SDLP Manifesto Analysis
The SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party) is a moderate left wing nationalist party. On the Beyond NI scale, the SDLP sits at 57% left when looking at their manifesto. The views of the party are founded in a left wing ideology and on equal rights for the catholic communities in Northern Ireland. The SDLP, from its birth, have had strong left wing connections with some of its early members originally being from the Northern Ireland Labour Party. The party is pro-Europe in its outlook as well as being economically left. They aim at having a united Ireland but unlike Sinn Fein it only operates in the North.
The SDLP are perceived to be a soft nationalist party, while that may be true in comparison to Sinn Fein due to their key role in negotiating the GFA, it should be stated that the SDLP are more left wing than Sinn Fein in their manifesto and voting outlook .
The SDLP are pro-European and actively campaigned for Northern Ireland to remain a part of the European Union. The party continue to campaigns for pro-European causes.
The party is economically left with a strong focus on Infrastructure investment such as rail network improvements and investment east of the bann. Along with that, they also do not want to see further cuts to benefits and wish to overturn universal credit.
The party however takes a right wing stance on corporation tax and wishes to see it lowered in Northern Ireland.
Collum Eastwood’s party is also keen to invest in green measures and is interested in environmental matters. This can be seen in their support for delivering a carbon neutral economy by 2030. Other key environmental matters included subsidising electric car purchases and banning fracking.
The party is socially quite left in its outlook and has supported immigrants, people of colour and, at times, people of an LGBTQ background. However it must be said that while the official policy was to support same sex marriage, a significant number of members chose not to vote on this issue. Abortion is also a choice for individual MLAs to vote for or against.
In conclusion the party is largely a left wing party and similar to labour in Britain and Ireland making it a strong non radical left wing party. However there are elements of strong centerism and soft right wing elements especially in its social outlook.
