NI Assembly Elections - A rerun of the GFA referendum?

If loyalists do act up, then they should treated accordingly by the PSNI, a few slaps would do them the world of good especially the likes of Bryson and Allister. Unionists should be reminded that is not the 1970s anymore, both communities count.

As for Unionists getting annoyed, what doesn't get them annoyed? They've just realised in the last week that SF want a United Ireland and a Language Act scares them. I have my doubts that they are very few actual democrats on the Unionist side, let prove me wrong with little Jeff swanning back to Westminister

They've no justification to be annoyed or to cause trouble. What can they be annoyed about? That they lost the election? That's really a 'them' problem. Throwing a tantrum might feel good in the short term, but it will only hasten their demise. If NI Unionism wants to remain relevant, it's parties will need to figure out how to stop stepping on rakes.

Fantastic to see the greens wiped out of the assembly. Now need the mirror image in Kildare st to get rid of them all.

You claim nationalists didn't like FF, FG , Labour campaigning.

Well, if that were true, that tells us all we need to know about how a UI is impossible because breaking news, whether you like it or not, they represent between them the bulk of the Irish political scene.

The fact is people in the Republic are too different to nationalists in the north. We vote on bread and butter. Constitutional status, the north does not come in to it.

That's why there'll never be a UI in my opinion.

I don't see a United Ireland by the end of the decade unless something changes to the point that staying in the UK becomes untenable for a majority of its voters. The shock of a hard Brexit on an already economically depressed region could have been that thing, but the NIP has helped insulate NI from those negative effects.

I don't believe that Sinn Fein are set to become the largest party on their UI policy so much as it is on their pro-NIP policy and an apparent drop off for DUP support as the latter stubbornly and blinkeredly opposes something that the majority of NI people seem to be in favour of.

If Sinn Fein turn around now and start going on in earnest about a border poll again, they'll really just be making a rod for their own back. They have to continue to play the long game, show why they're the fittest party to lead NI by addressing everyday economic and social issues, and basically hope that a UI is something that a majority of people in NI gradually come around to.

United Ireland has its own page on their website.

This is another issue. There seems to be an assumption that an ordinary Irish person like me would be prepared to give up my flag, my anthem, accept some demented 'democratic' formula on representation, join the commonwealth and all this craic to appease some angry unionists.

Digging a hole for themselves on that one.

"I do not claim to speak for every nationalist/republican, but from my own perspective I was really annoyed at FG/FG and Labour reps out pictured canvassing alongside SDLP reps, simply because they (FG/FF LAB) reps ignored us for decades until it looks inevitable that their power sharing reign is about to end.

Michael Martin, Neal Richmond etc weren't on our doorsteps canvassing for SDLP, they were canvassing for people not to vote Sinn Fein."

Eh.. you do realise that this just maybe, because Sinn Féin are the political wing of what was not long ago a violent Republican organisation. You have heard I presume of the strategy of 'an armalite in one hand and a ballot box in the other'? An organisation that also considered the Republic's government as not legitimate and who murdered members of our defence forces and Gardaí.

We don't forget those things down south and it's why the vote in SF in the Republic is self limiting as there are still many who lived through those times and know what they were about. It's also explains why southern parties like FF or FG or Lab are much more comfortable supporting the SDLP or Alliance etc.