Gerry Fitt and the Sdlp

Fitt was a driving force behind the original vision of the party and played a central role in creating the identity of the SDLP as a 'radical socialist party' which provided a 'new' style of nationalism, by prioritising socio-economic issues over the constitutional question. Yet, Fitt noted that he was often in an 'unhappy minority of one' over many issues and at times the relationship between himself and his party colleagues was 'very uneasy'. This book, therefore, sheds new light on the formation of the SDLP, examining the reasons and processes through which the party was formed and the often conflicting policies and sense of political identity that the party portrayed throughout the 1970s. Contrary to the official narrative of the party, this book presents an alternative and more nuanced view of the machinations which moulded party policy in its first decade.

Gerry Fitt and the SDLP is essential reading for students and scholars of modern Irish and British politics and the Northern Ireland conflict. It will also appeal to those interested in conflict resolution in divided societies.