Colum Eastwood considering Irish presidential bid

Colum Eastwood has said he is considering entering the race to become the next president of Ireland.

The MP for Foyle resigned as leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in October 2024.

He said people had asked him to consider standing.

"There's very few candidates in the field right now. It's something that needs a lot of consideration," he said.

"I'm going to take the time to think about it, but it's a long summer and there's enough to be getting on with before any decisions around that would have to be made."

"I've done a lot of work over the past number of months, in stepping down as party leader, on a new Ireland and speaking to people right across the political divide across the island," Eastwood said.

Eastwood had been suggested as a possible candidate for Fianna Fáil, the two parties had been linked under Eastwood's leadership from 2019 to 2022.

However, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said he was surprised to hear Eastwood was considering running.

"It's open to everyone to put themselves forward, Colum's a very capable, effective parliamentarian," he added.

"But we will make our choice as a party and we have not concluded deliberations, at all."

Northern Ireland's first minister has also not ruled herself out of the race.

Asked directly if she is considering putting her name forward Michelle O'Neill laughed and said "we are working our way through our deliberations in terms of the presidential race itself".

Asked about the speculation linking her to the election she said: "myself I think I've plenty to do as first minister but the fact remains that I could stand for election; I could be elected but I can't vote in that election so that's where there is a deficit."

The election has to be held before 11 November.

Incumbent President Michael D Higgins is not eligible to stand again as he will have completed two full seven-year terms.

He was inaugurated as the ninth president in 2011, when he took over from Mary McAleese, and was re-elected in October 2018.

McAleese is the only president to come from Northern Ireland.

In May, president of the Gaelic Athletic Association Jarlath Burns ruled himself out of the race.

There is still speculation over who will stand for the office.

Eastwood, who is 42, joined the SDLP in 1998.

The 2015 party conference - where he was elected leader - was his 18th conference and he has held elected office for almost two decades.

Born in Londonderry in 1983, Mr Eastwood was educated at St Columb's College in the city.

In 2005, just a week after his 22nd birthday, he was elected to Derry City Council and between 2010 and 2011 served as the city's youngest mayor.

That was followed in May 2011 by election to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In 2015 he challenged incumbent Alasdair McDonnell for the leadership of the party, ousting him by 172 votes to 133.

In the 2019 Westminster election, Eastwood attempted to take the Foyle seat back from Sinn Féin, which had won it for the first time by a narrow margin at the previous election.

He emerged victorious with a majority of 17,110 and subsequently held the seat in 2024 with a much smaller majority.