The SDLP has selected Councillor Carl Whyte as the party’s North Belfast candidate for next year’s Assembly election.
Born and raised in North Belfast, Carl trained as an economist, runs a business, previously taught at Queen’s and has represented the Castle area on Belfast City Council since 2019. He has campaigned for greater investment in North Belfast, including sports and cultural facilities, improved public services and stronger communities, while being a consistent advocate for tackling sectarianism and racism.
Launching his candidacy, Cllr Whyte said:
“North Belfast deserves better than the record of the Executive parties over the last five years. Too many families are struggling with the cost of living, too many communities feel neglected and too many people believe their voices simply aren’t being heard.
“I wouldn’t be standing if I thought North Belfast was getting the leadership and fair share of investment it deserves. There is enormous potential here, but for too long our communities have been held back by poverty, division and a lack of attention from Stormont and Westminster.
“As a dad to two brilliant young girls, I think constantly about the North Belfast they will grow up in. We need to do far more on affordable childcare, education, skills and opportunities for our young people. I want to be a strong voice for families who are tired of being told to wait for things to get better.
“I also want my daughters to grow up in a North Belfast where your background does not determine your opportunities or the people you mix with. Reconciliation and a genuinely shared future are not abstract political ideas – they are about creating safer, stronger communities where everyone can thrive.
“Like many families across the North, my own family experienced the trauma of loss during the Troubles. That has strengthened my determination to offer a kind of leadership that does not lean into old divisions, but challenges us to cross them.
“I was on Kinnaird Avenue the morning after the vicious attack that left an innocent man with life-changing injuries. Speaking to residents brought home just how badly people felt they had been let down and how much work remains to be done to improve community relations and make every community feel safe.
“North Belfast deserves more than another five years of parties fighting over who gets into government while communities wonder what government is actually doing for them. Since being elected in 2019, I have worked hard to stand up for people in my community. I now want to bring that same energy and determination to representing all of North Belfast at Stormont.”
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP said:
“Carl is deeply rooted in North Belfast and has spent years working with communities to make sure their voices are heard.
“He has a strong record of getting stuck into the issues that matter – from securing investment in sports and cultural facilities to improving local services, community safety and challenging racism and sectarianism.
“North Belfast has enormous potential, but too many of its communities have been failed by politics that either entrenches division or simply accepts that things cannot get better.
“Carl represents a different approach. He understands the challenges facing families because he lives them, and he has the energy, experience and determination to deliver for people across the constituency.
“I’m delighted that Carl is putting himself forward and I look forward to campaigning alongside him to make the case for better representation, greater investment and a more ambitious future for North Belfast.”
