The Social Democratic and Labour Party was founded in 1970 from a mixture of civil-rights activism, constitutional Irish nationalism and social democracy. Among its leading early figures were Gerry Fitt and John Hume.
From civil rights to constitutional nationalism
The SDLP emerged during the early years of the Troubles and argued that discrimination, inequality and Northern Ireland’s constitutional conflict had to be addressed through democratic politics rather than violence. It supported power-sharing and an agreed approach to relations between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
Sunningdale and the search for settlement
The party participated in the 1973 Sunningdale arrangements and the short-lived power-sharing Executive. Although Sunningdale collapsed, the SDLP continued to advocate many of the principles that would later reappear in the peace process: consent, partnership and institutional cooperation across the Irish border.
John Hume and the Good Friday Agreement
John Hume became the party’s dominant figure and one of the principal architects of the peace process. His dialogue with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams was controversial but helped create a political route towards ceasefires and negotiations. The SDLP strongly supported the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and Hume later shared the Nobel Peace Prize with UUP leader David Trimble.
After 1998
In the years after the Agreement, Sinn Féin overtook the SDLP as the largest nationalist party. The SDLP nevertheless retained elected representation and continued to define itself through constitutional nationalism, social democracy and anti-sectarian politics.