Nominations closed
Apparently there are over 250 candidates, the names of whom will be published here.
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Voices from the Grave
Coming up to the Halloween holiday, some people might be frightened of the idea of Voices from the Grave – but for others, the chance to hear an oral history of the Troubles from the mouths of two (in)famous protagonists, PUP leader and former UVF member David Ervine, and Brendan “The Dark” Hughes, is not [...] read our review »
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Ulsters Last Stand?: Can Unionism Move Beyond Insurance Policy Politics?
How has Ulster unionism arrived at where it is today – fractured and uncertain, yet dominated electorally by the DUP, a party that tells us it offers unionists sure footing in uncertain times? In his latest book, Ulster’s Last Stand? Reconstructing Unionism after the Peace Process (Irish Academic Press, 2010), Prof. James McAuley from the [...] read our review »
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Sunday Supplement
It being Sunday, we’ve all got time to consider and ponder things at greater length than during the working week, yes? If it’s good enough for the Sunday papers, it’s good enough for this guest blogger. So here’s the review section… Actually, it’s my introduction to a book published last year, Goin’ Down Slow: selected [...] read our review »
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Thanks Slarti
McCartney of North Down notorious
Canvassed hard to be MLA glorious
Not just for one seat
But for six -what conceit
If his electoral bid proves victorious .
For this electoral Olympiad
McCartney has now gone quite mad
Not once nor twice
But now two times thrice
Next time could he please try Baghdad ?
Quite surprised at the number of Green Party candidates standing.
Also quite a lot of Conservatives.
256 candidates standing.
By party:
DUP 46 in all constituencies.
UUP 38 in all constituencies.
SF 37 in all constituencies.
SDLP 35 in all constituencies.
Alliance 18 in 17 constituencies (giving Deeny a free run in West Tyrone).
UKUP 13 in 13 constituencies (all bar East Belfast, West Belfast, Foyle, Newry & Armagh, Upper Bann).
Green 13 in 13 constituencies (all bar West Belfast, FST, North Antrim, Mid Ulster, West Tyrone).
Tories 9 in 9 constituencies (East Belfast, South Belfast, East Antrim, Lagan Valley, North Down, South Antrim, South Down, Strangford, Upper Bann).
Stickies 6 in 6 constituencies (four Belfasts, Lagan Valley, South Antrim).
RSF 6 in 6 constituencies (on ballot as Indies in West Belfast, East Derry, FST, Mid Ulster, Upper Bann, West Tyrone).
Rainbow George Weiss in 4 Belfast seats.
PUP in 3 (East Belfast, South Belfast, North Down).
Socialists in 2 (East and South Belfast).
Labour in South Down.
Socialist Environmental Alliance in Foyle.
UKIP in South Down.
ProCapitalism in South Belfast.
People Before Profit in West Belfast.
Definite anti-policing republicans indies in 4 constituencies (FST, Foyle, Newry & A, North Antrim).
Possible 5th in South Down (not sure why Martin Cunningham left Sinn Fein but he pulled a half-decent vote in the Mournes in the council elections).
16 other ‘independents’ including definitively wacky bigots: Frazer in Newry and Foyle, Berry in Newry, Cedric Wilson in Strangford and Calvery and Peeples in Upper Bann. Not bigoted but nuts: Chambers and especially Carter in North Down, Hutchinson in Mid Ulster and I think Anderson in East Antrim. Quite serious: Deeny in West Tyrone, McCord in North Belfast.
I’ll admit to knowing little about the James Gregg (North Antrim), David Gregg (Strangford) or Geoffrey Wilson (South Belfast). I suspect they are all unionists who lean a little to the right.
There is no unionist anti-St. Andrew’s candidate in West Belfast, Foyle or, amazingly, East Belfast.
There is no anti-policing republican candidate in East, North or South Belfast, South or East Antrim, Lagan Valley, North Down, Strangford and possibly South Down. North blooming Belfast!!! What a crowd of amateurs.
18 candidates in South Belfast.
