THE SDLP are set to stand a candidate in the pivotal North Belfast constituency during next month’s general election.
 
Party leader Colum Eastwood last night said that the party will be running in all 18 constituencies.
 
In 2019 the SDLP stood aside in North Belfast, where nationalists won the seat for the first time. Sinn Féin’s John Finucane took 23,078 votes against DUP’s Nigel Dodds's 21,135. Alliance’s Nuala McAllister secured 4,824 votes.
 
Speaking on BBC NI’s The View, Mr Eastwood said: “ We’ll be running in 18 constituencies. We’ll focus our resources in a number of those constituencies where we think we can be competitive.”
 
He said that there are places where the SDLP has to build back over the long term, adding: “We will be focusing on places where we can win.”
 
In 2019 the SDLP won two seats in Foyle where Eastwood regained the seat from Sinn Féin, and South Belfast where Claire Hanna unseated the DUP.

On Thursday Sinn Féin announced that it would not contest four seats on July 4. The party's Director of Elections, Conor Murphy MLA, said: “We have listened to our voters and to people on the ground. Sinn Féin will not contest the East Belfast, North Down, South Belfast and Lagan Valley constituencies in this election.
 
“It is clear that people want positive change, and in these constituencies we encourage voters to support progressive parties, who will reject Tory cuts and Tory pacts.
 
“We need every constituency fighting back against that and we have decided to give the best chance in those four constituencies to those progressive and inclusive candidates who can win.”
 
The DUP have announced that they will not stand in Fermanagh-South Tyrone where they are backing the UUP candidate against Sinn Féin and North Down where independent unionist Alex Easton is hoping to take the seat that was won by Alliance’s Stephen Farry in 2019.