News

SDLP leadership quells West Tyrone row

Councillor Gerard Diver will replace Pat Ramsey
Councillor Gerard Diver will replace Pat Ramsey Councillor Gerard Diver will replace Pat Ramsey

The SDLP leadership has moved to diffuse a potential row in West Tyrone over the choice of a successor to retiring MLA Joe Byrne.

Party activists in the constituency are due to meet tomorrow night to select a replacement for Mr Byrne, who is stepping down from the assembly due to ill health.

Earlier this week it was suggested that two of the three candidates planned to boycott the selection convention. Omagh councillor Josephine Deehan and her Strabane counterpart Patsy Kelly were said to be unhappy that Westminster candidate Daniel McCrossan was being proposed as a Mr Byrne’s replacement.

In October, Ms Deehan and Mr Kelly were among dozens of SDLP members in West Tyrone who refused to recognise Mr McCrossan’s selection as the sole West Tyrone candidate for next year’s assembly elections. The long-running dispute in the constituency and a subsequent internal party report were linked to the recent resignation of party chair Rosemary Flanagan.

The Irish News understands that senior SDLP members agreed to meet Ms Deehan and Mr Kelly on Monday to resolve the matter. Neither the two candidates was commenting on the meeting yesterday, while SDLP headquarters declined to say what the outcome was. However, it is understood all three original candidates will now put their names forward for selection tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, Derry councillor Gerard Diver has been chosen to replace retiring Foyle MLA Pat Ramsey, who is also stepping down from the assembly due to ill health.

Mr Diver will be formally endorsed at a selection convention next week.

He is currently the party leader on Derry City and Strabane District Council and has been a councillor for 14 years.