October 12 1974
Mr Gerry Fitt, elated with his outstanding victory, said last night that the SDLP had emerged from the election with great credit. They would continue to carry the banner of reason and sanity in this divided community.
He attacked the Republican Clubs which, he said, were directly responsible for the election of Enoch Powell, an arch-enemy of Ireland, in South Down and the defeat of Mr Ivan Cooper, SDLP, in Mid-Ulster.
Mr Fitt described his success as one of the greatest anti-unionist victories ever achieved in Belfast and added that the only saddening feature about it was that the Republican Clubs had done everything they could to defeat him and other colleagues.
He claimed that they used every dirty political trick in the bag in an attempt to prevent his return. They must be proud that because of their intervention they secured the election of Mr Powell. “Enoch Powell would undoubtedly have been defeated by Sean Hollywood, one of the best young candidates in the election, if the Republican Clubs had not fought the seat.
They took nearly 3,000 votes for Mr Hollywood and at the same time prevented many people from going to the polls because of the split vote”.
He also pointed out that in the absence of the Republican Clubs – who were helped by Mrs Bernadette McAliskey – Mr [Ivan] Cooper of the SDLP would have won Mid-Ulster.
“I want to place it firmly on record when the events are clear in people’s minds who was responsible for sending Enoch Powell and John Dunlop to Westminster”, said Mr Fitt.
“I hope it will be long remembered by the minority in Northern Ireland and that they will pass their verdict on the wrecking tactics of the Republican Clubs.
Their oft-repeated claim that they were seeking a non-sectarian vote can now be seen for what it was. Their candidates only fought in areas where there was a sizeable Catholic vote. They did not have the courage to fight in constituencies where unionists were in the majority”.
Mr Fitt pointed out that he had now won the seat on four occasions “which proves that the people of West Belfast have a liking for their MP and their MP certainly has a liking for them”.
After comfortably retaining his West Belfast seat, Gery Fitt took a swipe at the Republican Clubs for splitting the nationalist vote in the Westminster general election, which he believed resulted in the loss of the South Down and Mid Ulster seats to unionists Enoch Powell and John Dunlop respectively.
