Election's Over, Move Along, Nothing To See Here !!

qwert_yuiop

motorguy wrote: »

Better still, run as a Sinn Fein candidate, then even if you do win, you dont even bother going to Parliament.

They don't get the salary.

guiriman

qwert_yuiop wrote: »

They don't get the salary.

They do actually go to parliament and have rights to have offices there and associated expenses. They've claimed thousands for second homes in London (which to be fair is no different from any other MP).

Mistral001

AntoMac wrote: »

I follow UK politics with interest I have to admit to not knowing as much as I should about NI politics.
Can someone please explain difference between UUP and DUP? I have always thought 2 Unionist parties could split the Unionist vote and let Sinn Fein in so always seemed a bit strange to me.
Is it all down to strict religious grounds? e.g. Protestants vote Unionist, catholics vote Sinn Fein or SDLP, with the Alliance Party being neither catholic or protestant.
Appreciate Northern Irish politics can be a bit of a touchy subject so apologies if I've got any of this wrong.

I would try Wiki for an answer to this one.


By the way it is not popular now, even among "impartial" commentators, to align any major NI party with any particular religious denomination as they all furiously defend their religious independence.

RikM

AntoMac wrote: »

I follow UK politics with interest I have to admit to not knowing as much as I should about NI politics.
Can someone please explain difference between UUP and DUP? I have always thought 2 Unionist parties could split the Unionist vote and let Sinn Fein in so always seemed a bit strange to me.
Is it all down to strict religious grounds? e.g. Protestants vote Unionist, catholics vote Sinn Fein or SDLP, with the Alliance Party being neither catholic or protestant.
Appreciate Northern Irish politics can be a bit of a touchy subject so apologies if I've got any of this wrong.

From another outsider's perspective, basically yes....
UUP used to have the bulk of the unionist vote during the violent times, as the more moderate unionist party. Then when "peace" arrived, the politics polarized, with votes shifting to SF and DUP, away from the more moderate parties. Sort of a "we can vote for the extremists, now that they aren't killing each other".
Voting can be very tactical (especially with local elections where preference voting applies). But the aim in each case seems to be to keep the other side out.

Normal parties haven't a hope here.

It's a bit of a killer, from a "policies" perspective, as you find that if one side takes a certain policy position, the other side has to oppose it (regardless of whether that makes any sense).
Where I am, only a Unionist is ever going to get elected, regardless of their actual policies...

jenheiffer

chunter wrote: »

Cameron has little or no time for Northern Ireland.

Nor has Labour or any of the 'Mainland' parties. They would all just love to be rid of us.

BigAl94

Can't say I blame them - we're a basket case!

irishjohn

I wonder how Sinn Fein feel about their abstention policy now - those 4 absent opposition votes strengthens the Conservative majority and buys them a bit more time.

warmhands.coldheart

irishjohn wrote: »

I wonder how Sinn Fein feel about their abstention policy now - those 4 absent opposition votes strengthens the Conservative majority and buys them a bit more time.

I'd actually look at it from a slightly different angle, I'd say Sinn Fein are relieved the Tories have a Majority. Had they been in a minority position of or a half a$$3d coalition, then potentially their 4 votes could have been the deciding Votes. In that case they would have been in a VERY tough place.
Take future decisions on Welfare Cuts...
Take their seats and vote, they'd be potentially in the position that they could vote down a piece of legislation but to do so they'd be criticised for sitting in a British Government.
Don't take their seats and don't vote, they'd be potentially in the position that they could vote down a piece of legislation but can't as they don't take their seats so they'd be criticised for not taking their chance to stop the cuts.

I'd say they're relived all round!! Can just now go back to the Old mantra now of Tory Cuts this, Tory cuts that !! It's those Tory cuts !! Blah, Blah, Blah !!

warmhands.coldheart

chunter wrote: »

Oath of Allegiance
http://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/oath-of-allegiance/

and the OP's right.
Cameron has little or no time for Northern Ireland and the cuts here are going to be absolutely vicious.

and Sinn Fein are bucked. They bargained on a Labour run government to save their skins. May be hugely important in terms of next year's Irish elections if they come across as politically incompetent.

Wouldn't say they are politically incompetent as they are usually quite good at "rallying the troops"

Economics on the other hand...... I can only assume that they have a couple of miracle gardeners working for them because I think they must recon Money grows on trees !!