General Irish politics discussion thread

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122518805#Comment_122518805

From an electoral point of view that is absolutely insane. The right-wing Unionist view is massively catered for already with the DUP & TUV. Meanwhile there is a massive gap in the market for a left-leaning unionist party.

The main winners from all this will be the Alliance party. As someone who love to see an end to sectarianism in northern politics that might be for the best in the long run.

blackwhite

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122520078#Comment_122520078

It would be great to see a stronger Alliance party as a result - but either way Beattie is a loss to Northern politics in general.

dulpit

If you're a unionist now you can only vote for right wing unionist parties or else a more centrist alliance party who are ambivalent on the union question.

On the nationalist side you have a similar quandary though, you have the social democratic SDLP or the populist/left wing Sinn Féin. There's no centre-right party on the nationalist side of the equation, is there?

Brussels Sprout

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122520313#Comment_122520313

Not unless you count Aontu! (They seem to be all over the political spectrum)

FrancieBrady

It’s nothing ti do with right or left or centre, quite simply ‘Unionism’ is at odds with itself. It cannot put aside the belief that Unionism has to be belligerent and isolationist to survive. Beattie tried to give voice to another way but failed.