Jacksgranda Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 8 hours ago, moses1924 said: What do think the chances are of the DUP and UUP merging @Jacksgrandawould seem to be the only way to beat SF, or maybe they come to an agreement not to stand against each other? See below On 22/05/2023 at 13:06, Jacksgranda said: No, there are elements within the UUP who hate the DUP, and would rather let a nationalist win a seat as vote DUP, even when it's the only sensible option if you want unionist representation. The DUP constantly call for unionists to come together and say there are too many unionist parties but that is as far as it ever seems to go - as far as I know there has never been a serious attempt to get all the unionists under one umbrella. Anyway the TUV will hardly go back to the DUP, Jim Allister is one of the DUP's sternest critics, I think he would dissolve the TUV and retire from politics before he would sanction a DUP/TUV merger. I imagine however, that most TUV voters would return to the fold. The PUP might consider merging, but they are a miniscule party in terms of seats and voters. Where would their voters go if there was no PUP (which looks increasingly likely)? Who knows. The DUP and the UUP have often co-operated in the past by fielding an agreed candidate to maximise the unionist vote, but that's it. They may try that agian in a general election, but it doesn't work at Assembly/council level. The % of the vote that went to unionists is the same as 20 years ago, I heard on Radio Ulster, so the "problem" (apart from getting apathetic unionists to actually vote) is not that the unionist vote is shrinking per se, it is that the nationalist/republican vote is coalescing around Sinn Fein - one party, (while the SDLP withers on the vine) whereas the unionist vote is split 3 ways. A merger of the unionist parties certainly makes sense, providing everybody who currently votes for a unionist party then votes for the new, improved unionist party, which I don't think will happen for reasons as stated above - basically some unionists hate other unionists more than they detest Sinn Fein, and a proportion of liberal unionists will vote for the Alliance Party. After all, if you are a liberal unionist, why vote for a pale imitation when you can vote for the real thing? Similarly there are those within the SDLP who would never contemplate voting SF, but they are a dying breed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedEd Posted June 9, 2023 Share Posted June 9, 2023 On 06/06/2023 at 20:08, Jacksgranda said: Alliance going to court to try to get the count redone in Derry & Strabane where they lost both their seats, the one they are querying by only 49 votes with 150 transfers unaccounted for. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65817311 Can't see them getting a lot of transfers from the DUP. I'm not sure a recount would give them the seat even if they did get enough transfers. Legally binding documents have been signed, both by the returning officer and the successful SDLP candidate. I think the only option for the court would be to declare the result void, resulting a by-election. Going by the result from last month Sinn Fein would walk it. The result for the Winchester constituency at the 1997 General Election was successfully challenged in court, which declared it void. The by-election resulted in the Lib Dems increasing their majority from 2 to 21,500. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 Donegal finally joins Northern Ireland 102 years on: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65946040 My grandfather would have been a happy camper. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossilYM Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 54 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said: Donegal finally joins Northern Ireland 102 years on: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65946040 My grandfather would have been a happy camper. Then you start to read the article and realise they don't like Gay people. Now't to see here, move along. -2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 In other news Finn Harps may be from Ballybofey but their blue jerseys would certainly see them voted into the WoS thanks to the influence of the banjo picking contingent from deepest darkest Ayrshire. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Cost of living crisis hits bonfire season. Quote South East Antrim UDA bosses have cut criminal cash supplies to their bonfires and ex-prisoners following a series of damaging PSNI drug seizures. The terror gang’s leaders are blaming losing more than £500,000 of cocaine and cannabis in the past year as the reason why this summer’s bonfires will be smaller. In the past they would have provided money to SEA UDA ‘commanders’ in each of its battalion areas to buy wooden pallets for the Eleventh night pyres. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/uda-cuts-cash-for-bonfire-pallets-as-it-counts-cost-of-500k-cop-drug-raids/a1381480371.html I always assumed the pallets were nicked. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Means less Ivory Coast flags getting torched I suppose. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 2 hours ago, welshbairn said: Cost of living crisis hits bonfire season. