Durkan wanted Mallon in top job

Mark Durkan said party was ready for elections

SDLP leader Mark Durkan has said he would have preferred Seamus Mallon to have taken the party's top job when John Hume stood down two years ago.

Mr Mallon, the deputy leader at the time, was the favourite to succeed Mr Hume who had been at the helm of the party from 1979 until November 2001.

However, Mr Mallon ruled himself out of the contest and the post was subsequently filled by the former Stormont Finance Minister Mark Durkan.

But, speaking on the BBC's Inside Politics programme on Saturday, Mr Durkan insisted he had steered his party into a strong position ahead of this month's elections to a new Northern Ireland Assembly.

"I would have had no problem serving in the party under Seamus Mallon. That's what I wanted to happen, that was my first choice for a number of reasons," he said.

"Even with me taking the leadership, I wanted Seamus to stay on as deputy first minister."

He said Mr Mallon had put a lot of effort into making the executive work.

However, Mr Durkan said he was not a reluctant leader "by any means".

"We are now in a situation where the party is stronger, we are better organised," he said.

"Our core support is strong. In this election, we are going to renew our core and get more."

John Hume was one of the founder members of the SDLP in 1970 and became deputy leader in 1973.

Mark Durkan is a former Derry City councillor, a Foyle assemblyman and one of the party's main strategists.