Sinn Fein will never replace the SDLP as the "leading voice of nationalism", SDLP leader Mr John Hume said yesterday.
Mr Hume, who won the Foyle constituency seat, said his party executive would carry out an immediate review and analysis of its general election performance.
He declined to comment on whether he'd fought his last Westminster campaign.
Commenting on the competition from Sinn Fein, he said: "We have a very different voice from Sinn Fein. We live in the world of real politics and the people will continue to hear the voice of the SDLP as the leading voice of nationalism and of socialism in Northern Ireland."
Mr Hume attributed the electoral advances of both Sinn Fein and the DUP to what he called a tension-filled campaign:
"A lot of tension emerged in this election and the vast majority of the people do not want that type of tension in our society. They do not want to return to a society in which politics is based on conflict. "In such a campaign as we have seen in recent weeks, you find that people tend to go to the extremes when they cast their vote.
"The real border in this country is in the minds of the people, not on a map, and that is what we all have to work to remove."
Mr Hume's personal vote of 50.2 per cent was down almost 2 per cent against the previous general election.
His main challenger, Sinn Fein's Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, received 26.5 per cent of the vote, up by almost 2 per cent.
Mr Hume's party colleague, Mr Eddie McGrady, won the South Down constituency with a 13,858-vote majority.
Mr McGrady, who polled 24,136 votes in a five-cornered fight, said he would endeavour to represent all of the constituents, both nationalist and unionist.
The SDLP politician increased his majority in this election to 13,858 from 9,933 in 1997.
In second place was Sinn Fein candidate Mr Mick Murphy with 10,278 votes; in third place was Mr Dermot Nesbitt (UUP) with 9,173; Mr Jim Wells (DUP) on 7,802 and Ms Betty Campbell (Alliance) on 685. The South Down constituency had a 71.61 per cent turnout.