Stormont Election 2022

Actually, not, it may be just a historical anomaly, but the bad blood between Ireland and the UK has meant that the Border Commission never got going, and leading to the situation whereby the border has remained completely unchanged, in comparison to other countries where technical adjustments are often made and more fundamental changes occurred at other times. San Marino and Andorra would be older, but hard to find a member of the EU with a border as fixed as ours.

I don't know about that. Schengen developments may see other borders disappear much more quickly.

I am not making things up. I have produced evidence and facts in relation to other borders, it seems that only Andorra and San Marino borders are older in terms of change. Some of the changes may only be technical, others may be more fundamental arising from WW2 and the fall of the Berlin Wall, but none of that changes the fact that it is among the oldest unchanged borders in Europe.

You may hold the opinion that it is unremarkable, but you can't change the facts.

So as far as I can see there is nothing in the Queen (or Charlies) speech proposing legislation which disapplies or removes the NIP or giving power to ministers to do so. Where does that leave the DUP? Have they once again been duped into believing BoJo (or Frosty or Truss etc) was going to get them out of the corner they painted themselves into on the NIP but have once again been let down because when push comes to shove tory threats to unilaterally break the WA are nothing more than hot air designed to pander to the ERG/DUP et all without there ever being any intent to follow through as BoJo and co know that doing so would trigger a set of events which would make a very bad situation even worse.

Sad to see Leo leader of Fine Gael the party which at its foundation considered calling itself the "United Ireland Party" portraying with glee a reduction in the overall Nationalist representation?

The John Bruton doctrine of being neutral regarding the north is sadly alive and well!

SDLP, what do they stand for anymore. Like the Shinners some very anti-catholic rhetoric ironically from some of their candidates?

Maybe FG and FF and SDLP should all merge! yeah like that would happen.

The Shinner's jackboots will kick you into line (or out) if you verge from the partys central command line!

I was moaning about constituencies with no Nationalist MLA's, and that Nationalism lost MLA's and I blame the SF/SDLP for alienating many nationalists, and I blame FF (since FG seems to support alliance now) for not organising in the North not the alliance with SDLP which I am sure nobody noticed!

Little-Pengelly (should look up her father if you've never heard of him, didn't realise who he was until today) will hand the seat back if he ever decides he wants it; and DUP voters won't punish him for the stunt like virtually any other parties voters would.

Clears the way for the DUP to nominate a Deputy First Minister in time, as it won't be the party leader and they can downgrade the status of First Minister posts to their constituency. Not a bit surprised.

Hes got a worse record than a stopped clock at this stage

Question Time is from Belfast tonight.

I was saving it for some breakfast viewing.

one party taking a quarter of the vote is classed as 'only'?

I'm watching it now. Skipped over the energy windfall part. Now we're into the protocol. Of course the DUP plant in the audience was apoplectic about the protocol. Leading ELP to go off on one. Robert Buckland also seemingly forgot his government signed up to it. In other words, no surprise.