Moves by Sinn Féin to replace the leadership of the party’s Derry organisation are being met with resistance by some local members, it is understood.
High profile assembly member, Martina Anderson and her Derry constituency colleague, Karen Mullan have been asked to “consider their positions” as part of a review following two disastrous elections in the city. Sinn Féin’s entire Derry leadership has also been asked to step-aside.
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It emerged yesterday that a number of senior party members are to take over the running of the organisation in Derry until a new local leadership can be set up. A party source said Belfast assembly member, Gerry Kelly and veteran Derry republican, Gary Fleming along with senior members from across the north have been included on a new temporary committee.
Former Westminster MP, Elisha McCallion lost her seat to SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood by more than 17,000 votes in the 2019 general election. The party also lost five of its sixteen seats on Derry and Strabane council in local elections. The downturn in Sinn Féin’s fortunes in the north west contrasted with gains by the party in other parts of Ireland.
The move against Ms Anderson has sent shock waves through the republican movement. A former MEP, she is one of Sinn Féin’s best known public representatives. The former republican prisoner served as a junior executive minister before being elected to the European Parliament. Following Brexit, Ms Anderson was co-opted onto the assembly in 2017 to replace Raymond McCartney who retired. Ms Mullan was co-opted onto the assembly in 2017 to replace Ms McCallion after her election as Foyle MP.
A Sinn Féin source told The Irish News the party’s leadership in Derry was left in a “state of shock” at the weekend when the electoral review group asked that they step down.
“Some well-established people have been put out to grass but as the week goes on, there’s some of them who are starting to resist; some are talking about opposing the move. There’s a fear that it could all get messy,” the party insider said.
Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy described the re-structuring as an “internal matter”. Mr Murphy said the process was designed to examine why the party had under-performed in Derry and to prepare for the next assembly elections.
“Any party that is sensible and that is ambitious about how it grows and wants to bring about political change right across Ireland will try and look where it is not performing well electorally and try and see how it can fix those things, “Mr Murphy said.
Neither Sinn Féin or Ms Anderson have responded to requests for comment about the re-structuring while Ms Mullan declined to comment.
