd Rodgers
ChairpersonDaniel McCrossan
Founders
Founded21 August 1970;
54 years ago (1970-08-21)[1]
Preceded by
Headquarters121 Ormeau Road
Belfast
BT7 1SH[2]
Youth wingSDLP Youth
Women's wingSDLP Women
LGBT wingSDLP LGBT+
Ideology
Political positionCentre-left[5][6]
European affiliationParty of European Socialists
International affiliationSocialist International (observer)
Colours  Green   Red
House of Commons
(NI seats)
2 / 18
NI Assembly
8 / 90
Local government in Northern Ireland[7]
37 / 462
Website
sdlp.ie

The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP; Irish: Páirtí Sóisialta agus Daonlathach an Lucht Oibre)[8] is a social democratic[5][9][10] and Irish nationalist[9][11][12] political party in Northern Ireland. The SDLP currently has eight members in the Northern Ireland Assembly (MLAs) and two members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.

The SDLP party platform advocates Irish reunification[3] and further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom. During the Troubles, the SDLP was the most popular Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland, but since the Provisional IRA ceasefire in 1994, it has lost ground to the republican party Sinn Féin, which in 2001 became the more popular of the two parties for the first time. Established during the Troubles, a significant difference between the two parties was the SDLP's rejection of violence, in contrast to Sinn Féin's then-support for (and organisational ties to) the Provisional IRA and physical force republicanism.

  1. ^ Mullally, Una (12 January 2020). "The day the SDLP was formed 'in the spirit of optimism'". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  2. ^ "View registration – the Electoral Commission". Archived from the original on 1 September 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  3. ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Northern Ireland/UK". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  4. ^ "The Good Friday Agreement – SDLP". Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  5. ^ a b Driver, Stephen (2011). Understanding British Party Politics. Polity. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-7456-4078-5. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  6. ^ Paul Dixon; Eamonn O'Kane (2014). Northern Ireland Since 1969. Routledge. p. 6. ISBN 978-1-317-86657-2. Archived from the original on 30 April 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Local Council Political Compositions". Open Council Date UK. 7 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  8. ^ "'Social Democratic and Labour Party'". téarma.ie. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  9. ^ a b William Beattie Smith (2011). The British State and the Northern Ireland Crisis, 1969–73: From Violence to Power Sharing. US Institute of Peace Press. p. 117. ISBN 978-1-60127-067-2. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  10. ^ Ari-Veikko Anttiroiko; Matti Mälkiä, eds. (2007). Encyclopedia of Digital Government. Idea Group Inc. p. 398. ISBN 978-1-59140-790-4. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  11. ^ Katy Hayward; Catherine O'Donnell (2010). Political Discourse and Conflict Resolution: Debating Peace in Northern Ireland. Taylor & Francis. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-415-56628-5. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  12. ^ Cathal McCall (2003). "Shifting Thresholds, Contested Meanings". In James Anderson; Liam O'Dowd; Thomas M. Wilson (eds.). Culture and Cooperation in Europe's Borderlands. Rodopi. p. 93. ISBN 978-90-420-1085-7. Archived from the original on 30 May 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013.