:00:14. > :00:22.Welcome to the programme. The SDLP faithful have gathered for their
:00:22. > :00:26.annual conference. Yesterday, the the party should be thinking about
:00:26. > :00:31.going into opposition at Stormont. Today, the focus was on policing,
:00:31. > :00:37.parades and the economy. Professor Warwick Wilford is here with me and
:00:37. > :00:40.we are joined by our political Editor as well. We're just going to
:00:40. > :00:44.see some pictures here of Dr Alasdair McDonnell making his way
:00:44. > :00:49.into the conference hall in the Armagh City Hotel. What does he
:00:49. > :00:55.need to do to make up for up the faltering start that he had last
:00:55. > :00:58.year? As a bare minimum, he has to ensure
:00:58. > :01:01.that there is no technical glitches. He has been extremely prompt
:01:01. > :01:07.getting into the hall. He will start very soon and will be wanting
:01:07. > :01:16.to set out in a road map for either party will move forward.
:01:16. > :01:22.Let's hear what he has to save. Throughout our debates and
:01:22. > :01:30.discussions over the last couple of days, one single scene has kept
:01:30. > :01:38.emerging. That we are entering a new phase of politics. Before I go
:01:38. > :01:48.there, it is important to let me take a few minutes to reflect on
:01:48. > :01:49.
:01:50. > :01:55.the heartbreaking events of the few days ago. Four days ago, Mrs Yvonne
:01:55. > :02:02.black and her children buried her husband, David Black. He was
:02:02. > :02:10.brutally murdered as she went to work and the people behind this
:02:10. > :02:17.evil murder have nothing to offer us, politically or in any other way.
:02:17. > :02:21.There are many issues which politicians in Northern Ireland
:02:21. > :02:25.might divide on in our communities, but in this core issue, we stand
:02:25. > :02:30.shoulder to shoulder in a condemnation of this heinous murder.
:02:30. > :02:33.The people behind this murder claim to carry out these acts in the name
:02:33. > :02:41.of Ireland. Have they learned nothing from our island's troubled
:02:41. > :02:46.past? Violence achieves nothing but pain, heartache, loss, and its
:02:46. > :02:51.neighbour against neighbour. We in the SDLP have always believed that
:02:52. > :02:57.there is a better way. A better way to a better Ireland. Just as in the
:02:57. > :03:02.past, others have slowly come round to share our point of view. We will
:03:02. > :03:10.continue to do all that we can to persuade those out there in the
:03:10. > :03:15.political wilderness that --. Our view is simple. It is time for
:03:15. > :03:21.Ireland to regain a sense of pride, its sense of confidence as an
:03:21. > :03:27.island, as a nation, as a vital part of Europe and a key player in
:03:27. > :03:32.the wider world. We in the SDLP have the vision and the ambition,
:03:32. > :03:42.serious ambition, for all the people of Ireland from every
:03:42. > :03:53.
:03:53. > :03:58.tradition and every community. We We have a vision of a society
:03:58. > :04:01.founded on progressive values for prosperity is encouraged and
:04:01. > :04:06.financial institutions must operate ethically. Where the state takes
:04:07. > :04:11.care of the sick, they are elderly, the poor and the vulnerable. Where
:04:11. > :04:18.every child is minute and a good quality education is guaranteed for
:04:18. > :04:23.all. -- every child is valued. I am immensely proud of the political
:04:23. > :04:29.legacy we have inherited. I am proud of the SDLP, the party you
:04:29. > :04:36.elected me to lead. I am proud that we stand for passion, respect,
:04:36. > :04:40.Equality, social justice and prosperity. I am proud that we are
:04:40. > :04:46.now stronger than we have been in years. I know that we will come
:04:46. > :04:52.through this new, this new and challenging phase of politics, even
:04:52. > :04:59.stronger. Above all, I am proud of the van used that the SDLP brought
:04:59. > :05:05.to politics here beat generation ago. Those values are eternal. Even
:05:05. > :05:10.though we may express them differently over time. In that the
:05:10. > :05:19.new phase of politics, in our ambition, I believe we must express
:05:19. > :05:24.our values in terms of respect, Equality and prosperity for all. As
:05:24. > :05:29.the people of North Belfast have shown us, respect has the potential
:05:29. > :05:37.to be the master key to unlocking entrenched positions. A simple
:05:37. > :05:42.request for respect harms nobody. If reciprocated, that is the
:05:42. > :05:48.critical element. It can be achy to a much wider and deeper process of
:05:48. > :05:55.reconciliation. Respect touches upon everything we do. Any society
:05:55. > :05:59.which wants people to enjoy respect and equality cannot let Government
:05:59. > :06:03.pushed through savage welfare cuts, cuts that will consolidate and
:06:03. > :06:08.entrench inequality for a generation. There is a tough battle
:06:08. > :06:12.to be fought out there in social justice, for and on behalf of all
:06:12. > :06:16.the marginalised, the disrespected and the disadvantaged in our
:06:16. > :06:26.communities. We can win this battle and I promise you, we will win this
:06:26. > :06:35.
