SDLP Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood will spend the weekend considering whether to challenge for the leadership of the party at its conference in November.
He is the hot favourite to go up against leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell to take over the reins ahead of the Assembly elections next year.
It confirms what Derry Daily revealed in June this year that the wagons in Derry were circling round party leader Dr Alasdair McDonnell in a bid to topple him.
We reported that four branches in the city have passed resolutions demanding a special leadership conference. A fifth has now backed him.
They are supported by branches in both Limavady and Coleraine.
An SDLP source told Derry Daily in June: “Alasdair McDonnell’s days are numbered as leader.
“He failed at the council elections and he failed at the Wesminster elections. He only scraped home by 1,000 votes from the DUP to keep his own seat.
“The Assembly elections are just 11 months away and we need someone at the top to come up fresh pair of eyes to lead us to secure our seats and win more.
“Unfortunately, Alasdair hasn’t delivered on his promises.
“He should go now gracefully before he gets a blood nose.”
Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood is the front runner to become the new leader.
Dr McDonnell’s days were numbered when senior figures, both present and past, said he should go after the Westminster elections.
One of the most focal was Foyle MP and former party leader Mark Durkan.
A week after the election, he told the BBC’s The View: ”
He told the BBC political programme: “I think he should go now.”
Mr Durkan added that he should step down as leader and “concentrate his mind on his Westminster business”.
He said that question of the leadership came up “time and again” while he was canvassing in the Foyle constituency.
Mr Durkan told BBC presenter Mark Carruthers: “The leadership needs to change and he needs to fulfill his best role in serving as MP for south Belfast.
“He needs to make a clear decision.
“The people want to see a new leadership going with a strong platform going into the Asssembly elections.
“His leadership was a real issue on the doorstep.
“They were staying away from from voting by politics in general….but a lot were disappointed…and that was put down to the leadership.
“I am not dictating the timetable for this as to when he should or should not go.”
Mr Durkan denied he had any interest of taking over the reins again of the party if Mr McDonnells stepped aside.
However, he said any leadership contest would “invigorating” for the party if and when it came about.
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