Dolores Kelly will lead her canvassing team back into the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan at seven PM tonight, accompanied by Alban Maginness and Mark Durkan. On Tuesday night she was confronted by a masked gunman who told her to get out in five minutes or she would be shot.

A separate canvass team was also confronted by people in exceptionally well-sewn balacavas and told Dolores would be shot. Dolores is not taking any of this:

“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party - they will not. This is an affront to democracy. I am proud to be an elected representative for this area and a young thug like that will not deter me from my work.

“This type of person offers nothing to the community. There was a teenage girl with me helping me canvass. This person thinks he’s being a big man by threatening us, but he’s the opposite. A coward is too good a word for him.

“The matter is now with the PSNI and for the safety of those with me I decided to finish canvassing for the evening after the incident. This, however, will not stop me from doing what I was democratically elected to do - to serve the community. I wish it to be known that the SDLP fought for civil rights and we will not let an incident like this keep us from helping the good people of Lurgan.”

It wasn’t the lads in balaclavas who kept us out last night, it was the football.

SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly has said a threat from a man in a balaclava armed with an air gun will not deter her from serving her constituents.

Ms Kelly was confronted by a man at Kilwilkie Gardens in Lurgan on Tuesday evening who told her to get out of the town or she would be shot. Ms Kelly was helping to canvass the area ahead of the upcoming European Election.

She said: “We had two teams of canvassers in Kilwilkie and I did notice a crowd of young fellas in a car pull up. They drove off again so I thought nothing of it until I heard someone say my name and saw a young man in a balaclava, who told me in no uncertain terms that I was to leave the area or I would be shot. He had what seemed to be an air gun. He also threatened another member of my party and pointed the gun directly at his face.

“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party - they will not. This is an affront to democracy. I am proud to be an elected representative for this area and a young thug like that will not deter me from my work.

“This type of person offers nothing to the community. There was a teenage girl with me helping me canvass. This person thinks he’s being a big man by threatening us, but he’s the opposite. A coward is too good a word for him.

“The matter is now with the PSNI and for the safety of those with me I decided to finish canvassing for the evening after the incident. This, however, will not stop me from doing what I was democratically elected to do - to serve the community. I wish it to be known that the SDLP fought for civil rights and we will not let an incident like this keep us from helping the good people of Lurgan.”

European Candidate Alban Maginness this morning launched the SDLP’s EU Election Manifesto at the Radisson SAS hotel in the Gasworks, Belfast. It’s online here.

Thanks to @wimps for this.

I’ve been reflecting on the 2005 Westminster election and its similarities for us in this European campaign. There are a number of comparisons we can draw - and from which we can draw inspiration.

Both in Foyle and in South Belfast in 2005, we were being told that the race was too close to call. Some of the Bookies had Mark Durkan and Alasdair McDonnell as favourites to win a seat, others favoured Mitchel McLaughlin and Jimmy Spratt. On the Monday before the election, the Derry News predicted that Mitchel McLaughlin was going to be victorious. Mitchel himself went on national TV and proclaimed that viewers were looking at ‘the next MP for Foyle’. He was right - Mark was standing beside him.

This time out, some commentators are again saying that it’s too close to call. They’re also saying that the SDLP is fighting a very strong campaign and that the split unionist vote gives Alban a great chance - just as it did for Alasdair four years ago.

So what really made the difference for us in 2005? The answer is simple. As a party, we answered Mark’s call from his speech at the SDLP Conference that February: “Get out on every street and on every doorstep and fight like you have never fought before for the SDLP, the values we uphold and the vision we hold out.”

And what happened? We won in Foyle. We won in South Belfast. We won in South Down.

A couple of days ago, I found a story online from the evening of the count in 2005. It makes for very interesting reading four years on. Its headline is “DURKAN TRIUMPHS IN FOYLE CONSTITUENCY.”

We have 10 days to go in this election. If you haven’t already been out on the canvass in your area, for whatever reason, now is the time. The last week and a half will make all the difference. If you want to help, but don’t know how, give me a call on 90247700 and I’ll point you in the right direction. Let’s give the commentators another big, positive story to write about the SDLP. Let’s write a new headline for ourselves: “MAGINNESS TRIUMPHS IN EUROPEAN ELECTION”. We have 10 days. Let’s put our shoulders to the wheel.

