Northern Ireland Westminster General Election

Edgware

Dunmhkl wrote: »

Julian Smith has said that Stormont elections could be held early next year.

Bear in mind folks, under the GFA if nationalist parties get a majority in the next Assembly that will mean that a border poll will be held as it would show to Smith that the majority are voting for nationalism.

51% for unity, 49% against. Go for it Gerry, what could possibly go wrong?

Mr.Nice Guy

Michelle O'Neill has been re-elected deputy leader of SF, seeing off John O'Dowd's challenge. Not a surprise. Was more surprised he challenged for it.

BarryD2

So MaryLou raises a cheer and sends solidarity to John Downey, at least we know that some things never change..

liamtech

Sky News in Belleek fermanagh atm - on the election trail - should be interesting

Stop moaning ffs

BarryD2 wrote: »

So MaryLou raises a cheer and sends solidarity to John Downey, at least we know that some things never change..

It’s a pity the way she’s so maligned. She’s by a long way a far better politician and communicator with a far bigger grasp of the issues and the needs of the people in this country rather Leo’s pandering to corporations and elites. She has a humanity Varadkar and Martin and evening Coveney just don’t posses.
She’d be a fantastic Taoiseach in any scenario. Shame we’ll never see her in the role though

Nidgeweasel

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

It’s a pity the way she’s so maligned. She’s by a long way a far better politician and communicator with a far bigger grasp of the issues and the needs of the people in this country rather Leo’s pandering to corporations and elites. She has a humanity Varadkar and Martin and evening Coveney just don’t posses.
She’d be a fantastic Taoiseach in any scenario. Shame we’ll never see her in the role though

She doesn't help herself.

liamtech

Anyone watching sky news - its in belfast thismorning for Adam Boltons alll out politics

FrancieBrady

liamtech wrote: »

Anyone watching sky news - its in belfast thismorning for Adam Boltons alll out politics

The SDLP should have made Hanna the leader. Strong speaker.

Aiken looks defeated already to be honest.

liamtech

Jeffrey Donaldson - is literally indefensible - usual nonsense - wont recognize the fact that the DUP is partially responsible for this mess

Claire Hanna - performing very well - supported by Stephen Farry on the topic of smear campaign - said very clearly that he wished to associate himself and his party with her claim that smear tactics are being used

Chris hazzard - defending abstentionism - highlighting that returning pro Brexit DUP is the mistake that wont happen again in North or South Belfast - highlighting election is abut brexit

Stephen Aiken - IMHO making mistakes - he should be lambasting the DUP more than any of the other parties - but he is fighting everyone - not doing himself a service in my opinion

Stephen Farry - making a big deal of highlighting that Alliance is running everywhere and us in favor of a peoples vote

liamtech

FrancieBrady wrote: »

The SDLP should have made Hanna the leader. Strong speaker.

Aiken looks defeated already to be honest.

Agreed - shes excellent - Donaldson - you know i would pay a large amount of cash to watch that man lose his seat - not gonna happen but he is worse than Dodds - to watch him lose live on television - what i wouldnt give

Aiken - very disappointing - he should be capable of boxing clever and he just isnt - he has made SOME valid points - but

• not mentioning DUP supporters like Bryson who are screaming that thie deal will end the GFA
• Not mentioning the smears which are tacitly endorsed by the DUP
• his policy on a peoples vote is ambiguous - he KINDA wants one but wont say

BTW i missed the beginning so - but if im ranking as a race on what i have seen

1. Claire Hanna
2. Chris Hazzard/Stephen Farry
3. Stephen Aiken
... the chairs, the scene outside, Bolton himself
10. Donaldson - in a race he is running with no rider, and he is all over the place - typical DUP

We want brexit
we DONT want this brexit
We DONT want a soft Brexit
We WANT a hard Brexit

and now AS I TYPE Donaldson has lied through his teeth on POC Veto -

Come on Aiken box clever PLEASE

EDIT - DONALDSON has not seen the sectarian banners personally - is he blind? He is on Twitter he has been tagged on them? this is crazy stuff

FrancieBrady

liamtech wrote: »

