Every candidate in the presidential election should use the platform they will enjoy in coming weeks to encourage planning for Irish unification, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) leader Claire Hanna has said.
The call was made in a letter to the three candidates in the race after nominations closed at noon on Wednesday, Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin and the Independent, Catherine Connolly.
“I want to take this opportunity to ask for your support in using your platform to actively encourage the conversation and planning required to deliver a new and reconciled Ireland,” the SDLP leader said.
Former party leader Colum Eastwood had shown interest in contesting the election, but signals he sent to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin seeking a nomination were rebuffed.
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Mr Eastwood, the Foyle MP, decided not to go down the route of seeking a nomination from four county councils, even though he would have had a not inconsiderable chance of securing enough support.
For four years, the SDLP’s New Ireland Commission has engaged with communities across Northern Ireland to shape “meaningful, inclusive plans that inspire people across our island”, said Ms Hanna, the Galway-born, Belfast South/Mid-Down MP.
“We believe this is about more than constitutional arrangements; it is about building something new together, embracing reconciliation, and reflecting the rich diversity that makes Ireland stronger.
“Twenty-seven years after the Good Friday Agreement, it is clear that Northern Ireland, in its current form, is not working,” she added.
“For decades, the SDLP has prioritised reconciliation and stability in good faith. We listened when others said it wasn’t the right time to act. But the truth is that a decaying status quo is limiting the potential of the region.”