Best wishes

Ronan McCay
Director of Organisation & Election Planning

If you’re interested in winning free tickets to either Beyonce in Belfast or to Oxegen 2009 just watch the two minute video and answer the really simple question. Couldn’t be easier. Good luck!

Please email answers to albanforeurope@sdlp.ie and please pass this message on to your friends.

SDLP Youth International Secretary Barry Magee has lent his support to Alban Maginness on behalf of the SDLP Youth group. 

Endorsing Alban Mr Magee said:

“In two weeks time, we go to the polls to vote for Europe. Young people will have two options- vote for change or more of the same.

This election is not just about Brussels- it is about here too. Europe is not over there, it is here also. We are Europe.

Over the past 5 years Northern Ireland has lost out in Europe. Our current MEPs are either eurosceptic or peripheralised in Brussels. They have had made no impact in Brussels and now is the time for change.

At home the DUP/ Sinn Fein-led Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister has failed to capitalise on the opportunities offered to it by Europe and in particular by the European Commission’s Northern Ireland Taskforce Report.

In fact there has been glaring failure to capitalise on the opportunities for greater policy linkages and cooperation with Europe. Better cooperation with Europe is vital as Europe is playing an ever more important role in all our lives.

The economic crisis has highlighted that we need Europe. But we need the right type of Europe. A vote for Alban will be a vote for a Europe that will bring forward proposals to tackle the economic crisis and the hardships faced by many of us in our daily lives.

Alban is committed to creating a Europe that puts people first, a Europe of progress, of equality, of solidarity, of democracy.

A vote for Alban will be a vote for the Europe of sustainable development, of decent work for all, of social security, of high quality education and healthcare. Alban will put forward the Europe of the young, the old, of workers and of women.

Young people need Europe and young people need the SDLP in Europe. As part of our involvement with the European Community of Socialist Youth, SDLP Youth have been working to put young people at the front of the European agenda, both here and in Brussels.

We want to solve this economic crisis where the neoliberals and the neoconservatives have brought us, both here in Northern Ireland and across Europe.

Now is the time of Change. Change for Northern Ireland. Change for Europe. Change for the Europeans! Support Alban Maginness and help create a Europe that puts young people first!”

Help out on the campaign: albanforeurope[at]sdlp.ie.

Find out more about Alban 4 Europe: http://www.albanforeurope.eu/

Join us in our mission: http://www.sdlpyouth.com/join.php

Hi Folks

We are now 15 days away from winning back the SDLP’s seat in Europe. The campaign is gaining real momentum and Alban is playing a blinder. Political commentators are realising Alban can take a seat. Jim Nicholson is realising his seat could now be lost, and Jim Allister admits: “the SDLP could slip into a second seat“. The SDLP have a real chance to represent NI in Europe for the next 5 years. We can win and you can make it happen.

We must all do our best over the next 2 weeks to get our friends, family, neighbours and community behind Alban. There are canvass teams out on the ground every day in every constituency, and I’d urge you to support them.

Party HQ has organised a Grand Prize Draw with proceeds in aid of Alban’s European Election Campaign Fund & Local Branches. Prizes include a brand new car from Donnelly Group, three cash prizes, and All-Ireland tickets.

1st Prize: New Mitsubishi Colt
2nd Prize: £2,000
3rd Prize: £1,000
4th Prize: £500
5th Prize: 2 All-Ireland Tickets (2009 Football Final)

Tickets are sold at £1 per line or £10 per card.

I was sent a batch of tickets to sell about a month ago, but time flies and now there’s only a few days left, so I’d appreciate your help!

£10 isn’t much and look at the prizes! I’ll buy £20 worth myself and I’d encourage others to do similar!

Please get in touch if you’d like to purchase some tickets (info AT sdlpyouth.com). I think the deadline is this Friday and the draw takes place on 30th May. There are lots of ways to pay and you’ll get full proof of purchase!