Agreed - shes excellent - Donaldson - you know i would pay a large amount of cash to watch that man lose his seat - not gonna happen but he is worse than Dodds - to watch him lose live on television - what i wouldnt give

Aiken - very disappointing - he should be capable of boxing clever and he just isnt - he has made SOME valid points - but

• not mentioning DUP supporters like Bryson who are screaming that thie deal will end the GFA
• Not mentioning the smears which are tacitly endorsed by the DUP
• his policy on a peoples vote is ambiguous - he KINDA wants one but wont say

BTW i missed the beginning so - but if im ranking as a race on what i have seen

1. Claire Hanna
2. Chris Hazzard/Stephen Farry
3. Stephen Aiken
... the chairs, the scene outside, Bolton himself
10. Donaldson - in a race he is running with no rider, and he is all over the place - typical DUP

We want brexit
we DONT want this brexit
We DONT want a soft Brexit
We WANT a hard Brexit

and now AS I TYPE Donaldson has lied through his teeth on POC Veto -

Come on Aiken box clever PLEASE

EDIT - DONALDSON has not seen the sectarian banners personally - is he blind? He is on Twitter he has been tagged on them? this is crazy stuff

Aiken was the big loser there, physically and verbally he looked to be totally in the thrall of the DUP, didn't even try and land a punch.
Jeffery was just the usual Jeffery, tell lies at the drop of a hat, misrepresent the DUP and knows that none of his supporters will listen to the rebuttal anyway.
Farry was just ok, came across as limp, which is the big problem for the Alliance in this election.
Hazard was confident and landed the punches when he got the chance. A bit weak on why there is no Assembly.
Hanna won it for me, consistent and confident and seems willing to work with anyone.

liamtech

I dont want to seem to be dominating this thread with repeated posts but i just wanna say again how dismayed i was with Stephen Aiken

I was hoping for the UUP to make it clear that while remaining Unionist, they are progressive, open to compromise, and completely opposed to the sectarian politics of the DUP and their supporters

I now feel the UUP's tag line should be

ULSTER UNIONIST PARTY! - We aren't quite as crazy as the DUP

highly disappointing but i suppose it could be argued that they have probably been threatened, and run the risk of losing Unionist support by way of smear campaigns

BTW Jamie Bryson (currently in favor of the DUP, but has drifted away any time they seemed to be weakening their sectarian stance - sometimes drifts into Jim Allister Territory, arguably his true home) - this guy has just tweeted a quote from George Seawright -

https://twitter.com/JamieBrysonCPNI/status/1196737788240105472

This is the man who described Catholics and Nationalists saying they;

"are just fenian scum who have been indoctrinated by the Catholic Church. Taxpayers' money would be better spent on an incinerator and burning the lot of them. Their priests should be thrown in and burnt as well."

- quote from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/5279276.stm

also https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/loyalist-nutcase-george-seawright-posed-dilemma-for-british-1.2043009

And a leading DUP supporter, as Bryson currently is, thinks its a great thing to quote him

And the DUP - dont see this type of thing - as Donaldson said this morning on Sky News? effectively said 'if its happening it should stop - but i havent seen it' - in relation to banners and sectarian smearing

Its shocking that these guys will probably be re-elected in many parts of NI

Stop moaning ffs

Apparently Bryson has been told to stand down and stfu for his own safety by senior UDA people

liamtech

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Apparently Bryson has been told to stand down and stfu for his own safety by senior UDA people

Best news i have heard all week

Stop moaning ffs

liamtech wrote: »

Best news i have heard all week

Will he though.

liamtech

Stop moaning ffs wrote: »

Will he though.

Well his posts are still up on twitter - time will tell he is a twitter addict - if he hasnt posted 15 times in the next 24hrs about 'pan nationalist republicans supported by the EU, and the Alliance party' - while also stating that 'Loyalist/Unionst people have had enough of this one sided peace process' - then maybe he got the message

:rolleyes:

Stop moaning ffs

liamtech wrote: »

Well his posts are still up on twitter - time will tell he is a twitter addict - if he hasnt posted 15 times in the next 24hrs about 'pan nationalist republicans supported by the EU, and the Alliance party' - while also stating that 'Loyalist/Unionst people have had enough of this one sided peace process' - then maybe he got the message

