February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Hume himself, in an emotionally charged announcement to a meeting of SDLP activists in a Belfast city center hotel on Wednesday, said that he was taking the decision “with regret” for health reasons.
The man often described as a giant of Irish politics has been an MEP for 25 years. A founding member of the civil rights movement and the SDLP, he leaves a gaping hole at its center.
He was described by the president of the European Parliament, Pat Cox, as one of its “most outstanding, respected and longest serving members. His dogged commitment to non-violent conflict resolution has been steadfast and constant.”
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said: “John Hume can be immensely proud of his record and achievements in Europe and at Westminster, for which he had earned the respect and gratitude of the people of Ireland.”
Said Sinn F