Colum Eastwood re-shuffled his team of spokespersons today. This to reflect the retirement of Pat Ramsey and Joe Byrne and the co-option of Gerard Diver and Daniel McCrossan. With other MLAs Dominic Bradley, Alban Magennis and John Dallat also set to stand down, it is important that the Party have a new “team” in place before the Assembly elections. It will raise the profiles of lesser known people. These are the people you are likely to see on TV over the next few months
Health: Fearghal McKinney MLA, Sinead Bradley (South Down candidate)
Justice: Alex Attwood MLA
Finance: Claire Hanna MLA
Education: Dolores Kelly MLA, Cllr Colin McGrath (South Down candidate)
Communities: Cllr Nichola Mallon(Cllr Roisin Lynch (South Antrim candidate)
& Justin McNulty (Newry & Armagh candidate)
Economy: Patsy McGlone MLA, Gerard Diver MLA, & Connor Duncan (North Antrim)
Agriculture, Environment: Sean Rogers MLA, Cllr Margaret Anne McKillop (East Antrim candidate).
Infrastructure: Daniel McCrossan MLA & Cllr Richie McPhillips (Fermanagh-South Tyrone candidate)
Minister for Environment: Mark H Durkan MLA
Assembly Whip: Karen McKevitt MLA.
One snag is that the SDLP are a six county party while SF is 32 county.
If Sinn Féin was 32 county Party, it would not be opposing austerity in South and enforcing it in North.