SDLP Conference 2012.
It is odd that other weblogs are concentrating on speeches made by Dolores Kelly and Alasdair McDonnell. They are as usual completely missing the big story.
And I did openly state on another website that what happens at the conference podium is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what is happening at Conference. Thus English based bloggers and even high profile “agents for change” like Quintin Oliver standing at the back of the Conference Hall…..are out of the loop about what was going on. And dont I love that?
A small but significant victory for rank and file activists over geeks, political anoraks and alleged movers and shakers.
So…….the Elections for the SDLP Executive Committee took place. Fourteen places up for grabs. And at least seven taken by people under 30. Oh and the SDLP Youth will be entitled to nominate another member (ex officio).
For over a year now I have been suggesting that SDLP Youth members were extremely talented…..and yesterday they came of age. Now actually thats a double edged sword. They are no longer “cute” or can no longer be patronised by the likes of me (because thats what old people do…we cant help it).
They sought these Executive Committee jobs and won them. The torch has been well and truly passed on. All reference John Hume as an influence. Those that I have spoken to cite Bríd Rodgers, Seamus Mallon and Joe Hendron as mentors. Remember……all this stuff about the Good Friday Agreement…..these young men and women were at Primary School.
The problem with torches is that fingers get burned. And some young peoples fingers WILL be burned. But the point is that Brian,Caoimhe, Kyle,Daniel, Ben, Justin and Peter are not afraid to go near the flame.
“You Cant Win Anything With Kids”. The famous words spoken by Alan Hanson when Manchester United fielded a young line-up. And as every Manchester United fan knows…….United went on to win the Double.
I do feel a kind of……..Pride. In late 1973 I was a 21 year old member of the SDLP . After a visit to Falls Branch by Dan McAreavey, the General Secretary, I wrote an article for a newly established “Social Democrat” newsletter. I wrote about setting up a SDLP Youth Group and I was summoned to the Dunowen Restaurant in Dungannon to meet the Partys Organisation Committee. Although we had some discussions (which included Alban Magennis) there was no real response from either the Party or members except a girl in the South Down area…..who I thought was slightly too young and God Forgive Me I never replied to her. Whatever happened to her? Dont ask……..its kinda embarrassing because she had a pretty good career in the SDLP.
But as well as Pride..I feel a kind of…….Envy. Ultimately these young people have the courage I lacked in 1973-74.
Of course I tend to see just about everything thru a prism of History. I made reference a couple of times this week about “back to the future”. Margaret Ritchie used the same words in her speech yesterday.
The thing is CIVIL RIGHTS is not something historic which happened in the 1960s. While there is a lot of organised nonsense about the Decade of Centenaries………let me just point out that this Decade is the Fiftieth Anniversary of a lot of other things……..including the rise of a young generation……Hume, Mallon, Currie, Cooper, O’Hanlon, Hendron, Feely, Logue, Rodgers who allied themselves with socialists like Devlin and Fitt and worked tirelessly for Civil Rights.
I have got a very real feeling that it is happening again.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
John, your article has hit the nail on the head. Speeches may be one thing, political movement is another. I am proud to be one of the young people you speak of. The torch has well and truly been passed and I in my own constituency of Newry Armagh work closely with two of the people who passed the torch this weekend. Frank Feely and Seamus Mallon; these men along with others built this party to where it is today, this weekend was a turning point and with the election of a diverse Executive and a charged groundbase we shall realise the vision of Mallon, Feely, Hume, Rogers and Logue. As was pointed out to me by Hugh Logue, he was my age when elected to the party executive and three short years later was elected to the assembly.
I was 21 when I joined the Party in 1973 and 29ish when I left it in 1981/82.
I get a kick out of seeing my contemporaries at Conference but in a bizarre way 30 years absence from SDLP is a form of arrested development. In SDLP terms I am still 29 because my reference points are very different from the other 60 year olds in the Party.
A word of caution for you guys…People will no longer patronise you all. You are in an adult world and be held to a very high standard. You should all make the most of this opportunity as there is a kinda statistical blip here. It is unlikely that seven “Youths” will be elected next year. Thats just the way things go….but for all of you it is going to be a massive opportunity to build a CV…….for MLAs, councillors, advisors or even careers around politics and public service.