Quigley quits politics

POLITICAL turmoil was bubbling within the SDLP in Londonderry on Tuesday with the announcement that its leader on Derry City Council had resigned from the party with immediate effect.

Helen Quigley, a former mayor, joined the SDLP in the wake of the Good Friday Agreement and quickly rose through the ranks of the party to claim a berth on the local council and later led the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA).

Questions surround the timing, and whether Mrs Quigley was aggrieved at the failure to co-opt her into the Assembly as a replacement MLA for former party leader Mark Durkan when he leaves to concentrate on his role of MP for Foyle.

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There have been recent strong indications that an advisor to Mr Durkan, Pl Callaghan, is favourite to replace Mark Durkan as an MLA. Yet, Mrs Quigley had been selected as a candidate for next year's Assembly election, and she had run for the Assembly in 2007 but was unsuccessful finishing just 105 votes behind party colleague, Mary Bradley.

But, at around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon, it was confirmed that Mrs Quigley had withdrawn her name from next year's Assembly and local elections.

Whilst Helen Quigley was unavailable for comment a statement released by an SDLP spokesman confirmed her withdrawal as a candidate and said: "Mrs Quigley has informed the party that she wishes to resign as group leader on Derry City Council."

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