Mark Durkan has delivered his final speech as leader of the SDLP at the party's annual conference in Newcastle, Co. Down.
The Foyle MP told his party conference in Newcastle, Co Down, of the importance of strong power-sharing government at Stormont, but he claimed that the deal unveiled yesterday at Hillsborough Castle had ring-fenced the future justice minister’s job to exclude his party.
The former finance minister in the Stormont Executive and MP and MLA is standing down as leader of the party he has led for eight years.
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie and South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell are standing against each other in a leadership contest, the result of which will be known tomorrow.
In an emotional address, where he fought back tears on several occasions, Mr Durkan thanked his party for the support he has received over the years.
He argued that in a period dominated by public cynicism towards politics, it was still possible to make decisions that could change people’s lives for the better.He welcomed this week's agreement at Hillsborough but attacked Sinn Féin's role.
"Many times, we have argued for implementation calendars with dates for transferring such powers. Sinn Féin resisted this, when they were so far behind on policing."
"When St Andrew’s came, it was clear to us that the May 2008 date was merely aspirational, with no commitment from the DUP and no guarantees from the Governments who had given the DUP the “triple-lock veto”. Sinn Fein mis-sold that agreement, while we told the truth," he said.
He accused Sinn Féin of departing from the d'Hondt procedure for the allocation of Stormont ministries, under which the SDLP would be entitled to the job.
"So Sinn Fein have connived with the DUP to circumvent d’Hondt. They pretend that they will support an SDLP nominee for the Justice Ministry, when they have handed the DUP the very veto that would frustrate that rightful nomination."
"Changing the rules to deny a due outcome, to discriminate against a nationalist party and confer patronage and undue power on a pro-union party used to be called gerrymandering. Today Sinn Fein call it “historic progress” and “the best agreement of all", he added.
Mr Durkan, 49, married to Jackie with five-year-old daughter Dearbhail, is a life-long politician and former student union leader with a commitment to social justice and tackling inequality.
The youngest of seven children, he was reared by his mother Isobel after his father Brendan, a Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) inspector, was killed in a road accident.
He has also worked closely with late US Senator Ted Kennedy having served an internship with the leading Democrat in Washington in 1985.
Known for his easy sense of humour, Mr Durkan quipped that he was the only politician to get in trouble for sleeping with his wife after his expenses for a hotel night in London were queried by the Westminster authorities. He is also a keen Manchester United supporter.
He lives in Derry and helped regenerate the party after the end of Nobel Laureate John Hume’s period as leader.
When Mr Durkan took over the leadership he was the only contender and his selection followed the devastating 2001 election which saw Sinn Fein overtake the SDLP, winning Westminster seats in West Tyrone and Fermanagh-South Tyrone.
However, in 2005 he held the Foyle MP’s seat against a strong challenge from the rival nationalist party and saw South Belfast MP Alasdair McDonnell returned against the odds in a largely unionist area.
Now he takes a back seat and waits to see who will be his successor amid an executive coming to terms with its new security responsibilities and a whole raft of fresh issues on the horizon.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen will address a celebration dinner later tonight, before the party selects a new leader tomorrow.
