SDLP Conference Preview

By Gráinne Walsh, Director, Connect Belfast The SDLP will kick off Northern Ireland’s autumn conference season at Belfast’s Crowne Plaza Hotel on Saturday 12 September. And with Assembly and council elections just nine months away, the timing matters.

For the Assembly’s official opposition, conference is a chance to set out what the party stands for, what it would do differently and why voters should take a fresh look at the SDLP ahead of 2027.

Members of the Connect team will be there. Here are three questions we’ll be looking to answer.

1) Can the SDLP offer a credible alternative? The SDLP has certainly been vocal in opposition. Much of its scrutiny has focused on the Executive’s failure to agree a Budget and what that means for already stretched public services.

SDLP Assembly Leader Matthew O’Toole has repeatedly warned of a “looming crisis” and called on the Executive to take responsibility. Last week, he wrote to civil society leaders and organisations, encouraging them to share their experiences of working without an agreed budget and highlighting the “real-world consequences”.

But criticising the Executive is only half the job. The bigger challenge is convincing voters that the SDLP has a credible alternative.

The party has already put some ideas on the table. In September 2024, it published an alternative Programme for Government focused on rescuing public services, restoring trust in politics and growing the economy. Last year, its “Five-Point Plan for a Better Budget” called for at least 10% of departmental spending to be ringfenced and aligned with Programme for Government priorities.

There is also the bigger question of reform and constitutional change. With calls for institutional reform coming from across the political spectrum, conference gives the SDLP a chance to explain where it believes Northern Ireland should go next.

That includes putting more detail around its vision of a future “new Ireland”. What would it actually look like? What would change for people day to day? And how would the party make it happen?

The test at conference will be whether the SDLP can move beyond telling voters what is going wrong and make a positive case for what it would do differently.

2) Is the party confident it can make gains at council and Assembly level?

There are reasons for the SDLP to feel upbeat. The latest LucidTalk polling put the party at a record high under Claire Hanna’s leadership, up two percentage points to an estimated 13% of first-preference votes. Meanwhile, the DUP, Sinn Féin and Alliance all recorded falls.

The big question is whether those numbers can translate into seats.

South Belfast and Mid Down will be one constituency to watch: will the profile of Claire Hanna and Matthew O’Toole help the party secure a valuable second SDLP Assembly seat?

There could be opportunities elsewhere too. At council level, the SDLP will want to build on its existing base and identify areas where it can add to its representation.

But nine months is a long time in politics. Maintaining support is one challenge; turning it into transfers and seats is another.

As ever, conference will give us a good sense of the mood inside the party. Does the SDLP believe it is on course for significant gains in 2027, or is there still some caution about the scale of the challenge ahead?

3) Can conference help the SDLP keep building momentum?

Conference is an obvious opportunity for the SDLP to build on its recent momentum, put emerging talent in the spotlight and remind voters of its roots in community politics.

Expect plenty of focus on the issues people encounter every day: healthcare, the cost of living, housing, childcare and economic opportunities. After a summer of racist disorder and amid continuing concern about violence against women and girls, the party will also want to show that it has practical ideas for making communities safer and more cohesive.

We may also see the SDLP bring in some familiar names to help get its message heard.

The party recently hosted “The Future of these Islands: Preparing for Change”, bringing together high-profile figures including former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, former First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford and former Department of Finance Permanent Secretary Baroness Sue Gray. Voices like these can attract media attention and bring a wider audience to the SDLP’s arguments.

Ultimately, though, momentum will depend on more than big names and a busy conference hall.

With the 2027 election campaign getting closer, the SDLP needs to show that it is listening to communities, understands the pressures people are facing and has practical answers.

Saturday’s conference will be an important test of whether the party can turn improving poll numbers and a higher profile into something more lasting.