General Election 2024: SDLP leader Colum Eastwood congratulates rivals for 'good clean fight' and praises democratic process now working 'without fear of intimidation or violence'

The current SDLP leader retook his Westminster seat with a majority of over 4,000, winning almost 16,000 votes to secure victory over former Sinn Fein mayor Sandra Duffy, who scored almost 11,500.

In 2019 Mr Eastwood took 26,881 votes (57%) to Sinn Fein's 9,771 (20.7%) so while he won this time, the gap has dramatically narrowed.

Statesman like in victory in the spiritual home of the SDLP, Mr Eastwood praised his rivals for campaigning entirely within the democratic process.

Paying tribute to the other candidates, he said: "It was a good, clean fight and it came on us very quickly."

Doubtless reflecting on the shock loss of his seat to Sinn Fein in 2017, from which he bounced back in 2019, he added: "Politics is very difficult. Sometimes you win and sometimes you don't win and I have been on both sides of that argument.

"But most importantly, it is about a democratic process where people can take part in without fear of intimidation and violence."

( His political hero, the late SDLP leader John Hume, had suffered extensive intimidation in the city from the IRA, which once attempted to abduct his daughter from her primary school and also engulfed the entire front of his family home in flames with a petrol bomb attack.)

Mr Eastwood also returned to the core theme of his campaign - that unlike abstentionist Sinn Fein MPs - he would be proud to campaign for his electorate in London.

"I am very grateful most of all to the people of Derry who have once again said they want their voice to be heard in Westminster," he continued.

"I will gladly continue to be your voice. I will stand up for the people of our constituency. We won't be quiet."

But he also had tough words for UK governments - both Tory and Labour.

“I have to say I’m delighted to see the back of the Tory government. Fourteen years of destroying our public services. Fourteen years of destroying the economy. Destroying family finances is now gone.

“We’re delighted that has happened. But we also know that we’re going to have to be there to hold the Labour government’s feet to the fire.

“They made some promises to this place and made a promise to scrap the Legacy Act. That needs to happen immediately. They made a promise to recognise the State of Palestine, that needs to happen immediately.

“We need to see our public bodies, our public finances put back into decent shape.

“Far too many of our people are languishing on a health waiting list, that needs to end.

“At that, I just want to say let’s get to work.”

From just after 2am Mr Eastwood was speaking openly about retaking the seat - but with a reduced margin.

However he said the lower turnout of 52% (down from 63.4% in 2019) was probably due to people being away on holiday and voters who thought that he was certain to win and therefore it was not necessary for them to turn out.

Foyle:

Colum Eastwood (SDLP) 15,647

Sandra Duffy (Sinn Fein) 11,481

Gary Middleton (DUP) 3,915

Shaun Harkin (PBP) 2,444

Anne McCloskey (Independent) 1,519

Janice Montgomery (UUP) 1,422

Rachael Ferguson (Alliance) 1,268

John Boyle (Aontu) 662