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The DUP


Blootoon87

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On 09 June 2017 at 23:33, The_Kincardine said:

Quick question for our NI Brethren ITK and I'm looking at the likes of @LongTimeLurker, @Jacksgranda@Audaces Fortuna Juvat

It's many years since I met Big Ian so I'm happy to be updated but my impression is that The DUP would have nothing to do with anything so frivolous as football, far less Glasgow football and that the recent postings about Rangers and The DUP are ignorant and vexatious.

A meringue?  srs.

 

I would concur. Can't think of any who would be big football fans, although there must be some.

Edited by Audaces Fortuna Juvat
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10 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Can someone with a better knowledge of the statelet explain what has happened to the SDLP/UUP vote? Why have so many people, seemingly, switched to the two extreme parties?

To try and keep the other extreme party out. I was a North Belfast voter when I lived at home so I would probably have had to go against the grain and vote DUP as SF were breathing down their necks. Sad but very true for all too many people. I would be inclined to vote UUP or possibly Alliance if the threat of SF was not there.

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6 minutes ago, Audaces Fortuna Juvat said:

I would concur. Can't think of any who would be big football fans, although there must be some.

Nigel Dodds was on Radio 5 a while back (during the period when Paisley was politically assassinated and the DUP leadership was being squabbled over) presenting himself as a massive Everton fan...

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2 minutes ago, Audaces Fortuna Juvat said:

To try and keep the other extreme party out. I was a North Belfast voter when I lived at home so I would probably have had to go against the grain and vote DUP as SF were breathing down their necks. Sad but very true for all too many people. I would be inclined to vote UUP or possibly Alliance if the threat of SF was not there.

Aye, but both the UUP and the SDLP are fading away at Stormont, too, despite the fact you don't have to top the poll, or anywhere near it, to get elected, although reducing constituencies to 5 seats only didn't do either party any favours either.

SF could get 4 seats in Mid Ulster (Stormont constituency) next time out, leaving the SDLP with none, the UUP lost their seat last time out.

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48 minutes ago, Bully Wee Villa said:

Can someone with a better knowledge of the statelet explain what has happened to the SDLP/UUP vote? Why have so many people, seemingly, switched to the two extreme parties?

How long have you got?

They've both been guilty of the same things inconsistency, poor leadership and unclear idealogy,  the Shinners and the DUP love them or hate then have been strong on all these points.

The UUP have basically been a shambles since the GFA , dreadful leaders like Reg Empey and Tom Elliott lost a lot of support,focused on silly campaign slogans like "Decent People Vote Ulster Unionists" (honestly, that was the slogan), they also lost popular figures to the DUP, most noticeably Jeffrey Donaldson and Arlene Foster who were far more aligned to the definitive stance of the DUP. Mike Nesbitt showed signs of improvement but again was unclear with his idealogy, asking Unionists to vote for the SDLP in areas is always a hard sell ,even though some do vote to keep SinnFein out it's never easy coming from a Unionist leader,the DUP just would never do it.

The SDLP have been in pretty much the same situation, they haven't been able to replace their top politicians with the same quality as before and the rise of SinnFein has driven voters to them, again SinnFein have a clear mandate whereas nobody really knows what the SDLP want, politics around the UK has become very clear ,left or right , nationalist or Unionists ,yes or no. N.I is no different which is what we saw in the election. A lot of people who would have voted for SDLP beforehand now are happy to vote SinnFein because they don't just appeal to a hard-line armed struggle believer , their electorate is made up of middle class and young people who can clearly see that they have stronger politicians in their party.

Can't see it changing any time soon ,perhaps we will end up with one unionist party and one nationalist, this would leave a lot of voters in limbo which is where the Alliance could step up but again they are at times in affective and perhaps lean towards the equality for all rhetoric too much as opposed to any conviction in their ideals.

 

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8 minutes ago, Co.Down Hibee said:

How long have you got?

