THE chair of the SDLP has resigned. Rosemary Flanagan is understood to have quit her post in the wake of a weekend meeting of the SDLP executive, when a long-running dispute in West Tyrone was discussed.
Her sudden departure comes just three weeks before Alasdair McDonnell faces a leadership challenge from Foyle MLA Colum Eastwood.
Ms Flanagan is the party's second chairperson to resign within the past 12 months.
John Clayton quit the post late last year, just weeks after being re-elected at the SDLP's annual conference.
On Saturday The Irish News reported how dozens of party activists in West Tyrone were refusing to recognise the candidate chosen to contest the next assembly election.
Four of the party's five councillors in the constituency mounted a boycott last week's selection convention where Daniel McCrossan was picked.
Mr McCrossan (27) works in the office of West Tyrone MLA Joe Byrne and was the SDLP candidate in May's Westminster election.
It is understood a report into the divisions in West Tyrone was discussed at a heated meeting of the party's executive on Saturday but Ms Flanagan was unhappy with the outcome.
She confirmed her resignation to The Irish News yesterday but declined to say anything more.
SDLP headquarters has also declined to make any comment.
Ms Flanagan, a native of Co Down who having moved to Co Fermanagh worked as education adviser in post-primary schools, has been a member of the SDLP since the 1970s and chaired the party's policy committee for many years.
Former SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie last night paid tribute to her.
"Rosemary is a strong social democrat with an abiding interest in educational political policy," the South Down MP said.
"She will be sadly missed as a hard-working chair who kept the interests of the SDLP at the forefront of her work."
