Justin McNulty: SDLP suspend MLA who left Stormont for GAA game

Justin McNulty left Stormont early to manage Laois in their match with Wexford on Saturday evening

An SDLP assembly member has been suspended from the party after quitting Stormont early "without permission" to manage a Gaelic football team.

Justin McNulty attended the first sitting of the NI Assembly on Saturday but left before proceedings ended.

It later emerged he had driven to County Wexford where his team, Laois, were playing a match.

Mr McNulty was appointed Laois manager last October.

He was on the sideline when his team took on Wexford in Division Four of the National League at 18:00 local time - Laois won by 10 points.

However, he missed his party colleague Mathew O'Toole being nominated as leader of the official opposition.

The SDLP confirmed in a statement that the party has now suspended the whip from the Newry and Armagh assembly member (MLA), who won an All-Ireland title with Armagh in 2002.

A spokesman said Mr McNulty left today's sitting of the assembly without "seeking permission" and did not return for "important parliamentary" business which included the SDLP taking up its role as official opposition at Stormont.

'Expected to be there for work'

"All SDLP MLAs were informed by the party's chief whip that attendance at today's sitting was mandatory for the duration of the assembly proceedings," the spokesman said.

He added: "This was an historic day that saw the restoration of devolved government, the election of the first nationalist first minister and leader of the opposition.

"People rightly expect their elected representatives to be there for work."

The spokesman said the party expected all members of the assembly team to be there "to support their colleagues".

He added that as Mr McNulty "was not in his place, did not seek permission for his absence and breached the direct instruction of the whip, the SDLP chief whip has suspended the whip with immediate effect".

The move means Mr McNulty will not be able to attend SDLP assembly meetings.

BBC News NI has tried to contact Mr McNulty for a response.

It is understood the party had previously warned the assembly member that he had to choose between his assembly job and being Laois manager.

He was told he could not continue in both roles.

Analysis: Clash inevitable when MLA went MIA

It was a critical fixture for team SDLP and every player was warned to stay until the final whistle.

So when Justin McNulty walked off the pitch before half time he was always going to pay a heavy price.

He slipped away "without permission", leaving his colleagues searching the corridors at Parliament Buildings.

By the time his team captain at Stormont was named leader of the opposition, Justin McNulty had started his three-hour drive to Wexford.

He made the 6pm throw-in on time to see his side Laois defeat Wexford by 10 points.

It was a key clash as it ensured Laois remained top of division four.

But there was another clash coming when the SDLP whip rang the Newry and Armagh MlA on the way home to suspend him from the party.

The leadership will say it had no option after Justin McNulty had defied party instructions in such a public way on a hugely significant day.

It was probably a call the MLA was expecting.

For him there is no conflict and he clearly feels he can fulfil both roles, though yesterday was not a good start.

He is obviously not prepared to give up a hard won, well paid, pensionable job for a two-year stint as Laois manager.

And few within the GAA would disagree.

If that means losing his place on the SDLP team for a while, so be it.

Crucially for the SDLP, his suspension does not drop the party below the eight-seat threshold to be the official opposition.

That calculation is made when the SDLP MLAs signed in after the election almost two years ago.

But it is not a good for a party now tasked with holding others to account when its first action is to hold one of its own to account.

Though the door still remains open for Justin McNulty to make a comeback as his suspension could easily be lifted.

But it could be a long season both on and off the pitch.