SDLP hit back at Derry's Joe Brolly claim after Sinn Fein narrow defeat in East Derry

Newly re-elcted South Belfast MP Claire Hanna has hit back at claims from former County Derry footballer and 1993 All Ireland winner Joe Brolly that the SDLP “save Gregory Campbell'' in East Derry. 

The DUP MP held the seat that he has occupied since 2001 by the narrowest of margins, as he defeated Kathleen McGurk, the Sinn Fein candidate, by 179 votes.

This is a dramatic change to the 2019 general election result, as Mr. Campbell won the seat with a 9,607 vote majority.

A recount was required to decide the final result, with reports that an extra bundle of Sinn Fein votes had been discovered after the initial count.

SDLP candidate Cara Hunter finished third, 6,067 votes behind the Sinn Fein candidate in yesterday’s counting. 

This has led to some suggesting they should have pulled their candidate from the race.

Mr. Brolly took to X, formerly known as Twitter to let his feelings known about the result. 

He posted: “ Fair play to the SDLP for saving Gregory Campbell’s political career.”

However, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole responded to the comment from Mr. Brolly 

Mr. O’Toole wrote: “That's just trolling for likes, Joe. We were ahead of SF in 2019 and the unionist vote split isn't something that could have been predicted anyway.

“If we want a new Ireland we need more than one new Ireland party. The SNP experience should be instructive.”

Mr. O’Toole added that Aontu were vote splitters too, and that Mr. Brolly should ‘feel free to raise the issue with them’. 

Anotu and their candidate Gemma Brolly won 1,043 votes in the constituency, placing her seventh out of the nine candidates.

In response Mr. Brolly wrote: “You ensured that Gregory would be elected. You knew you couldn’t win. But for you that was better than a Sinn Fein winner. Which is absolutely your right. Just be honest about it.”

Mr O’Toole and Ms Hanna both pointed out that, in the 2019 General Election, the SDLP actually were in second place in the constituency behind Mr Campbell.

Ms Hanna said: "Respectfully Joe, SDLP is now (as far as I know, there wasn’t even an ED approach before nominations closed) being told it should have stood down in 8 of 18 seats, inc 6 where it has or just had an MLA. SDLP actually placed 2nd last time. Why no pile on (“west Brit, quislings’ etc) on Aontu."

Winner of the seat, and the holder of East Derry since 2001 had a different view of proceedings, Mr. Campbell believed his narrow victory was due to split within the Unionist vote, as three parties fought in the constituency. 

The TUV’s Allister Kyle got 4,363 votes while the UUP’s Glen Miller got 3,412 votes. 

Mr. Campbell said: “Last time there were only two Unionist candidates when I got that majority. When you look back to the last time there were three unionist candidates I got roughly the same vote I did then.

“I think if Unionism uses its head it will not just retain the seat with 180 of a majority but a significant majority of some thousands.”