Republican News · Thursday 5 December 2002

SDLP keep the London in Derry

Sinn Féin in Derry has revealed it is actively considering pushing for a public referendum in which the people of Derry will have a final say in the name change dispute.

This follows the council meeting on Tuesday 26 November in which the overwhelming nationalist council voted against two Sinn Féin motions calling for the official name of the city to be changed from Londonderry to Derry.

Councillor Barney O'Hagan assured the people of Derry that Sinn Féin will not neglect the issue of promotion and development of the city and will revisit this issue time and time again until it comes to its conclusion.

He accused the SDLP of "ducking" the issue and of introducing a wordy and largely meaningless amendment that did not deal with with the city's name. "The SDLP have ensured that London stays in Derry," he said.

A Sinn Féin source told An Phoblacht that cynics believe the SDLP in Derry are wary of the growing republican challenge in the city and are playing a game of political footsie with unionism in an attempt to secure precious transfers to help thwart the rise of the Sinn Féin vote.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Ulster Unionist MP Jeffrey Donaldson has submitted an Early Morning Motion signed by all six UUP MPs in the British House of Commons challenging the move to change the name of Londonderry to Derry.

At the same council meeting, SDLP councillors decided that Derry City Council should not have an opinion on Irish citizens having a say in Presidential elections in Ireland. This week, at a meeting of Newry & Mourne District Council, the SDLP refused to support a Sinn Féin motion asking for voting rights for northern people in the Irish Presidential elections. The SDLP in their confusion abstained but one party councillor actually voted against the motion.