Hello, today I'm talking face to face with a politician who's already a former leader of his party at the age of just 42.

Admittedly, he did start early.

He became a councillor at 22 and mayor of his home city at just 27.

He served as an assembly member for eight years and he's been an MP for six.

He recently indicated he now has his eyes set on becoming

the next President of Ireland. So he's ambitious, he's achieved a lot, but has it come at a price?

Colomist would welcome to Red Lions.

Sound like an obituary there, Mark?

Well, not quite, but we'll see because I wonder where you imagine you are on your career trajectory

at this stage. Do you think there's a danger you peaked too soon? Possibly. Look, I've never

really thought of politics as being a career. I know that sounds weird, but I've been involved

in the SDLP since I was a teenager because I've actually believed in what

the SDLP stood for and I felt, and when you come from a place like Derry, we're all very

political. We have a sense of herself, a sense of this city and a sense of identity that's

about, you know, the fact that we were downtrodden, I think, for quite a long time.

So that's where my politics comes from.

So it's not really about the next career move.

I never thought I would be even a councillor.

I was an activist first.

I ran for council thinking I wouldn't get elected

and then one thing kind of led to another but yeah

that's there's no grand plan and there definitely isn't one now but do you worry that at

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