THE SDLP leader, Mr John Hume, said he believed Mr Tony Blair would inject new life into the peace process and that the British Labour leader would do everything in his power to promote agreement among the people of Northern Ireland.
Mr Hume was speaking after being re-elected with his biggest vote in the Foyle constituency. He polled 25,109 votes, while his nearest rival, Sinn Fein's national chairman, Mr Mitchel McLaughlin, received 11,441.
His vote represented an 8 per cent increase on his performance in last year's Forum elections. Sinn Fein maintained its Forum poll. Mr William Hay of the Democratic Unionist Party polled 10,290, having been given a free run by the Ulster Unionist Party.
Mr Hume was in exuberant mood after the result was announced in Derry's Guild Hall and warmly welcomed Mr Blair's sweeping victory. He said this would boost the peace process.
"I believe Tony Blair will do it [the peace process] because the Government that has just left was not a government at all for the last couple of years, because it had no majority. And therefore they only sat at the talks process.
"We want a government that is committed to promoting agreement among our divided people and those who object to a government doing that should tell me what they are objecting to, because agreement is something that doesn't defeat any section of our people."
Mr Hume stressed his good relations with Mr Blair and the strong links between the SDLP and the Labour Party. He said he hoped all the parties would be present at talks due to start at Stormont on June 3rd.
"Sinn Fein know they can be at that table if the IRA end their campaign completely and absolutely, and if Sinn Fein commits itself to the Mitchell principles." He said he would meet the Sinn Fein president, Mr Gerry Adams, if that could help bring about an IRA ceasefire.
Mr McLaughlin said he was delighted with his vote, saying it proved Sinn Fein had not borrowed votes from the SDLP after the Forum elections. Mr McLaughlin welcomed the prospect of dealing with Mr Blair's government and was upbeat about the prospects of a new IRA ceasefire.
However, Mr McLaughlin did criticise suggestions that Sinn Fein would be kept out of talks until there was an IRA ceasefire.
"Sinn Fein's role in the peace process does not depend on people patronising us or being kind to us. It depends on us standing up and saying "We've got rights, we've got votes, we've got mandates. If you want peace it has to be inclusive and you have to hear our voice as well as everybody elses'."
As Mr McLaughlin spoke, his party supporters drowned out SDLP supporters chanting "Here we go, here we go, here we go" at news of Mr Martin McGuinness's Mid Ulster victory.
In the Foyle constituency the Alliance candidate, Ms Eileen Bell, polled 817.