Social Democratic & Labour Party
The SDLP is the largest nationalist party in Northern Ireland and is led by John Hume. It has been a central player in the peace process and its deputy Leader, Seamus Mallon, is Deputy First Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive.
In the 1997 Westminster election, the SDLP won over 24% of the votes throughout Northern Ireland. In the Assembly elections held in June 1998, the party topped the poll with almost 22% of the vote. The SDLP has 24 members on the Legislative Assembly at Stormont.
The SDLP was formed in 1970 and was initially led by Gerry (now Lord) Fitt. In 1979, John Hume was elected as the party's first MEP and became party leader. He was elected to Westminster in 1983 and was joined by his party colleagues, Seamus Mallon in 1986 (following the by-election caused by the mass resignation of Unionist MPs after the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement) and by Eddie McGrady in 1987.
Each of the party's three sitting MPs are contesting the forthcoming general election. All expect to retain their seats comfortably, while the Northern Minister for Agriculture, Bríd Rodgers, is mounting a strong campaign in the overwhelmingly Nationalist constituency of West Tyrone.
