Paul Doherty Quits SDLP Over Bobby Sands Statue Vote
Paul Doherty quit the SDLP after a special Belfast City Council meeting on the bobby sands statue in west Belfast. The Belfast deputy lord mayor said on Saturday that he left the party with immediate effect and would have voted against the DUP motion.
His resignation follows a Thursday vote that passed a Democratic Unionist Party motion calling for the council’s decision to close a planning enforcement probe to be reconsidered. Doherty said he was not at the meeting, and SDLP councillors left before the vote.
Paul Doherty on Saturday
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Doherty said, “I was dealing with an emerging issue in the community and therefore did not have the opportunity to vote against the DUP motion - which I would have done.” He also wrote, “As someone from west Belfast, I know the Bobby Sands statue in Twinbrook holds real significance for people in our community and beyond.”
He added, “People should be fully entitled to remember him in this way, and I fully support that.” Doherty also accused others of “turning this into a political stunt.” He said he would remain as an independent councillor.
Belfast City Council vote
The statue was erected last year on public land in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast without planning permission. After an enforcement investigation, Belfast City Council officials said it was not considered expedient to take any further action.
Thursday’s motion sought to reopen that decision. The vote moved the case back into council process and triggered Doherty’s departure from the party.
Claire Hanna's response
SDLP leader Claire Hanna described Doherty as a “valued representative of the SDLP over many years.” She said, “Following the motion, our councillors were subjected to an unacceptable level of intimidation.” Hanna also said the party’s councillors had developed their position on the statue collectively.
Doherty’s exit leaves him serving as an independent councillor while the council dispute over the statue remains active inside local politics. The practical effect is immediate: the SDLP loses one of its senior local figures, and the council decision on the enforcement probe has already been put back in play.
