Assembly Elections.

This wasn't even on the news headlines this morning.
Anyone up north hazard a guess at any swings or trends?
I would have thought that the procrastination of the DUP may have brought a few voters back to the Ulster Unionists, no?

How many pointless elections have they had at this stage?

Assembly MP must be worlds easiest job as they still get paid but don't have any Assembly to turn up to.

Is this an end to all those terrible party broadcasts on BBC?

Originally Posted by Schumi

Is this an end to all those terrible party broadcasts on BBC?

If Ulster Unionism has a rep for being retentive ...then the UUP must've decided it's something their target market identifies with because the steel rod up their efforts ass had a steel rod up it's ass. Also looked like it was filmed and edited by transition year students.

Could the SDLP & UUP form some kind of coalition?Looks like the only way they can compete.

Originally Posted by cheifo

Could the SDLP & UUP form some kind of coalition?Looks like the only way they can compete.

No, sectarianism is institutionalised in the assembly. The two biggest parties from each side have to share power.

Slugger O'Toole is down ... probably melted with the excitement.

Info on the first counts, etc., here: http://www.politics.ie/viewforum.php?f=11

NORTHERN IRELAND: LATEST RESULTS
Party Seats Seats +/- Votes* Votes % +/-%
DUP 8 135,601 30.7 +5.3
SF 8 111,744 25.3 +3.0
SDLP 1 62,899 14.3 -2.0
UUP 0 64,021 14.5 -7.9

Sad to see the DUP & SF gaining support as it just encourages bigotry.

Originally Posted by pete

NORTHERN IRELAND: LATEST RESULTS
Party Seats Seats +/- Votes* Votes % +/-%
DUP 8 135,601 30.7 +5.3
SF 8 111,744 25.3 +3.0
SDLP 1 62,899 14.3 -2.0
UUP 0 64,021 14.5 -7.9

Sad to see the DUP & SF gaining support as it just encourages bigotry.

I agree,depressing.Only good news is seemingly good performance for Alliance party.

SF 14 seats
DUP 13 seats
SDLP 2 seats
UUP 1 seat
Alliance 1 seat

SF and DUP running away with their respective communities. The SDLP and UUP will make up some ground once the transfers start pushing them over the quota but it seems a further increase for the polarising parties.

The UUP vote has really gone through the floor. Interestingly not all of its vote has drifted to the DUP. The Alliance party is polling well and seems to be picking up some of that UUP drift. The Unionist electorate seems to have really lost faith in that party.

SDLP vote is down but not as acute as the UUP. There's also a mild drift in general towards more neutral or non-partisan parties.

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

No, sectarianism is institutionalised in the assembly. The two biggest parties from each side have to share power.

Not exactly a false divide though, is it?
What alternative would you propose?

Originally Posted by pete

Sad to see the DUP & SF gaining support as it just encourages bigotry.

I think you'll find the more votes SF get the faster they'll sprint towards the middle ground and away from any "ideals" they may have once held

It's happening already...........

Originally Posted by Risteard

Not exactly a false divide though, is it?
What alternative would you propose?

It is and it isn't. What has happened in Northern Ireland since the good Friday agreement is that this sectarian divide has been strengthened. There should have been attempts made to weaken it but by and large it is very difficult for parties who fall outside of the Nationalist/Unionist categorisation to make any sort of impact. Powersharing is inherantly flawed and undemocratic. It forces deputies that get elected to the assembly to declare themselves Unionist or Nationalist. Where do non sectarian candidates fit into this? They don't. The assembly elections are simply a sectarian headcount.
In northern society, some communities that used to be mixed have fractured along sectarian lines which can only lead to conflict in the future.
Powersharing is doomed to failure and unfortunately there is no alternative on the basis of the sectarian politicians DUP, UUP, SF and SDLP who have forged this system in their own image. I've a feeling things in the north are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

BP, you raise some very valid criticisims. However, Consociational government is often the only way to bring such a highly fractured society forward. Democracy can and did lead to Unionists wielding their given majority power over the nationalists. This system creates stability out of conflict. Such set ups have given stability to the likes of Holland and transitional South Africa, though it did fail Lebannon.

It is undemocratic however and institutionalises and crystalises the fragmentation of Northern Irish society. Like yourself, I don''t really see an alternative.

I was very pleased to see the Green Party get their first ever MLA as Brian Wilson was elected in North Down, getting 2,839 first preference votes. Also the Alliance Party gained an extra seat this time around, Anna Lo was the first MLA from an ethnic minority. Good to see at least some people not voting in the tribal manner.

Originally Posted by holidaysong

I was very pleased to see the Green Party get their first ever MLA as Brian Wilson was elected in North Down.

He must have been picking up good vibrations!

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

It is and it isn't. What has happened in Northern Ireland since the good Friday agreement is that this sectarian divide has been strengthened. There should have been attempts made to weaken it but by and large it is very difficult for parties who fall outside of the Nationalist/Unionist categorisation to make any sort of impact. Powersharing is inherantly flawed and undemocratic. It forces deputies that get elected to the assembly to declare themselves Unionist or Nationalist. Where do non sectarian candidates fit into this? They don't. The assembly elections are simply a sectarian headcount.
In northern society, some communities that used to be mixed have fractured along sectarian lines which can only lead to conflict in the future.
Powersharing is doomed to failure and unfortunately there is no alternative on the basis of the sectarian politicians DUP, UUP, SF and SDLP who have forged this system in their own image. I've a feeling things in the north are going to get a lot worse before they get better.

I'm unconvinced.
SF and DUP grew for different reasons.
Along with their move to the centre, SF also had the military activity as a negotiating tool. Thus concessions to nationalism are generally seen as SF victories.
The DUP grew because it demanded of the Provos what Trimble wouldn't.

As devolution goes, i reckon its the best option but i don't necessarily think devolution is a great thing.

UUP lost 1/3 of its vote down to 15%
DUP now up top 30%

Those numbers point to massive shift from middle to extremes.

I can't see devolution working. The governments are basically trying to bribe them with "funding". Even if they do get their act together this month its only a matter of time before it collapses again. You'd swear NI voters did not want to be governed locally & I see the logic in that...

63% turnout its bad considering the history...

Who are these parties? Can you be called a party if get 0.1% of the National Vote? The ProC who ever muct not even have more than 22 members & friends...

UKIP 0 1,229
PBP 0 774
Soc 0 0 473
WP 0 0 975
LP 0 0 123
MPH 0 221
ProC 0 22