Hope turns to sorrow as Margaret loses her seat

Hope turns to sorrow as Margaret loses her seat

14 June 2017

MARGARET Ritchie’s defeat was part of a calamitous election night for the SDLP which lost its three Westminster seats, marking the end of an era in Northern Ireland politics.

Miss Ritchie was one of three former SDLP leaders to lose out during a night of high drama and change across Northern Ireland where the DUP and Sinn Fein now dominate the political landscape.

The battle for the South Down seat — which had been in SDLP hands for three decades and one of the party’s strongholds — was viewed as one of the tightest parliamentary election contests across the 18 constituencies, but Sinn Fein’s Chris Hazzard comfortably breezed home as Republican domination of the constituency continues.

Miss Ritchie, who succeeded the late Eddie McGrady who had wrestled the seat from Ulster Unionist Enoch Powell in 1987, always knew it was going to be a tough election given Sinn Fein’s stunning Assembly success last March.

That surge in support left the veteran SDLP politician vulnerable and the scale of the battle between her party and Sinn Fein was encapsulated in the huge sums of money both parties spent on election posters and banners that dominated large parts of the district in the battle to eek out every last possible vote ahead of last Thursday’s poll.

Miss Ritchie, who performed particularly well in Crossgar, Annacloy, Dunsford and parts of Downpatrick, saw her vote dip in the southern end of the constituency where Sinn Fein did well in former SDLP strongholds including Warrenpoint, Rostrevor and Ballyholland.

Traditionally Miss Ritchie is always last to arrive at election counts, something she inherited from her mentor Eddie McGrady who helped fashion her political career. When she finally arrived at the count centre in Lisburn she already knew she was behind Hazzard and after passing through security made her way to an area where representatives from a number of parties were gathered round small tables drinking tea and coffee.

With word spreading that Sinn Fein would claim a historic victory and Miss Ritchie was in the building, television camera crews and photographers surrounded the veteran SDLP politician who smiled bravely at what was clearly one of the most difficult moments of her long political career.

With her defeat confirmed long before the official declaration, Miss Ritchie gathered in front of the podium where the results are announced and the candidates deliver their speeches. 

Flanked by her election agent Colin McGrath, close friend Anne Ritchie and other party allies, Miss Ritchie was in familiar territory. The only difference this time around was that she would be delivering a speech as a defeated candidate, not celebrating what would have been a third Westminster term.

After gracious words from Sinn Fein victor Chris Hazzard who praised her public service across South Down, a clearly disappointed Miss Ritchie made her way to the podium. After congratulating Mr Hazzard and thanking her own election team and supporters across the constituency, Miss Ritchie said while the result was not the one she and her party had hoped for, she could say she and her colleagues have helped many, many people throughout South Down.

“I can say in that respect that I can hold my head high here tonight because of the level of service and representation that has been provided by me and the SDLP over the last number of years,” she continued. “It was quite obvious that Brexit has changed the political landscape and there are many lessons to be learnt from that, but I would also say that I have not gone away because I am going to live and fight another day. That is the message I want to give to the people.

“The people of South Down want service and representation; they want delivery here in the constituency and also in parliament. That’s what people said on the doorstep and they also want to see the political institutions up and running and delivering for them in terms of health, education, jobs and the economy. I hope that is possible.”

Speaking before leaving the count centre, Miss Ritchie agreed her battle to retain the South Down seat was always going to be her toughest challenge and that the result of the recent Assembly election had translated into the Westminster poll. She said voters she spoke to did not want an abstentionist MP.

Miss Ritchie continued: “The outcome of this election is part of the rough and tumble of politics and I live to fight another day. I am clearly saying you have not seen the last of Margaret Ritchie in the political arena. The central kernel of this election is that Brexit changed the political landscape. People felt particularly embittered about the decision to leave the EU and having to accept it in South Down, particularly as the constituency voted to remain on a majority verdict.

”I believe South Down will suffer as it does not have an MP who goes to Westminster. Important decisions are taken there in terms of the constituency and in terms of Brexit itself. There is so much coming down the line including unravelling EU directives and translating those into UK national law. Sinn Fein will not be there to vote for that. The irony is this election was about Brexit, but Sinn Fein MPs will not be in Westminster for important debates on its implementation.”

Despite losing her seat along with her colleagues Mark Durkan and Alasdair McDonnell, Miss Ritchie believes there is still a key role for the SDLP, adding: “Brexit changed a lot of things, squeezing the middle ground, but I think there is still a place for that middle ground. That is something we in the SDLP have to reflect upon and I will continue to work for the people of South Down.”