Eastwood: Election shouldn’t be framed along ‘same old battles’

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has warned the forthcoming assembly election should not be framed along “the same old battles and same old arguments”.

He will also tell delegates at his party’s rearranged Co Derry conference today, Friday, March 25, that voters in the North of Ireland deserve better than a choice between “bad government or no government”.

The conference in Bellaghy was due to take place last month but was postponed after the sudden death of DUP MLA Christopher Stalford.

Around 100 SDLP members are expected to gather for the annual event today.

The party leader will use his address in County Londonderry to talk about his assembly candidates for the election, which is scheduled for 5 May.

The Foyle MP will say his slate of candidates offers more than the other parties and that the choice for voters will be like the “Premier League versus Sunday League”.

Mr Eastwood who became party leader in November 2015, will also criticise both the DUP and Sinn Féin in his traditional annual address.

He will tell activists that Sinn Féin and the DUP are “two terrible choices” which people in Northern Ireland have “been stuck with for 15 years”.

He said the recent moves at Stormont to push through legislation quickly gave people “a glimpse of what is possible”.

He will say that people in Northern Ireland “deserve delivery”.

Mr Eastwood is also expected to discuss a series of ideas his party wants to see developed.

He would like a pilot programme to examine a universal basic income and a four-day working week.

Mr Eastwood will also talk about his party’s commitment to CPR lessons for schoolchildren.

It is expected he will discuss plans that would also allow employees the right to “switch off” when they are “outside of working hours”.

At the event, party members will also discuss the cost of living, the health service and issues that affect children and young people.

The SDLP returned 12 assembly members at the last election.

The DUP was the largest party with 28 while Sinn Féin had 27.

There will be much attention on whether the SDLP can gain seats and the party has hopes of polling well in places like West Belfast, Foyle and Strangford.

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