Bobby Sands Statue Controversy Triggers Resignations and Political Reactions Across Belfast

Paul Doherty has resigned from the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), citing his anger over the party’s abstention in a recent Belfast City Council vote concerning a statue of Irish Republican Army hunger striker Bobby Sands.

Doherty, who served as Belfast’s deputy mayor, announced his departure from the SDLP following the council’s decision to reconsider allowing the Bobby Sands statue to remain in west Belfast despite lacking planning permission. The statue, unveiled in Twinbrook last year to mark the 44th anniversary of Sands’ death, was erected without official consent on land managed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

The Belfast City Council vote, which passed a Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) motion to revisit the statue’s status, prompted criticism from Sinn Féin and the Bobby Sands Trust. Sinn Féin accused unionists of hypocrisy, arguing the debate was less about planning rules and more about resisting shifts in how Belfast’s history is narrated. Danny Morrison, secretary of the Bobby Sands Trust, criticised the SDLP for abstaining, stating the party’s inaction revealed a failure to support a monument backed by thousands of local residents.

First Minister Michelle O’Neill attended the statue’s unveiling last year, describing it as a “powerful tribute” and defending her presence amid DUP criticism. She later attended a VE Day event, which she said demonstrated her commitment to being “a first minister for all.” The Belfast City Council has since stated it will take no further enforcement action regarding the statue, determining it was “not considered expedient” to pursue the matter under its planning enforcement strategy.

Sinn Féin assembly member Danny Baker characterised the council’s decision as a “common-sense approach,” noting the statue reflects the deep respect in which Bobby Sands and the 1981 hunger strikers are held within the local community. Sands died at age 27 during the 1981 hunger strike, in which ten republican paramilitary prisoners died while seeking recognition as political prisoners during the Troubles.