I was delighted that Newry, Mourne and Down Council has decided to give its support to marriage equality and I would like to thank the parties that gave this motion full support.

However, I was bitterly disappointed that three SDLP councillors have followed many of their colleagues elsewhere and abstained on gay marriage. I was also disappointed to learn that other SDLP members did not even turn up to the debate.

The SDLP needs to stop dodging this issue. Northern Ireland is seen as a backwater because some of our politicians want to remain in the 1950s.

Margaret Ritchie, Sean Rodgers and Karen McKevitt need to do their jobs and turn up and vote for equality, rather than hiding from this issue and missing marriage equality debates.

AISLINN MURPHY

By email

Belfast Telegraph