:06:35. > :06:45.I want to commend Mark Durkan for the sterling job and the leadership
:06:45. > :06:51.
:06:51. > :07:00.Last year, you elected me to lead this great party of bars. You put
:07:00. > :07:07.your trust in me to renew the SDLP. I intend to do so. Today, I am
:07:07. > :07:09.delighted to tell you that the SDLP fightback is well under way. We are
:07:09. > :07:15.re-energised and we are well prepared for the electorate battle
:07:15. > :07:21.ahead. We are not just increasing our presence in places like this
:07:21. > :07:31.great city, where the first ever lord mayor was our very own Sharon
:07:31. > :07:36.
:07:36. > :07:42.But we are building that renewed presence right across the North and
:07:42. > :07:46.beyond. We now have some 40 new local representatives,
:07:46. > :07:51.enthusiastically assisting and supporting our existing councillors
:07:51. > :07:58.and MLAs and establishing good representation in those areas where
:07:58. > :08:03.we lacked a presence. We have a vibrant and vital groups in a
:08:03. > :08:08.Dublin, London and Brussels. There supporting the party with their
:08:08. > :08:13.time, their money and their ideas. We're on the move again. The truth
:08:13. > :08:19.is that everyone inside this room and outside it knows it. We are now
:08:19. > :08:24.stronger than we were one year ago. The resurgent SDLP has taken on the
:08:24. > :08:29.tough issues, rejecting the stagnation of a complacent and
:08:29. > :08:35.paralysed executive at Stormont. Let there be no mistake about this.
:08:35. > :08:41.Doing that and seeking on that battle has major implications, not
:08:41. > :08:44.just for you, our members, it has major implications for Dublin and
:08:44. > :08:52.London and everyone with than in -- interest for the future well-being
:08:52. > :08:56.of the silent. 14 years ago, we were cast our political
:08:56. > :08:59.relationships within the silence to create a peace process. Are
:08:59. > :09:05.devolved institutions have established the basic stability
:09:05. > :09:11.threshold from which we can make real social and economic progress.
:09:11. > :09:15.But in order to realise our full potential, I believe that further
:09:15. > :09:20.recasting of relationships is necessary. I believe that we now
:09:20. > :09:27.need a prosperity process which will provide a better life for all
:09:27. > :09:32.our people. We need a new dynamic relationship with Government in
:09:32. > :09:36.London that allows us maximum devolved control of our own
:09:36. > :09:41.economic destiny and provides us with all the tools necessary to
:09:41. > :09:46.rebalance our economy. We need a new dynamic relationship with
:09:46. > :09:50.Government in Dublin that allows us to maximise the full potential of
:09:50. > :09:55.North-South co-operation and to widen and deepen the All Ireland
:09:55. > :10:02.economy at every level. For us, there can be no boundary between
:10:02. > :10:07.peace and prosperity. For us, the full potential of their Good Friday
:10:07. > :10:17.Agreement will only be realised when we have created prosperity and
:10:17. > :10:24.
:10:24. > :10:31.a better quality of life for all Since the Assembly reconvened in
:10:31. > :10:36.September, the SDLP has already made him more good difference. When
:10:36. > :10:40.the DUP and Sinn Fein get it wrong, we will challenge them and we will
:10:40. > :10:47.challenge their stagnant strategies on the very floor of the assembly.
:10:47. > :10:52.You will have noticed our work been calling Nelson McCausland to
:10:52. > :10:55.account on parades and the Welfare Reform Bill. You will notice a work
:10:55. > :10:59.in having some decisions made in the executive. Both of these have
:10:59. > :11:05.sent out a clear message about the way the SDLP will operate from here
:11:06. > :11:11.on in. We will bring in new ideas to the assembly and to the
:11:11. > :11:15.executive in the form of private member's bills of we cannot get
:11:15. > :11:21.them to produce their own. We are a watchdog within the executive and
:11:21. > :11:31.three are Minister Alex Attwood, we will face every difficult decision
:11:31. > :11:42.
:11:42. > :11:50.head on. Our watchdog's IT is every Our First Minister uses sweet and
:11:50. > :11:54.honeyed words about moving out of the old orange and green politics.
