Eddie McGrady 1935-2013

Eddie McGrady was the man who finally confined Enoch Powell to a life outside Westminster at the 1987 General Election. But had come close to unseated the controversial former Conservative later Ulster Unionist MP in the previous two contests for the Westminster seat of South Down.The Downpatrick born man had been on 1,842 votes away from the unseating of a second unionist in the 1986 unionism all out by elections but he'd been only 548 behind at the previous General Election.

But Eddie had served almost 50 years as an elected representative by the time he retired at the last General Election. he was first elected as an independent nationalist serving on Downpatrick Urban Council, before it was displaced by Down District Council in 1973. In the late 60s he joined the National Democrats and in 1969 stood in East Down for the last Northern Ireland Parliament but lost out by a mere 1,709 votes to the future and last Northern Ireland Prime Minister Brian Faulkner who served in that role from 1971 until direct rule was restored in 1972.

In 1970 Eddie became a founding member of the SDLP and under all of the first three attempts to devolve power again in 1973, 1975 and 1982 Eddie was elected as a representative for them for South Down. It saw him becoming Head of the Department of Executive Planning and Co-ordination from Jan-May 1974 at the end of that first attempt. He first stood for Westminster in 1979 taking on Enoch Powell as he was first seek re-election for his Northern Irish seat.

He was a strong spokesperson for devolution asking questions about devolving policing and justice in some of his last actions in Westminster and he was elected to the first term of the new Northern Ireland Assembly post the Good Friday agreement. He stepped aside as he later would do in Westminster for Margaret Ritchie after his first term. He would also serve on the Northern Ireland policing board.

I didn't always agree with Eddie, most particularly on LGBT rights, for the majority of his time in Westminster in the latter years he absented himself when any vote was to be taken. But in 1994 on the votes to lower the age of consent for homosexual men he voted to retain it at 21 both against Edwina Currie's failed equalising Clause and Anthony Durrant's clause which lowered it to 18, but then every Northern Irish MP of the time voted in the same way. He didn't vote in the subsequent 2000 vote which equalised the age of consent.

The SDLP these days of course talk up that they have always been for all civil rights yet historically they failed the LGBT community in Northern Ireland just as the unionists still do today. Although people like Eddie may have been conservative on some social issues they did lay the ground work for equality to be debated and discussed in Northern Ireland. They were a voice for the oppressed minority of the time who had to find their feet under the table of democracy and he was respected on all sides.

SDLP Stalwart Steps Down

Eddie McGrady has been the the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) MP for South Down since I was one of those new voters on the register with my date of birth beside me but unable to vote in the 1987 election. In that election he succeeded Enoch Powell who had moved to Northern Ireland politics after his time as the Conservative Member for Wolverhampton South West came to an end at the first 1974 election.

At the age of 74 I do not begrudge him taking his leave of Westminster at the next election. He has also been a Councillor since 1961. Rumours are that he is stepping aside so his party leader, member for the same seat in the Assembly Margaret Ritchie, who had served a time as his constituency aide, can take up his seat. In his own words she is part of the 'new dynamic' of the party he helped found in 1970, serving as the first SDLP Chairperson from 1971 to 73.

Although he is not endorsing any candidates for his succession Eddie has said:

"[The local party] have been very astute in selecting me over the years,so why should they not continue that wisdom?"

He has also served as the party's chief whip in Westminster since 1988, was elected to the 1984 Forum and served as an MLA between 1998 and 2003.

In recent elections the SDLP share of the seats has shrunk and after the last election they were jokingly dubbed the South Down and Londonderry Party and two of their three Eddie plus Mark Durkan for Foyle represented area that could almost fit the abbreviation of the party. Only Alasdair McDonnell in Belfast South prevented the Westminster party truly becoming the SDLP on geographical grounds.

As one of the members and leader of the first Northern Irish party to publicly speak out for the principle of consent over the governance of the Northern Irish people Eddie will be greatly missed as he heads into a well earned retirement.