Anti-SDLP Graffiti: “Stoop-Down-Low-Party”
Originally coined and captured on camera in 1984, the SDLP earned the derogatory nickname “Stoop-Down-Low-Party” from their adversaries, particularly more radical nationalists. This kind of negative campaigning by Republicans towards their moderate rivals only affirms the ideological gap forming between the SDLP and Sinn Féin. The SDLP was increasingly criticized for being too pliant towards the British and failing to represent the wishes of the nationalist community (Mitchell, O’Leary, and Evans 2001). Although this specific picture dates back to the mid-early eighties, this specific tagline persisted through the following decades. For instance, this title was directed at the SDLP on the grounds of it supporting the establishment of a Parades Commission in 1997, and more so the Royal Ulster Constabulary’s (RUC) policing of the commission’s decisions (McGlinchey 2019, p. 429). The RUC’s involvement in such a commission was bound to be controversial among nationalists still remembering the misdeeds of the predominantly Protestant policing body.
Sinn Féin and Republicans, in presenting themselves as more authentically Irish and less sympathetic to the British, capitalized on this narrative and enjoyed increasing electoral success. This picture is symbolic of this strategy and the tribunal party system in which Northern Ireland’s political landscape is rooted. Electoral competition between the SDLP and Sinn Féin increased as Sinn Féin found their footing within this system by way of this very messaging and tactical decision making.
Artifact Source: https://petermoloneycollection.com/1984/01/01/stoop-down-low-party/
