Latest news
SDLP MLA gives up dual mandate
South Belfast News 2nd of July 2008
by Gemma Burns
SDLP councillor Carmel Hanna stood down from her role as Balmoral councillor last night and was succeeded by one of the youngest ever councillors at City Hall.
Finaghy man Niall Kelly was co-opted onto the council at last night's monthly meeting. The 24-year old former Rathmore Grammar pupil currently works as a political assistant to north Belfast MLA Alban Maginness.
Mrs Hanna will now serve solely as an assembly member, giving up her dual mandate role. In April this year the South Belfast News revealed that a meeting had taken place to chose Mrs Hanna's preferred successor. However at the time the MLA refused to be drawn on the subject saying she was "considering" the move.
The SDLP woman has served as Balmoral councillor since 1997 and said she is certain Niall Kelly will serve the people of South Belfast well.
"I consider that the opportunity to serve the citizens of Balmoral over the past eleven years has been one of the great privileges of my life," she said.
"I am very happy that Niall Kelly is taking over from me and I am confident he will be a very competent councillor. He is a young man of considerable leadership ability, brought up in Finaghy and familiar with the area and the challenges which Balmoral faces."
Cllr Kelly, who has a Master's degree in Irish politics from Queen's University, outlined a few of the issues he wishes to tackle.
"I'm looking forward to working with all the other parties to try and improve Belfast," he said.
"One of the big issues I want to see changed is planning. I'm hoping that with the Review of Public Administration, more planning powers will be given to local councillors because at the minute our planning powers are very weak.
"I also want to se an end to antisocial behaviour as we have a lot of it here in Finaghy and I will be working with all the other agencies to put an end t it."
Carmel Hanna added that her party is committed to ending the dual mandate situation.
"The SDLP is committed to ending the dual mandate situation and, where the situation permits, SDLP MLAs who are also councillors will stand down from district councillors," she said.
"Due to past instability, with the Assembly having been in suspension for years at a time, it was understandable that elected representatives wanted to maintain their mandate but with more stability and continuity in the system, now is the time to establish the principle of 'one representative, one electoral mandate’.
" I also anticipate that in the future MLAs who are MPs will also have to choose one position."
Mrs Hanna's SDLP party colleague Alasdair McDonnell is MP for South Belfast.
Our Papers
Subscribe To Newsletter
Send us your e-mail address and we'll keep you up to date with what's happening on BelfastMedia.com
Printing
BMG Print Factory
Log on to our new Print Factory website where you can order everything from Christening tickets to party specials starting from just £22.50. Click here for more information.
What to do next...
Courses Guide
Your indispensable guide on what to do next after the results come in including: hundreds of courses, Open University courses, Foundation Degrees, UCAS clearing, renting, dealing with finances and much, much more. Click here to read our guide.