Best wishes

Peter Armstrong

Chair
SDLP Youth

SDLP Youth will be attending the annual May Day Parade in Belfast on Saturday 2nd May to coincide with the global call to action for International Labour Day on 1st May. The Parade will gather at 11.30am at St Anne’s Cathedral followed by a march and some entertainment at St George’s Market. All welcome.

As SDLP Youth’s International Secretary I would like to draw your attention to the wider purpose of International Labour Day.

At this time of economic crisis, when people are losing their jobs and employment protections are being rolled back, it is important that workers stand together in solidarity in the face of depreciating social conditions.  

In the North the dominance of public sector employment has until recently somewhat hidden the negative consequences of the economic crisis. However the impacts of the economic crisis are now beginning to be revealed- with workers, private sector workers in particular, now beginning to find themselves at the mercy of the failing economic markets. There are many recent cases that reflect this, including the much publicised plight of Visteon workers.

In this climate of economic uncertainty it is vital that workers have strong safety nets and that governments help those that become unemployed to quickly find another job, training or education course. It is therefore imperatively urgent that the Assembly works together to implement a strong social response to this crisis. There can be no room for policy inertia- the DUP and Sinn Fein need to set aside petty political positioning and start delivering for workers.

But these tough times must be met with progressive policies- not the tired, old rhetoric and economic philosophy that has been the inherent root cause for this economic malaise. This economic regime has failed Europe, like it has the rest of the world, and it is obvious that now is the time for new leadership.

That is why it is important that the Party of European Socialists, the SDLP’s mother party at the European-level, is returned as the strongest grouping in the European Parliament at the June European elections. You can play your part- give your support to Alban Maginness and help create a more socially conscious Europe that puts people first!

In solidarity,

Barry Magee

Last week SDLP Youth attended the 4th European Community Of Socialist Youth[1] (ECOSY) Winter University in Brussels, Belgium. SDLP Youth’s ECOSY Bureau Member Barry Magee attended the event that took place in the Party of European Socialists (PES) Headquarters and the European Parliament.

The event was attended by more than 30 young socialists and social democrats from all over Europe, including Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, and Italy amongst others. The programme for the Winter University included various political seminars and themed discussions with a diverse range of panelists, including MEPs and NGO representatives.

”On Tuesday we had a discussion with Anna Colombo MEP, Secretary General of the PES Group in the European Parliament. One of the many valuable points Anna made was that we, as social democrats, look at the creation of jobs as a value and not as a mean to tackle economic problems. Work must not be held as an end in itself and the principles of Decent Work, Decent Life must be secured.

On Wednesday we discussed with MEPs issues such as social security and the economical crisis, education and innovation, climate change and sustainable development, global governance and nuclear disarmament, integration and migration. On Thursday we discussed the development issues with Pia Locatelli MEP and Emma Ceery of Oxfam and closed with a debate on how to build a citizens Europe with Richard Corbett MEP.

This Winter University was a unique event because its programme included participation in a Global Progressive Forum conference on ‘The New Globalisation for Progressive Change’. Speakers at the conference included Bill Clinton, Howard Dean and Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (PES President). The event was attended by over 3000 progressives, trade union activists and NGO representatives from all over the world. I had the pleasure of appearing in the official video for the event.

During the various discussions throughout the week, one major issue was prominent: Europe needs new leadership - the current economic crisis can not be solved by those who created it. The same thinking that created these difficulties can not resolve them. Neo-liberals and conservatives want the marginalised, poor and unemployed to pay for the economic crisis created by them. This is unacceptable.

There must be social responses to the current economic crisis and to the rampant globalisation that has exacerbated global financial difficulties. The economic crisis must not become an excuse to dilute social principles.  Social security systems must not be undermined and there must be strong safety nets for workers who lose their jobs.

That is why in June’s European elections it is vital that the PES is returned as the strongest group in the European Parliament. Only by supporting PES candidates such as Alban Maginness can we have positive Change for Europe. We in the PES and the SDLP want to create a New Social Europe that is people-centred and puts People First!”