Editing John Hume (section)

=== Enters electoral politics ===
In response to the events in Derry, the Unionist government announced that the city's corporation would be replaced by an independent development commission. It also committed to a needs-based points system for public housing, an ombudsman to investigate citizen grievances, the abolition of the [[Rates (tax)|rates]]-based franchise in council elections, and a review of the broad security provisions of the [[Civil Authorities (Special Powers) Act (Northern Ireland) 1922|Special Powers Act]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Terence O'Neill on the Government's 5 Point Reform Plan - View media - Northern Ireland Screen {{!}} Digital Film Archive |url=https://digitalfilmarchive.net/media/terence-oneill-on-the-governments-5-5489 |access-date=2023-01-09 |website=digitalfilmarchive.net}}</ref> When these reforms were placed in jeopardy by the internal unionist dissension, and a snap election was called by [[Prime Minister of Northern Ireland|Prime Minister]] [[Terence O'Neill]], Hume decided to enter electoral politics.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|39}}

In the [[1969 Northern Ireland general election|February 1969]] poll, he secured 55 percent of the vote in his home [[Foyle (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)|Foyle constituency]] against 33 percent for the standing MP and long-time leader of the [[Nationalist Party (Northern Ireland)|Nationalist Party]], [[Eddie McAteer]], and 12 percent for McCann of the [[Northern Ireland Labour Party]]. Notwithstanding their contest, six months later, on 12 August 1969, Hume linked arms with McAteer in an attempt to hold back his constituents in a further confrontation with the police, recalled as the [[Battle of the Bogside]].<ref name=":2" />{{rp|666–667}}

In the election Hume had presented himself as an [[Independent Nationalist|independent]], but his immediate objective was the formation of a broad-based party that could advance the wider reform he believed necessary.<ref name=":0" />{{rp|39}}