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The way is clear for Claire Hanna to become the next leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

Nominations for the post closed at noon and the party confirmed that, as expected, the MP for Belfast South and Mid-Down is the only person in the running.

She will be ratified in the post at the SDLP conference on 5 October.

She will replace Colum Eastwood, who endorsed her when he resigned in August.

Ms Hanna was recently re-elected as the MP for Belfast South and Mid Down with a majority of more than 12,000 votes.

Her family is steeped in SDLP history.

Her father is a former general secretary of the party and her mother served in the Stormont Executive.

In a statement earlier this month - when Ms Hanna confirmed she would be seeking to become the party’s next leader - she said she recognised the SDLP is in a “challenging” period.

"We need to recognise that too many towns and neighbourhoods don’t see or feel SDLP’s effort locally," she said.