SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has rejected charges of cronyism in his party after two of his councillors quit to run as independents in May’s Assembly elections.
Josephine Deehan and Patsy Kelly resigned claiming the party was not working on the ground on bread and butter issues in West Tyrone.
Ms Deehan, who has been a member of the party for 15 years, also highlighted a lack of female candidates as “an unacceptable state of affairs.”
“Despite the success of four SDLP women councillors in Omagh there is not one woman candidate on the SDLP election ticket west of the Bann in these forthcoming elections,” she said.
Patsy Kelly, a councillor for five years, objected to what he called “career politicians” which was taken as a jibe at West Tyrone SDLP candidate Daniel McCrrossan who was co-opted to the Assembly this year after veteran MLA Joe Byrne stepped down.
Said Mr Kelly: “With the advent of the Assembly we have seen the arrival of career politicians whose priorities are self advancement and self perpetuation rather than the daily struggles of ordinary people and the hardships they face.”
Daniel McCrossan did not address the councillors’ criticism directly, but he was applauded by other SDLP members when he spoke at a party event in Belfast on Tuesday.
Mr Eastwood admitted today there were ongoing issues in the West Tyrone constituency.
“Of course, we’ve got some problems,” said the SDLP Foyle MLA.
“But I think that comes from a place where lots of people seem to want to run for the SDLP in this election, I think that’s a good thing,” he said.
“I think people are convinced that we are a party of change, that’s why Daniel McCrossan is our candidate in West Tyrone.
“He’s a fantastic new candidate with new energy and new ideas.”
Mr Eastwood also addressed the lack of female SDLP candidates in West Tyrone, compared to the number of women councillors.
“We have one candidate in the constituency, we have female candidates right across the north and they are all very, very good candidates and I look forward to them being elected,” he said.
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