:11:54. > :12:00.To the left, to the right, as a means of tricking voters into
:12:00. > :12:04.somehow thinking that a return to Unionist domination under Peter is
:12:04. > :12:11.in our best interest. That is not innovation. That is just plain
:12:11. > :12:16.sectarianism with a fresh lick of paint on it. Down the corridor in
:12:16. > :12:20.the Deputy First Minister's office, there is even less progress. His
:12:20. > :12:27.party is paralysed into dithering indecision by the fear not only of
:12:27. > :12:32.what the SDLP erupt two, but the fear of upsetting their new
:12:32. > :12:35.bedfellows in the DUP. All will have watched and seen all the
:12:35. > :12:40.phoney fights and false start ups and the mark arguments they have
:12:40. > :12:46.got into over the last couple of months. They are nothing more than
:12:46. > :12:52.a fig-leaf designed to reassure the hardliners on both sides that the
:12:52. > :13:02.DUP and Sinn Fein are still a tough guys in the playground. Let me tell
:13:02. > :13:21.
:13:21. > :13:25.them, and it time for playing My friends, in our view, all
:13:25. > :13:32.politics should be based on equality. That is a principle that
:13:32. > :13:38.this party, the SDLP, has held deer since its foundation. But I want to
:13:38. > :13:47.ask you something. Do you remember this Sinn Fein island of equals? Do
:13:47. > :13:51.you remember how quickly it was forgotten? According to the Fair
:13:51. > :13:56.Employment Tribunal, he rejected a candidate for the chair of Northern
:13:56. > :14:03.Ireland water, why? Because the candidate was a promise and? And
:14:03. > :14:07.since that, two more ministers from that party now stand accused of
:14:07. > :14:13.falling far short of what is required in making honest
:14:13. > :14:23.appointments to public bodies. How is that for respect? How is that
:14:23. > :14:37.
:14:37. > :14:44.for a quality? How is that for Many of you know Sinn Fein work
:14:44. > :14:49.every day trying to rewrite history. They will lay claim, if they could,
:14:49. > :14:55.to the civil rights movement. Just like they corrupted the term
:14:55. > :14:59.Republican during their years of murderous campaigning. Let me tell
:14:59. > :15:06.you, in my opinion, and a solid both these great titles and great
:15:06. > :15:11.ideals. Conference, we are not going to stand for it. The SDLP
:15:11. > :15:21.always was and always will be the party of civil rights. Civil rights
:15:21. > :15:36.
:15:36. > :15:41.And serious questions must be asked of the Alliance Party. Ever since
:15:41. > :15:49.they were gerrymandered in to two seats by Peter and Marton, they
:15:49. > :15:53.have become the lap dogs of the two big boys. Howells can you explain
:15:53. > :15:59.that their votes against him human rights assessment of the welfare
:15:59. > :16:04.reform? How else can you explain that their attack on the mobility
:16:04. > :16:10.of Third Level students? You will not explain it in terms of
:16:10. > :16:16.principle. This kind of paralysis can never deliver anything for our
:16:17. > :16:23.society. We have no interest whatsoever in perpetuating of
:16:23. > :16:30.paralysis. We will continued to engage with, workwear and listen to
:16:30. > :16:35.a civic and business communities. - - work with. We will better
:16:35. > :16:40.understand the issues that continue to betray the potential which
:16:40. > :16:47.exists within our community in Northern Ireland. On the top of the
:16:47. > :16:52.list is jobs. Top of the list is sustainable job creation. And
:16:52. > :16:56.protecting small businesses is at the core of that issue. We reject
:16:56. > :17:05.the assertions by the Executive and that they are doing all they can to
:17:05. > :17:11.create jobs. The economic package just announced is a welcome step,
:17:11. > :17:16.and it is only right that the Executive refocuses spending in the
:17:16. > :17:23.direction of job creation. But when you scratch the surface, specific
:17:23. > :17:31.details are few and far between. There is very little in the way of
:17:31. > :17:36.new ideas for new money. It seems to be called money recycled. And if
:17:36. > :17:42.they are doing all they can to protect and create jobs, then, in
:17:42. > :17:46.my opinion, they are not up to the job. If they are not doing well
:17:46. > :17:56.they can, shame on them because a bigger effort is needed to make
:17:56. > :18:05.
:18:05. > :18:12.sure we sustain as many jobs as What are people, particularly our
:18:12. > :18:15.young people, really need is hope. It is scarce. They need hope for
:18:15. > :18:20.their future, they need hope and they will not find themselves
:18:20. > :18:26.having to borrow money, more money to buy a plane ticket to far-off
:18:26. > :18:33.shores like Australia in search of a living and work. It does not have
:18:33. > :18:39.to be like this. Jobs can be created, and in my opinion, jobs
:18:39. > :18:44.must be created. There are many tried and tested ideas with Green
:18:44. > :18:48.New Deal, the potential to create thousands of new jobs. A small
:18:48. > :18:56.reduction on fuel duty would save hundreds of jobs and create
:18:56. > :19:01.hundreds more. The jobs potential from tourism is enormous. Visitors,
:19:01. > :19:10.we need them to build a thriving tourist industry and they are
:19:10. > :19:15.already coming to our island. 7 million that every year. 5 million
:19:15. > :19:22.come in through Dublin. Less than one hour's drive from County Armagh.