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/uda-cuts-cash-for-bonfire-pallets-as-it-counts-cost-of-500k-cop-drug-raids/a1381480371.html I always assumed the pallets were nicked. How very dare you. They may be criminals, but they're not thieves. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fullerene Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 Can't they reach an agreement with the PSNI to burn all that cocaine in a giant bonfire? Surely that would please everyone. Just an idea. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDuffman Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 (edited) 5 hours ago, welshbairn said: Cost of living crisis hits bonfire season. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sunday-life/news/uda-cuts-cash-for-bonfire-pallets-as-it-counts-cost-of-500k-cop-drug-raids/a1381480371.html I always assumed the pallets were nicked. Is that them not opening themselves up to criminal charges there? Admitting that they are involved in the drugs trade? Polis probably knew or suspected but they've kind of admitted it. Edited June 27, 2023 by MacDuffman 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStu Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 On 19/06/2023 at 22:08, PossilYM said: Then you start to read the article and realise they don't like Gay people. Now't to see here, move along. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PossilYM Posted June 27, 2023 Share Posted June 27, 2023 56 minutes ago, DiscoStu said: Team Larkhall Thistle 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 (edited) Maybe it's time the Unionist parties changed their approach to the EU. https://www.europeanmovement.ie/em-ireland-eu-poll/ Belfast Telegraph Edited July 3, 2023 by welshbairn 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClydeTon Posted July 3, 2023 Share Posted July 3, 2023 NI is all but officially part of the EU anyway. Open border with the Republic, in the trade area, following EU Regulations. The only thing Britain/WM holds over NI is that cultural and political power, the former of which is dwindling and the latter could be easily scuppered by the GFA, if a border poll is called. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Golden God Posted December 15, 2023 Share Posted December 15, 2023 This man’s twitter account has been absolutely tremendous value for years now but the past few weeks have somehow been even better. Absolutely unhinged stuff multiple times a day. See there is talk of them potentially reaching a deal in regards to the Protocol, although obviously the likes of Jamie aren’t pleased. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doulikefish Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 What's happening? Recall? New elections? Direct rule ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Golden God Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 1 hour ago, doulikefish said: What's happening? Recall? New elections? Direct rule ? If they get their wishes (they won’t) they’ll think of a new reason to boycott Stormont until a non Catholic FM is in power. Their new phrase is “Nationalist Supremacy” is what’s holding the country back. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btb Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 There is a Public Sector in NI strike today partly down to the Stormont impasse, surely a continued non co-operation stance from the DUP will further erode their support amongst all but the hardliners. Quote More than 150,000 expected to join public sector strike in Northern Ireland Sixteen unions take action as collapsed Stormont leaves pay for nurses, teachers and road workers stagnant. Public sector workers have launched one of the biggest strikes in Northern Ireland's history amid a dispute over pay and political deadlock. Sixteen unions representing nurses, teachers, transport workers, civil servants and other sectors started a joint action on Thursday that was expected to cause widespread disruption across the region. A last-ditch attempt to revive the moribund Stormont executive failed on Wednesday, leaving a question mark over whether devolution will ever return to Northern Ireland. The 24-hour action involving up to 170,000 workers – an estimated 80% of the public sector – will shut schools, disrupt hospitals and paralyse buses and trains. Road service workers, including those who grit roads, launched a week-long strike amid icy and snowy conditions, increasing an expectation that many private sector companies will shut for the day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
O'Kelly Isley III Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 14 hours ago, The Golden God said: If they get their wishes (they won’t) they’ll think of a new reason to boycott Stormont until a non Catholic FM is in power. Their new phrase is “Nationalist Supremacy” is what’s holding the country back. Like the Bourbons and the Boers their future will be consigned to the history books. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MazzyStar Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 18 minutes ago, O'Kelly Isley III said: Like the Bourbons and the Boers their future will be consigned to the history books. I’m pretty sure you can still buy bourbons in shops. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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