Todays Sinn Féin statement on the Presidential Election (and I unashamedly wish Martin McGuinness well) has nothing to do with the SDLP Leadership and my own thought would be that a leadership contest never shows a Party in a good light….and the SDLP should probably welcome the fact that every newshound in Norn Iron will be following the Martin McGuinness story…….right up to 27th October and the few days after…..indeed right up to the SDLP Conference.
If theres ever a good time for a political party to get no press coverage….a leadership election is the best time.
The only actual electors in the SDLP leadership are about 400 people and no amount of news footage or column inches or seeing their man or woman (Dolores Kelly happily standing as Deputy Leader) interviewed on Inside Politics will influence them as much as the closed SDLP meetings.
Some points.
1…Nobody within the SDLP can complain that they dont have a choice.
2…Margaret Ritchie is History. Electing her was a horrible mistake that is best forgotten as quickly as possible.
3..while critics of the SDLP are enjoying what they see as discomfort and others have an academic or political junkie interest………the Contest itself is primarily  a matter for those SDLP members, their voters and those who wish them well.
4…SDLP members and those wishing them well would be better advised not to engage in public debate….there are few if any leadership votes to be gained on message boards.