:19:22. > :19:27.How many of those 5 million cross the border? We need to get them a
:19:27. > :19:32.cross the border. In our town centres we have small retail
:19:32. > :19:38.businesses going to the wall. Remember, protecting and supporting
:19:38. > :19:48.these businesses protects jobs and the communities they serve. That is
:19:48. > :19:52.why the SDLP will be rolling out our own regeneration plans. And it
:19:52. > :20:01.is simply about taking the best of the ideas that are out there, there
:20:01. > :20:05.are plenty of reports, and creating an action plan. Our towns and
:20:05. > :20:11.communities across the north face another and more immediate threat.
:20:11. > :20:15.Our elderly, our disabled, our disadvantaged are all at their wits
:20:15. > :20:21.end and I have them in my office every day wondering how they are
:20:21. > :20:25.going to afford to face the next day with the cuts that are already
:20:25. > :20:30.there and the more savage cuts to come. These cuts that the Tories
:20:30. > :20:38.are trying to impose here are driving people over the edge. This
:20:39. > :20:43.is totally and utterly unacceptable. Yes, we admit there is a case for
:20:43. > :20:48.reform in the welfare system to limit the abuses and focus the
:20:48. > :20:53.money on those most in need. No-one would dispute that. But we know
:20:53. > :21:00.that that is not what this is all about. This reform is about
:21:01. > :21:08.something else. We here of a much higher dependency for its variety
:21:08. > :21:13.of valid reasons. Decades of under- investment. Servia under provision
:21:13. > :21:18.of childcare. The legacy of the Troubles. Many thousands of people
:21:18. > :21:24.out there still suffering from the injuries. Debilitating physical and
:21:24. > :21:31.mental distress as a result of a needless conflict. And again, on
:21:31. > :21:37.top of all that, with it Iain Duncan Smith proposing a further
:21:37. > :21:43.benefit cut. Benefits cut off after the birth of a second child. The
:21:43. > :21:49.last time we heard that was from Basil Brooke in the 1940s.
:21:49. > :21:54.Delegates, this makes me angry. It also makes me angry to hear the
:21:54. > :21:58.verbal somersaults of Sinn Fein spokesman trying to convince the
:21:58. > :22:05.voters that they are against the Welfare Reform Bill when all the
:22:05. > :22:11.time they are doing little to oppose it. I want to send a message
:22:11. > :22:16.today. If they are really against the Welfare Reform Bill, all they
:22:16. > :22:26.have to do his vote against it. Sometimes politics can be that
:22:26. > :22:41.
:22:41. > :22:47.People want clarity and certainty in politics. People want a bit of
:22:47. > :22:51.clarity and certainty about their children's education. People worry
:22:51. > :22:56.as to whether their child will be able to get a free pre-school place
:22:56. > :22:59.in their neighbourhood. Whether the local primary school will have a
:22:59. > :23:07.place for their child and whether the school will be properly
:23:07. > :23:11.resourced or not. I am talking to you on a day when thousands of ten
:23:11. > :23:18.and 11-year-olds are sitting on official exams. Many of them doing
:23:18. > :23:28.these exams four Saturdays in a row. Parents are asking me, when will
:23:28. > :23:39.
:23:40. > :23:44.I want you to know that we are up working to do all that we can to
:23:44. > :23:51.insure parents' expectations in education are met. People need
:23:51. > :23:56.clarity and certainty about their health care. Make no mistake, the
:23:56. > :24:01.SDLP is firmly focused on spotting and stamping out the creeping
:24:01. > :24:07.privatisation that is attempting to take place in a health service. We
:24:07. > :24:17.will not shy away from taking the fight right to the House of Commons.
:24:17. > :24:29.
:24:29. > :24:33.We go to Westminster where there is It is easy not going there, but
:24:33. > :24:37.people's interests are to be protected and it is always better
:24:37. > :24:43.to have influence on the inside than posturing and posing on the
:24:43. > :24:49.outside. When we are there we build influence wherever we go. You only
:24:49. > :24:59.have to look at the work Margaret Ritchie is doing, working
:24:59. > :25:08.
:25:08. > :25:18.Mark Durkan has done a Trojan job fighting for stronger credit unions
:25:18. > :25:24.
:25:24. > :25:28.and better regulation of banks, and And I have made some efforts myself
:25:28. > :25:33.to secure the reduction and devolution of air passenger duty,
:25:33. > :25:38.and we will continue to work there at Westminster and continue to work
:25:38. > :25:43.closely with our friends, particularly the shadow Secretary
:25:43. > :25:50.of State. It was a privilege to hear him speak this morning. Vernon
:25:50. > :25:57.has always been a friend of the SDLP. The East-West relationship is
:25:57. > :26:03.important. But the North-South relationships are absolutely vital.