:rolleyes:

I’m reliably informed he has numerous twitter accounts. Like loads and loads. All anonymous w variations of unionist patriot jargon in the handles. And spends the day attacking people on them.

cameramonkey

Any of the Arron Banks leaks about the DUP?Has any one seen the full leak?

liamtech

Eastwood doing better on the View tonight - better than Aiken or Long

Caruthers is fantastic as always - cant wait to see him DEMOLISH the DUP

FrancieBrady

liamtech wrote: »

Eastwood doing better on the View tonight - better than Aiken or Long

Caruthers is fantastic as always - cant wait to see him DEMOLISH the DUP

Agree. He's winning the 'pact' argument.

liamtech

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Agree. He's winning the 'pact' argument.

Definitely won it - coherent- clear - no dodges - doesnt like Sinn Fein but btter than a DUP MP -

NIMAN

Anyone know what the posters up around Belfast said about Finucane and Hanna?

FrancieBrady

NIMAN wrote: »

Anyone know what the posters up around Belfast said about Finucane and Hanna?

*

liamtech

NIMAN wrote: »

Anyone know what the posters up around Belfast said about Finucane and Hanna?

insinuations that Hanna is being canvassed for by an ex IRA man

Insinuations that there is a 'Pan Nationalist Republic Alliance of the SDLP, SF and the Alliance

TBH you can see all the banners on Jamie Brysons twitter - he has them all pictured

all nonsense

FrancieBrady

NIMAN wrote: »

Anyone know what the posters up around Belfast said about Finucane and Hanna?

There is 'said' as in past tense btw, they are still up afaik.

liamtech

I have been talking to lots of people on boards about Northern Ireland, and brexit. Going back a while. And in the last few weeks i have tended to concentrate on the General election, with my obvious hope being that brexit is stopped once and for all

What i wanted to ask, in all sincerity, is what is going to happen if the Boris Deal goes through? And i mean in relation to the Loyalists, like Bryson, who are effectively threatening not just the GFA, and power sharing. They are threatening violence, as far as i can see.

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/ben-lowry-loyalist-protest-meeting-in-portadown-against-boris-johnson-s-betrayal-act-was-packed-and-angry-1-9152301

I just want to honestly get an idea of where people here stand on this threat. Is it to be taken seriously. I am reminded of the Flag protests a few years back, and the crazed reaction to that.. over a flag.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iuk6Iqj3vE

And then i look at this deal, which satisfies our concerns of avoiding a border with the Republic. But does so by placing a trade barrier between NI and the UK - granted not a HARD one, but it is a trade border none the less.

So i just want to genuinely see what people think. Are the threats to be taken seriously or is it merely scare mongering

NIMAN

Those posters are shocking.
But then again, its the work of the UVF so understandable.

BonnieSituation

In short, no.

That cohort of loyalism just need something to píss and moan about.

This is the new thing.

They'll move back onto stuff like Italian and Ivorian flags and "uisce" on manholes in time. As it was ever thus.

Middle of the road Unionism is deserved of attention. These headbangers need to be ignored.

Stop moaning ffs

Wee Bryson is definitely rousing the rabble. Absolutely wants violence.

https://twitter.com/andreemurphy/status/1198228764733382657?s=21

Mr.Nice Guy

Think it's naive to say loyalist threats shouldn't be taken seriously.

One has to understand the loyalist interpretation of the events of the past few weeks. Most commentators, and certainly down here, perceive the arrangement that Johnson came up with to be a betrayal of the DUP and the concerns of loyalists. 'Look at how little they regard you over there' we say.

Having listened to loyalists on radio shows and reading their opinions online, their perception is very different. As far as they are concerned, what happened was a consequence of the dissident republican threats relating to the possibility of a hard border on the island. 'Look at how those threats garnered results' is what they say.

In other words, as far as loyalism is concerned if there is a customs border in the sea then it won't be because Johnson and the Tories sold out their brand of unionism for their own personal gain, but because their old nemesis republicanism threatened violence to get their way - and ended up being successful.

We might not like that analysis but that is how they are seeing it, and it's why not only have they not turned on the DUP, but on the contrary have turned on more moderate unionists for even thinking about challenging them in marginal seats.