At around midnight, I posted that Margaret Ritchie would not stand for the party Leadership and had already told people in South Down of her intention. I have received a comment (which I am not publishing) asking me to withdraw or justify my earlier post.

First and foremost, I would point out that for months on other websites, including a previous Blogger site, I have said that the best course of action for Ms Ritchie is to step aside. She cant win the Leadership. People within the SDLP and its broader support want a new Leader. SDLP canvassers know that in May this year she was a liability rather than an asset. People voted SDLP IN SPITE OF Margaret Ritchie, not BECAUSE of her.

In was a reasonable expectation going into the May 2011 Elections that SDLP would at least come back with sixteen seats. They came back with fourteen. As expected Joe Byrne gained a seat in West Tyrone and as expected thru boundary change Declan O’Loan lost out in North Antrim. But tragically Tommy Gallagher and Tommy Burns lost their seats in Fermanagh-South Tyrone and South Antrim. And the anticipated breakthru in Strangford never happened.

The policy of outreach to the unionist community was certainly reflected in the number of preferences the Party picked up but did not actually gain any crucial first preference votes. The Partys message was mixed. Sinn Féin do republicanism better than the SDLP and the Alliance Party do “lets get alongerism” better.

And Margaret Ritchie delivered the message badly. She was both hesitant and hectoring and simply looked lightweight. At times she was just embarrassing and at other times pathetic.

The knives were out before the votes had been counted in May. The loss of seats is compounded by the closure of constituency offices and the handing out of redundancy notices. Bad enough at any time of course but Margaret Ritchie has two jobs…MLA AND Westminster MP for South Down. Her defence of “double jobbing” was lame, to say the least.

She compounded her alienation from the Party by re-appointing Alex Attwood to the single SDLP Executive seat. Ignoring Patsy McGlone, SDLP Deputy Leader was a slap in the face to the rank and file members. This effectively made Attwood the “real” Deputy. Attwood from Ritchies “wing” of the SDLP unbalances the look of the SDLP as it marginalises the more nationalistic “wing”….and gives the impression of a Leader surrounded by a Praetorian Guard rather than embracing all shades of SDLP opinion. Ironically Ritchie chose Environment as the single SDLP portfolio…a brief that had been McGlones.

Margaret Ritchie CANT win the Leadership. Yet it is Double Jobbing that provides her with a dignified exit strategy. She can be Member of Parliament for South Down for life, confined to the relative anonymity of Westminster. She cant screw up. Resigning as a MLA on the basis that the Party Leader should be based locally, allows for a new SDLP face to be co-opted.

As things stand, she is still officially in the race. Eighteen months ago she beat Alastair McDonnell by 222 votes to 187 votes but McDonnell is himself a “double jobber” for South Belfast. He is in the race but essentially his campaign seems to be a reminder to the Party that they made a bad choice in early 2010. Patsy McGlone continues to the front runner.

Nominations for the post of Party Leader close on 16th September. Dolores Kelly has been selected by Craigavon to run as Deputy Leader. Who does this block……when the only declared Leadership runners are McGlone, McDonnell and Ritchie? Step forward Conall McDevitt.

McDevitt is a Mandelson-like figure. Coopted to the Assembly in early 2010, he effects to be more senior than he actually is…which has always irritated party members with a longer record of public service.

Eamonn Mallies “tweet” that suggests McDevitt is about to enter the Leadership race is actually an indication that Ritchie is indeed standing down. There is probably choreography involved. He wont declare himself until Ritchie officially announces that she wont run. He can therefore campaign on the basis of preserving and advancing the legacy of Margaret and the not too subtle sub text that McGlone is the knife weielding assassin and the Party should punish him as much as poor wee Margaret.

But the SDLP identifies McDevitt with Ritchie. It wont help him. He might actually stand a better chance as Deputy Leader. A Dream Ticket. But a Deputy Leadership contest makes things a little difficult for Patsy McGlone. There will as they say be channels of communication from McGlones campaign to Deputy Leadership candidates.

The SDLP would like to avoid Acrimony. And frankly there is already too much bad blood. Getting rid of a Leader is bound to create more bad blood. But ultimately Margaret Ritchie has been a  member of the SDLP all her adult life. She knows and loves the SDLP enough to do what is right…….stand down.