:26:03. > :26:09.North-South works because the engagement insurers that the people
:26:09. > :26:12.in the south, business community and otherwise, recognise and see
:26:12. > :26:17.the opportunities in the north. They see our strengths and
:26:18. > :26:23.weaknesses. They know where we can complement each other, they know
:26:23. > :26:28.where we can do business. North- South development makes absolute
:26:28. > :26:34.sense in so many areas of our lives. We firmly believe that this island
:26:34. > :26:39.that we live on can be so much more prosperous as a result and we know
:26:39. > :26:47.that we could greatly increase North-South development. That the
:26:47. > :26:51.issues we are looking at, providing space for cross-border health care,
:26:51. > :26:57.cross-border Education Development, shared telecommunications, these
:26:57. > :27:03.are only a few. But we must work together in mutual interests of the
:27:04. > :27:09.whole island. I would just ask people to take a particular look at
:27:09. > :27:13.the All-Ireland energy market and what it had done for us. In terms
:27:13. > :27:19.of North-South development, there is no greater symbol than the
:27:19. > :27:24.narrow Water a bridge. Let me just remind you, we had a few people
:27:24. > :27:30.popping up for pictures when it was announced, but there is no greater
:27:30. > :27:37.symbol than a narrow Water a bridge as far as I am concerned. Our
:27:37. > :27:45.people in South Down, war and. Were fighting for that as far back as
:27:45. > :27:48.the 1970s. We propose that bridge in the mid- 1970s. Can I pay
:27:48. > :27:53.tribute to all of our representatives, all of the party
:27:53. > :27:59.activists who argued for and fought for, and every time I met them they
:27:59. > :28:03.did my head in, demanding that the narrow what a bridge was the most
:28:03. > :28:13.important thing in cross-border development. Find a queue for doing
:28:13. > :28:21.
:28:22. > :28:26.The narrow Water of bridge is a victory for the SDLP, his victory
:28:26. > :28:34.for its values and didn't years to come it will stand as a proud
:28:34. > :28:39.symbol of unity. Unity of common sense and common purpose. 14 years
:28:39. > :28:45.after we proposed it, the North- South Parliamentary Association it
:28:45. > :28:52.has finally happened. Bringing together legislation from its
:28:52. > :29:02.dormant. We find common cause on serious issues that affect the
:29:02. > :29:06.
:29:06. > :29:12.whole island. Within the north, the job of driving North-South co-
:29:12. > :29:16.operation is increasingly being left to us. It is not be enough to
:29:16. > :29:25.have ministers in the Executive going through the motions, taking
:29:25. > :29:33.the boxes, we need to realise the practical, mutual benefits as has
:29:33. > :29:39.been done Kirkley with paediatric cardiac surgery. This can be done
:29:39. > :29:46.much wider in the healthcare field. The other thing that distresses me
:29:46. > :29:53.is the reluctance of Arlene Foster to engage with plans. A year long
:29:53. > :29:58.tourist drive aimed at bringing home island's global diaspora,
:29:58. > :30:02.Arlene was staggering in her lack of vision. The potential tourist
:30:02. > :30:08.revenue that could have been generated in the North seemed to
:30:08. > :30:13.pass her by. North-South co- operation is too important to be
:30:13. > :30:18.left to the vagaries of party politics. We welcome the fact that
:30:18. > :30:22.others now recognise there is more to achieve. The decades of
:30:22. > :30:27.democratic struggled show that when Dublin political parties are at one
:30:27. > :30:32.and working in corporation with us, real progress can be achieved.
:30:32. > :30:38.Peace and progress had been well served in previous times by a
:30:39. > :30:44.united approach. In the new phase of Irish politics now opening up,
:30:44. > :30:47.we will be asking all the parties of democratic nationalism in
:30:47. > :30:52.Ireland to reaffirm their commitment to a joint approach in
:30:52. > :30:58.building a better future for all on the island. That is the future I
:30:58. > :31:05.want to see. One with respect, the quality, reconciliation and social
:31:05. > :31:15.justice. It is only through that unity of purpose that we can ever
:31:15. > :31:16.
:31:16. > :31:19.hope for a national unity in the On the first January, we will take
:31:19. > :31:22.over the European presidency once again. We will ensure that the
:31:22. > :31:28.whole island benefits from the massive opportunity that this
:31:28. > :31:33.stewardship of birds. We in the SDLP our pride and committed
:31:33. > :31:37.Europeans, as well as being proud Irishmen and women. When we looked
:31:37. > :31:41.to Eastern Europe and the Balkans, the European Union has proved to be
:31:41. > :31:46.one of the Great Peace builders of our time. That was recognised last
:31:46. > :31:50.month by the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. Our party was once led
:31:50. > :31:57.by another of the Great Peace builders of our time, recognised
:31:57. > :32:07.not just with the Nobel Prize, but recently, also a Papal knighthood.
