The Sinn Féin membership met this weekend in Derry for the party’s Ard Fheis which saw Assembly member for Mid-Ulster Michelle O’Neill re-elected as the party’s vice-president.

Welcoming this endorsement she said:

“I am really honoured to have been endorsed by the membership of Sinn Féin and re-elected to the position of Leas-Uachtarán. 

“I am thankful to delegates and members across Ireland who voted for me in this contest.

“The contest was conducted in a very comradely way across the party where John O’Dowd and I campaigned internally and put forward our platform and vision to the Sinn Féin membership.

“John is a longstanding republican and a highly regarded colleague and I very much value his political contribution and friendship.

“We are both committed to advancing our party, so that we are fit for purpose as a political movement now and in the future.

“Working alongside Mary Lou McDonald and our senior team I want to maximise the positive growth and development of the party across Ireland.

“It’s our ambition to drive a progressive political agenda for change across Ireland.

“At this time we face many challenges with a Tory Brexit, austerity and no Assembly in place in the North and a weak government being propped up by Fianna Fáil in Dublin.

“Sinn Féin is offering strong alternative politics and policies to all of these challenges with confidence and success.

“We are committed to transforming our country and uniting Ireland.

“I look forward to continuing this important work in my role as Sinn Féin vice-president.”