​SDLP leader Claire Hanna: 2025 must be about delivering on waiting lists, special needs education and housing

Ms Hanna said that while she looked forward to the new year, it is important not to ignore the challenges faced by many over the past year.

The South Belfast and Mid Down MP said: “2024 has been an important year for Northern Ireland. We finally saw the return of the Stormont institutions, had a Westminster election in the summer and many closely followed the recent elections in the South.”

The MP said that Northern Ireland's political landscape is broadening and that as the world “becomes smaller” many are concerned by the election of Donald Trump as US president and have watched on “in horror at the genocide in Gaza”.

She added: “For far too many families living in Northern Ireland 2024 has been a struggle. For those on a health waiting list, trying to get care for their child with special educational needs or failing to secure a home, things can sometimes feel impossible, like there’s nowhere to turn.

“Next year I hope to see the executive move forward from positive images and vague proposals. It is past time they turned their attention to using the power they sought and won at the ballot box to meaningfully change people's lives. Finances will never be all that we need, but the executive have agency, billions to spend and time before the next election.”

She said the SDLP will continue to take seriously its role as opposition, holding the executive to account constructively while also using its platform in Westminster to support and advocate for Northern Ireland.

“We will also deepen and broaden our work on a new Ireland based on reconciliation, ambition and social and global justice.

“As a party we'll enter 2025 with hope and purpose – realistic about the scale of the challenge and up for the work it involves.”

Claire has lived in south Belfast since she was three. She has an Honours Degree in International Relations and a Masters in Law. Prior to politics, she worked in policy and education roles in international development, taking her to Haiti, Zambia and Bangladesh.