| Election Name: | 2024 Social Democratic and Labour Party leadership election |
| Previous Election: | 2015 Social Democratic and Labour Party leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 2015 |
| Type: | presidential |
| Leader | |
| Election Date: | 5 October 2024 |
| Before Election: | Colum Eastwood |
| After Election: | Claire Hanna |
| Candidate1: | Claire Hanna |
| Popular Vote1: | Unopposed |
A leadership election was held for the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) of Northern Ireland on 5 October 2024, following the resignation of Colum Eastwood on 29 August 2024 to focus on his role in the party's New Ireland Commission and as Member of Parliament (MP) for Foyle.[1] [2] [3] The SDLP's other MP, Claire Hanna, ran unopposed for the leadership.[4]
Eastwood was elected SDLP leader in 2015 after successfully challenging Dr Alasdair McDonnell to become the party's sixth leader in what was regarded as a "meteoric rise".[5]
The party lost four seats in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, losing ground to Sinn Féin. They held their two seats at the 2024 United Kingdom general election, but their performance was seen as disappointing. Eastwood's own majority in Foyle was reduced from about 17,000 to just over 4,000.[6]
The leadership election briefly overlapped with an Ulster Unionist Party leadership election and an Alliance Party deputy leadership election.[7] [8]
Eastwood will formally resign at the party's conference on 5 October 2024 to allow a new leader to be elected. Nominations for the leadership opened on 30 August with only Member of Parliament (MP) for Belfast South and Mid Down Claire Hanna and the party's eight Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) eligible to put their names forward over the following seven days.
| 30 August | Nominations opened.[9] | |
| 6 September | Nominations closed at 12:00 BST.[10] | |
| 5 October | Eastwood will formally resign at the party's conference.[11] The new leader will be elected or ratified.[12] |
On 6 September 2024, Claire Hanna was announced as the only nominated candidate for leader. She will be ratified in the post at the SDLP conference on 5 October.[15]