SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has announced that the party will go into opposition in against Sinn Fein and the DUP in what he described as “bold decision”.
The Foyle MLA made the announcement at Stormont flanked by his Assembly party and two members of the Westminster Parliamentary party.
The SDLP have now followed the Ulster Unionist Party onto the opposition benches at Stormont.
It is now a whole new political landscape at Stormont.
For the first time since the Good Friday Agreement, a proper opposition is now in place to hold the Sinn Fein/DUP government to account.
Earlier, the First and Deputy First Minister accused the SDLP of being “dishonest” during Stormont’s programme for government negotiations.
It followed Mr Eastwood saying he was “very disappointed” over the talks.
At his press conference (pictured above), Mr Eastwood said: “It is clear that the DUP and Sinn Féin are determined to put forward a framework that includes no action, nothing that they can be held accountable for or to.
“The SDLP is determined to see change at Stormont. We want to see the people left behind by nine years of failure at Stormont.
“This is a bold decision but it hasn’t come lightly.”
He said the SDLP would work with anyone who was happy to work with them but “this will be a positive and constructive opposition, not opposition for opposition’s sake.”
UUP leader Mike Nesbitt welcomed the SDLP’s decision and said he looked forward to working with Mr Eastwood on the “cross community opposition” benches.