:32:07. > :32:43.
:32:43. > :32:47.I am very humbled, conference, at asking you to take that moment to
:32:47. > :32:53.acknowledge the presence of our hero and friend John Hume here
:32:53. > :32:59.today. He was magnificent. We will never be able to repay him or even
:32:59. > :33:06.thank him for the work he did. We have a lot to offer Europe, both as
:33:06. > :33:10.a party and as a nation. Northern Ireland deserves so much better
:33:10. > :33:15.than a group of anti- European politicians have heartily
:33:15. > :33:22.representing us, when we could be taking much more and taking much
:33:22. > :33:24.more out of our positions. We could be making much more in terms of
:33:24. > :33:27.Agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy reforms. We
:33:27. > :33:30.could be making much more on the whole range of research and
:33:31. > :33:36.development opportunities and Horizon Twenty20 is just round the
:33:36. > :33:41.corner. Let me tell you here and now, in talking to colleagues right
:33:41. > :33:51.across the party, the SDLP is determined to win back our European
:33:51. > :34:01.
:34:01. > :34:06.And let me tell you, if I know the mood of this party, or if I can
:34:06. > :34:10.take the mood of this party at present, I know we will do that.
:34:10. > :34:15.Conference, everything I am saying and everything I have said for
:34:15. > :34:22.points in one direction. We are moving into a new phase of politics
:34:22. > :34:27.on this island. Let's be clear. We will not be thwarted by the evil
:34:27. > :34:33.attempts of a tiny minority, just as we did not allow ourselves to be
:34:33. > :34:36.thwarted in the past. In my opinion, it is time and now it for a real
:34:36. > :34:44.reconciliation and prosperity process, which has been so
:34:44. > :34:50.neglected to begin. We need that reconciliation. Victims deserve the
:34:50. > :35:00.truth. And if Sinn Fein, and they make a lot of to do about the
:35:00. > :35:14.
:35:14. > :35:19.process of reconciliation, let them But the protection of our peace
:35:19. > :35:23.process has been used for far too long as a barrier to facing up to
:35:23. > :35:26.the need for truth and reconciliation. Truth and
:35:26. > :35:31.reconciliation is an issue that really matters to so many of our
:35:31. > :35:41.people out there. And we cannot wait any longer for that to start
:35:41. > :35:42.
:35:42. > :35:47.moving. We need real, and meaningful, honest reconciliation.
:35:47. > :35:52.But behind that, we also need effective Government. We have had
:35:53. > :35:58.enough gestures and photocalls at sporting events from Peter and
:35:58. > :36:02.Marton. Unless those gestures and photocalls are backed up what
:36:02. > :36:06.sustained leadership and genuine, credible moves towards long-term
:36:06. > :36:10.reconciliation, they're only a show raid. They're seen as cynical and
:36:10. > :36:20.they serve more as a barrier to meaningful reconciliation for the
:36:20. > :36:21.
:36:21. > :36:24.people of the North. Where, Peter, where, Marton, where his meaningful
:36:24. > :36:33.progress on the integration strategy? I believe them to answer
:36:33. > :36:38.that. The SDLP is very clear. We want to make full use of our peace
:36:38. > :36:42.and stability to move on and create peace and prosperity for all. We
:36:42. > :36:47.want to recast a relationships to give us the power, the powers
:36:47. > :36:52.needed to create prosperity. In this new phase, we will begin to
:36:52. > :36:56.see the shape of the new Ireland emerging. A very different island
:36:56. > :37:00.from the island of the past or the one we know today. But we will need
:37:00. > :37:06.to work hard to make sure it is the new islands that we have campaigned
:37:06. > :37:12.for its writer party's history. It prosperous New Ireland for all that
:37:12. > :37:16.treasures all the children of this island equally, where fear is
:37:16. > :37:20.removed and where we can proactive the reach out to the Unionist
:37:21. > :37:25.community to show that as proud and confident Irish men and women, we
:37:25. > :37:30.fully respect their sense of Britishness. And more than that,
:37:30. > :37:35.far beyond flags and labels, we respect and will fight for their
:37:35. > :37:45.and their family's right to live at peace in a land of prosperity, of
:37:45. > :37:59.
:37:59. > :38:03.So today, friends, I have an ask of you. It sounds simple, but it is
:38:03. > :38:08.really very big. I want to ask each of you, each and every one of you,
:38:08. > :38:13.to go back to your constituencies, you branches, you communities and
:38:13. > :38:16.work with me to rebuild the SDLP and to all that is necessary to get
:38:17. > :38:26.us back at the heart of Government again. Because that is where we
:38:27. > :38:32.
