SDLP show leadership

FAIR play to SDLP Leader Alasdair McDonnell for leading his Assembly colleagues in refusing to accept the pay rise being offered to them.

So far the SDLP is the only party to have definitively said that their MLAs will not be accepting the hike in pay.

At a time when so many people are feeling the pinch and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find work, this was the right decision and displays just how much more in tune the SDLP is with people in comparison to other political parties.

I’m sure that this wasn’t an easy decision for the party to make given that funding for their advice services is being slashed and, undoubtedly, politicians will have to cut back on staff in these centres.Nevertheless it is reassuring to see some elected representatives putting aside their own personal interests to take action to do the decent thing rather than spewing empty rhetoric about sharing in hardship with people.

We now need others to step up to the plate and show the same level of integrity and leadership which the SDLP has displayed.

Aisling Twomey

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