The Social Democratic and Labour Party was founded in 1970 as an anti-sectarian political movement with the aim of reconciling the people of the island in a united, just and prosperous new Ireland. 

Today, the SDLP has one of the youngest, most energetic and most effective front bench teams of any party on these islands. Working at Westminster, the Northern Ireland Assembly and in councils across the North, SDLP representatives are dedicated to creating a new, fairer, more equal Ireland. Our ambition is a society free from division where people work together to wage war on poverty and want, where we deliver economic justice, tackle the climate crisis and bring the people of the island closer together in a new bond of common endeavour. 

In government, SDLP Ministers have taken direct action to reshape our society for the better. When the housing crisis deepened, we built more homes than ever before. When our natural environment came under threat, we introduced a moratorium on fracking. With the climate crisis threatening people and communities across our world, we invested in zero-carbon public transport and scaling up our ambition for a clean, green future. 

We are also proud members of the Party of European Socialists and subscribe to the PES declaration of principles.

The SDLP's central mission - to to build a better future that brings everyone in our society together in a new, fairer, inclusive Ireland is more important than ever. Join us.