:38:32. > :38:37.belong. It will not work if we are And I just want to tell you and
:38:37. > :38:41.don't want to warn you that in days to come, we will be proud to look
:38:41. > :38:46.back on our work and the achievements we have made for all
:38:46. > :38:56.the people on this island. And finally say, in the words you and
:38:56. > :39:11.
:39:11. > :39:20.for dinner party's history, we have Dr Alasdair McDonnell is joined on
:39:20. > :39:23.the platform again by his wife, Olivia, and three of his children.
:39:24. > :39:33.They're taking the applause there at the end of his second speech as
:39:33. > :39:36.leader of the SDLP. Just as we watch these pictures, all of his
:39:36. > :39:43.children have arrived on stage. Obviously, a standing ovation. No
:39:43. > :39:46.surprise in that. He takes the salute of his party faithful. What
:39:46. > :39:52.is you make of the quality of what he had to say over the last 25
:39:52. > :39:56.minutes? If we were having a scorecard and
:39:56. > :40:01.platitudes, he would do very well. It could not be a worse speech than
:40:01. > :40:05.last year, where he just stumbled into the ground. But he was too
:40:05. > :40:10.general. There simply wasn't any detail and his speech. There was no
:40:10. > :40:14.clear strategy. There was just an exhortation to the party faithful
:40:14. > :40:17.to go out there and rebuild the party. He talked earlier in his
:40:18. > :40:22.speech about his intention to rebuild the party. In its first
:40:22. > :40:27.speech one year ago, he gave himself 100 days to revise the
:40:27. > :40:32.party's fortunes. We're almost 400 days be on that, and his party are
:40:32. > :40:40.still languishing in the polls. His level of support is a 13%. Dr
:40:40. > :40:45.Alasdair McDonnell has an approval rating in the pub his first year's
:40:45. > :40:51.leadership has been one of failure and it is very difficult to see
:40:51. > :40:54.this as the springboard to recovery. 10 Jetty said very clearly that we
:40:54. > :41:00.have begun the fight back and we are stronger than we were one year
:41:00. > :41:06.ago. That is the line he used in the middle of the speech.
:41:06. > :41:09.They're not. They lost two seats last year in the assembly election.
:41:09. > :41:15.Over the last decade, they have lost one third of their local
:41:15. > :41:19.principles. This is a party which is in serious decline. The issue he
:41:19. > :41:23.has to face is, how does it turn that decline around? I am not sure,
:41:23. > :41:27.even amongst the most diehard supporters of the SDLP, that this
:41:27. > :41:33.is a speech that will inspire. Speeches can be good and inspiring.
:41:33. > :41:37.I think this was really a rather modest effort. It's just lacked
:41:37. > :41:46.detail. It was illegal and it was a bird's eye view of what the party
:41:46. > :41:49.needs to do. -- skeletal. We need to know what the strategy is, what
:41:49. > :41:53.their ambitions are and what their targets are. There was not one
:41:53. > :41:57.target mentioned in the whole of the speech. They have only one
:41:57. > :42:01.minister in the executive and he also indicated some time ago that
:42:01. > :42:05.they were going to rotate the minister. That has not happened. We
:42:05. > :42:11.got the deputy leader of the party canvassing yet again of the idea of
:42:11. > :42:15.going into opposition, something he is not terribly enthusiastic about.
:42:15. > :42:19.That part of the leadership does not seem to be agreed either. This
:42:20. > :42:26.is a party which is still struggling to find its way.
:42:26. > :42:30.He has left the conference hall and lots of MLAs and councillors up to
:42:30. > :42:36.shake his hand and congratulate him on the speech. He has made his way
:42:36. > :42:42.out. Let's go back and hear from our political Editor who has been
:42:42. > :42:45.following the speech for us in the city hotels. Rick has raised a
:42:45. > :42:50.number of issues there. I am not sure if you heard what he had to
:42:50. > :42:53.say. He is suggesting that it was lacking in substance and targets.
:42:53. > :43:00.What reaction has there been with the people you have been talking
:43:00. > :43:05.There has not been any time to react because some of them are just
:43:05. > :43:11.setting out of the hall behind me, but we should not lose sight of the
:43:11. > :43:14.fact that people are well pleased. It actually happened Crosslee, to
:43:14. > :43:19.time, went off smoothly and there was none of the repeats of the
:43:19. > :43:23.fiasco of last year's conference that sob Dr Alasdair McDonnell
:43:24. > :43:27.blinking in the lights. He ended up resorting to a more old-fashioned
:43:27. > :43:32.methods and slivered his speech without any autocue. He seemed to
:43:32. > :43:36.be more satisfied and at ease with that. There was a little bit of an
:43:36. > :43:41.accident in that some of the queue was tried out and did not work, but
:43:41. > :43:47.it looks like the old ways served him best. I have got a couple of
:43:47. > :43:50.MLAs with me. They will give their immediate reaction to the speech.
