QuoteAt the cost of using an Americanism, sneakers.
Waders.Originally Posted by backtowalsall
At the cost of using an Americanism, sneakers.
You can't spell failure without FAI
The DUP have taken advantage of the polarisation of politics in the North and reduced their opposition to barely any credible presence. If that isn't a hegemony, I don't know what is....
As for the Tories being inflicted on the North, given their record in Britain, why would even the insane in the Ballymena 'bible belt' be remotely interested in their latest form of aiding the rich and moral bankruptcy in general.
Similarly Labour, LD's & FF who whilst not as bad, have hardly covered themselves in glory in recent times.
They're hardly going to add anything positive to Northern politics, which based on electoral evidence isn't remotely interested in them.
Except they're standing just in the North of Ireland.They're totally unionist only in the sense of being non-nationalist (ie like every party in Britain bar SNP, Plaid Cymru and, er Meibion Kernow). Although you could say they're closer to unionist than nationalist politics and get most of their support in majority-unionist areas.
And maintaining the 'status quo' is a default unionist position in my book.
And again that of most nationalist voters. 90% of whom would never consider voting for them, unless it was to get rid of a bigot like Peter Robinson. Which is the only thing they'd ever be good for.
Finally reuniting the SF of old. Bleugh.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Except Labour never formed part of Sinn Féin, as they were founded in 1912, long before independence. Ritchie is ruling out mergers with any Southern party, but it's hard to see how they can regain ground otherwise.
Sorry for the implication of Labour being part of SF. I was mainly talking about the Workers Party etc and its various iterations.
You may find it hard to believe that they can't gain ground any other way other than through a merger but I can't understand how some people believe that the SDLP will be invigorated by the dynamic souls of FF.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
You're right.
SDLP & Labour makes far more sense. Though agree their policies don't match currently. More of a Lib-Lab.pact to give it a British analogy.
There would be incredible social tension in that arrangement. Southern lefties just couldn't do business with northern "Green Tories". The SDLP are no longer the "we shall overcome" party. They have grown old, rich, and their membership have moved to the right.
The problem with SF over the last decade has been the "whiff of sulphur" as Ryan Tubridy referred to it tonight when talking to Eamon Gilmore. But that is changing. After the next election SF in the Dail will be a selection of people like Pearse Doherty (33), Tomás Sharkey (34), Toiréasa Ferris (30), Pádraig MacLochlainn (35/36) and Mary Lou McDonald (41). Given that at the time of the ceasefire they were 17, 18, 14, 19/20 and 25, its hard to attach so much as a whiff to them, compared to the current SF TD's.
Which is probably part of why Gilmore was trying to draw the distinction with SF on policy rather than moral grounds (he himself was in Official Sinn Fein). He recognises that eventually he will have to do business with them, and that he probably can do business with them.
The likelihood is that after the next election no party will have a mandate to govern, or even be the senior party within a coalition. The bookies suggest something along the lines of
Fine Gael: 51-55
Fianna Fail: 46-55
Labour: 46-50
SF: 6-7
Green: 1
Having watched the PD's and Greens be destroyed by government, I doubt SF will be willing to race into government as a small coalition partner, and a FG-Lab coalition doesn't need them anyway. Obviously there will be a few independents, but it is very possible to see a scenario where some kind of arrangement between Labour and SF comes about to make them the biggest party in the Dail and make Gilmore Taoiseach.
Furthermore, if SF and Labour can take the best of both parties they could become a very credible outfit. Labour get republican credentials, experience of government in the north, and a name seeped in history from SF, SF get respectability and serious economic and European policy platforms from Labour, and together they unite they reunite the traditions of Connolly and Pearse. I know it sounds a bit pie in the sky, but anything can happen in coalition negotiations.
If they pulled it off, FF and the SDLP would hop into bed quicker than 2 arts college freshers, and FG would be stuck between a 'Fianna Fail - The Republican Party' rock, and a 'Sinn Fein - The Labour Party' hard place. They couldn't possibly put FF back into power, so they would be forced to become a junior coalition party, and take all the sh1t that comes with the job.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
That argument definitely has its merits and recognise SF is a more natural bedfellow to the ILP, though they don't seem as credible or respected (unsurprisingly!) in the current Irish state over their status in the North.
And the ILP voters I know seem closer to the SDLP in their stance on many issues, though would be delighted to be proved wrong generally.
Stopped reading after that!!! I mean come on!!!! Ryan Turgidy, please!!!!
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