They've both been guilty of the same things inconsistency, poor leadership and unclear idealogy,  the Shinners and the DUP love them or hate then have been strong on all these points.

The UUP have basically been a shambles since the GFA , dreadful leaders like Reg Empey and Tom Elliott lost a lot of support,focused on silly campaign slogans like "Decent People Vote Ulster Unionists" (honestly, that was the slogan), they also lost popular figures to the DUP, most noticeably Jeffrey Donaldson and Arlene Foster who were far more aligned to the definitive stance of the DUP. Mike Nesbitt showed signs of improvement but again was unclear with his idealogy, asking Unionists to vote for the SDLP in areas is always a hard sell ,even though some do vote to keep SinnFein out it's never easy coming from a Unionist leader,the DUP just would never do it.

The SDLP have been in pretty much the same situation, they haven't been able to replace their top politicians with the same quality as before and the rise of SinnFein has driven voters to them, again SinnFein have a clear mandate whereas nobody really knows what the SDLP want, politics around the UK has become very clear ,left or right , nationalist or Unionists ,yes or no. N.I is no different which is what we saw in the election. A lot of people who would have voted for SDLP beforehand now are happy to vote SinnFein because they don't just appeal to a hard-line armed struggle believer , their electorate is made up of middle class and young people who can clearly see that they have stronger politicians in their party.

Can't see it changing any time soon ,perhaps we will end up with one unionist party and one nationalist, this would leave a lot of voters in limbo which is where the Alliance could step up but again they are at times in affective and perhaps lean towards the equality for all rhetoric too much as opposed to any conviction in their ideals.

 

Very good

I always give the SDLP a vote at council/Stormont level. Sucker for lost causes, me!

Edited by Jacksgranda
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It seems ironic from the outside that the more moderate parties did better during the troubles; yet now there's peace, the more extreme parties get to dominate.

I suppose though that it's maybe not ironic, but sort of consistent with the idea of the ballot box now being seen as the avenue worth pursuing.

I feel a bit guilty about not paying much attention to Northern Irish politics until now.

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2 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

It seems ironic from the outside that the more moderate parties did better during the troubles; yet now there's peace, the more extreme parties get to dominate.

I suppose though that it's maybe not ironic, but sort of consistent with the idea of the ballot box now being seen as the avenue worth pursuing.

I feel a bit guilty about not paying much attention to Northern Irish politics until now.

I don't feel a bit guilty about not paying much attention to it.

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3 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes, but you get to choose to ignore it from a position of having some insight.

I'm just pretty ignorant.

Well, I'm not too au fait with what's going on in Scotland (politically and other ways), but it doesn't bother me. Or stop me commenting from time to time! :lol:

At least you admit you don't know much about us, unlike a lot of other posters, who just come galloping in with their "MUSSES BUNFIELD", bigots, backwoodsmen, sectarian, sky fairy, 17th century comments, while having the square root of f*** all insight.

Not that I'm bothered...

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4 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes, but you get to choose to ignore it from a position of having some insight.

I'm just pretty ignorant.

Northern Ireland is a small and in the grand scheme of things insignificant place. I can't imagine many people outside of it taking too much interest in all honesty.

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3 hours ago, LongTimeLurker said:

I'm an atheist as well and share that posture although I'd use gentler language like deluded. Closer to home why do we still have faith schools? NI isn't the only place in the UK where the religiously observant tail still wags the dog.

Would agree re. most moderate religious folk but the hardline preachers of any faith are crackpots.

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1 hour ago, Jacksgranda said:

Well, I'm not too au fait with what's going on in Scotland (politically and other ways), but it doesn't bother me. Or stop me commenting from time to time! :lol:

At least you admit you don't know much about us, unlike a lot of other posters, who just come galloping in with their "MUSSES BUNFIELD", bigots, backwoodsmen, sectarian, sky fairy, 17th century comments, while having the square root of f*** all insight.

Not that I'm bothered...

You missed out bonfire builders

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