:43:50. > :43:54.In terms of the technicalities, you must have been pleased. What about
:43:54. > :43:58.the content? I thought it was very strong. He
:43:59. > :44:02.later marker down to the Sinn Fein Party in particular. If they're
:44:02. > :44:07.serious about opposing welfare reform, they should join us and
:44:07. > :44:11.boat that bill down. Very strong on Europe and very strong on this
:44:11. > :44:15.party's long-standing ambition to build a new Ireland and the need to
:44:15. > :44:18.that reconciliation at the heart of it. If Sinn Fein are serious about
:44:18. > :44:22.reconciliation, they can start with one simple thing - telling the
:44:22. > :44:25.truth about what happened in our past.
:44:25. > :44:29.You have been specialising in reconciliation and involved in a
:44:29. > :44:33.report that a party has drawn up on that. You're of is the critical
:44:33. > :44:39.Sinn Fein, but of is the principal -- critical of the gritters
:44:39. > :44:43.Government as well. I want to see Sinn Fein and the British
:44:43. > :44:47.Government set out of the shadows of their past.
:44:47. > :44:52.They have some skeletons that need outed. Whatever process we agree on,
:44:52. > :44:55.it must be founded on the basis that the truth will out and that
:44:55. > :44:59.justice will follow. We're not getting that today either from the
:44:59. > :45:03.British Government or from Sinn Fein. That needs to change or this
:45:03. > :45:07.island will suffer. Mark Durkan, one of the debates
:45:07. > :45:10.that has been knocking around within a hall has been a whole
:45:10. > :45:19.place of whether you should stay within the executive or move into
:45:19. > :45:23.opposition. Dolores Kelly nailed her flag to the poll last night.
:45:23. > :45:33.But instead, Dr Alasdair McDonnell has been talking more about the
:45:33. > :45:37.
:45:37. > :45:42.That is a debate that will continue to be knocking about. We play a
:45:42. > :45:48.very good role as a watchdog. By think at some stage, people will
:45:48. > :45:52.wonder if this watchdog should be led off the leash. And allow us to
:45:52. > :45:57.do more in terms of opposing measures the Government are
:45:57. > :46:02.bringing forward. And questioning measures that they aren't. On the
:46:02. > :46:11.one hand we had the leader talking about a paralyse Executive, yet the
:46:11. > :46:17.voters will say, you're part of that. That is true. We are, in
:46:17. > :46:21.effect, tarnished by the lack of productivity from the Executive. At
:46:21. > :46:26.the same time we can look to Walsall Executive minister as a
:46:26. > :46:34.parrot on of how it should be done. -- look at our only Executive
:46:34. > :46:38.minister. Alex Attwood has brought forward policies and legislation,
:46:38. > :46:43.practices and he has shown how devolution should work and how
:46:43. > :46:53.devolution it would work if we had more ministers. No doubt this is a
:46:53. > :46:57.
:46:58. > :47:02.debate that will carry on. political Editor there. The
:47:02. > :47:07.delegates are coming out from listening to that speech by the
:47:07. > :47:14.party leader, Dr Alasdair McDonnell. Just a final thought before we end
:47:14. > :47:19.this programme. The final line is a fascinating one. Go back to your
:47:19. > :47:24.constituencies, work to rebuild the SDLP, do what is necessary to get
:47:24. > :47:30.us to the heart of government. But they are at the heart of government.
:47:30. > :47:35.I suspect he meant get more of us in government. It is a strange line,
:47:35. > :47:39.they have a minister. Of course, they were the second largest party
:47:39. > :47:43.and in the first phase of devolution they had the Deputy
:47:43. > :47:50.Minister. That is a symbol of how they have fallen from the voters
:47:50. > :47:56.Greece. I do not think this is a speech that will turn around the
:47:56. > :48:01.fortunes of the SDLP. -- voters grace. It also belies what he said
:48:01. > :48:07.a year ago. He gave himself three months to revive the party's
:48:07. > :48:13.fortunes. We are 12 months on and here we are, he is saying, I intend
:48:13. > :48:18.to rebuild the party. He is saying, let's get back to the heart of
:48:18. > :48:27.government, but his deputy yesterday called for the party to
:48:27. > :48:31.consider going into opposition. It is a mixed message. Exactly. The
:48:31. > :48:39.beauty of the design of our Executive is that you can be both
:48:39. > :48:43.at the same time. You can ride both horses. Why relinquish your one
:48:43. > :48:50.seat when you can actually stay there? Interesting to hear your