16 in North Down, South Down and Upper Bann.
15 in East Belfast and Strangford.
14, the modal number of candidates, in North Belfast, West Belfast, East Antrim, East Derry, Foyle, Lagan Valley and South Antrim.
13 in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and North Antrim.
12 in Newry and Armagh and West Tyrone.
Why do so many no hope independents run in election after election.
Sammy,
Is Lady Sylvia really allowed to nominate two candidates?
I’ll answer my own question, she can sign six.
Oh Lord!!! Cedric Wilson is back in Strangford.
Robert Sinclair Saulters is being very ‘ecumenical’ in North Antrim; he’s endorsed the two Paisleys (DUP) as well as Robert Swann (UUP).
SM
Not bigoted but nuts: Chambers and especially Carter in North Down, Hutchinson in Mid Ulster and I think Anderson in East Antrim.
Can you elaborate on the reasons for their non-bigoted nuttiness? Any of them go in for tin-foil helmets?
Martin Cunnigham left SF about 5 years ago unhappy about the leadership’s approach to the Peace process. He would most certainly be an anti-policing republican candidate. He just coped on to the way things were going before many others.
Sammy – Could you not include Brian Wilson (North Down) in your “Not bigoted but nuts:” category? North Down seems to have more that it’d fair share of looney candidates.
Any of them go in for tin-foil helmets?
Chris Carter. In a big way.
Martin Cunnigham left SF about 5 years ago unhappy about the leadership’s approach to the Peace process. He would most certainly be an anti-policing republican candidate.
Thanks for the info.
Could you not include Brian Wilson (North Down) in your “Not bigoted but nuts:†category?
He’s standing for a serious political party. Would you really like me to list all the DUP candidates who are loose a few screws?
Sammy,
Cunningham left after being deselected by the party leadership and replaced with Catriona Ruane. He had no difference on policy until he found out he was thought to be a weak candidate the party leadership would not endorse.
His politics changed radically on being deselected. His deslection was not grassrots based like Hyland’s who similarly had an immediate policy Road to Damascus conversion.
Martin Cunningham saga – the strange tale of Catriona Ruane and a parachute.
If Bob (I love myself and hate everyone else) McCartney was by some terrible electoral horror script to win more than one seat he would have to choose which seat he wished to represent – nobody can be a member for more than one seat. As substitutes can only be called upon when a vacancy occurs by a member his substitutes would not be used as he never became the member for his rejected constituency(ies). A bye-election would occur or the next candidate in the constituency he did not choose would get the seat. Clear isn’t it.
Alternatively one Bob McCartney could sue one of the other Bob McCartneys for electoral personation and bring another Bob McCartney as a witness. They could all be represented in court by other Bob McCartneys. Afterall they have over 180 years experience at the Bar among them.
Nevin
Thanks for the link. It will be interesting to see where Cunningham’s transfers go.
Sean Og
From my perspective most politicians are nuts. You would need to be to get involved.
The funny thing about the Martin Cunninham saga is that the SF leadership’s canidate who took Cunningham’s council seat in Mourne (Martin Connolly) has now also resigned from SF. Connolly, who is currently Deputy Mayor of Newry & Mourne was opposed to the PSNI/RUC move. Is he just a slow learner? The Mourne area which was very quiet during the conflict now seems to be a hot-bed of Republicanism.
It will be interesting to see how many votes Cunningham gets and the impact it has on the last seat which will probably be a fight between PSF and the SDLP.
One noticeable absentee in Upper Bann is Tom French of the Workers Party. Whatever ones opinions about the party, Tom is well got on a personal level around Lurgan and Craigavon. Been there for decades. I suppose age has caught up on him
Sean Og
The Green candidate is from the Mournes and is a sitting councillor. They got about 1600 votes in the constituency in the council elections and have another councillor in Downpatrick. In this constituency the Greens should be well ahead of Alliance and should gain from their transfers. They could also benefit from the former Women’s Coalition vote which was respectable and may get some Unionist transfers.
Some of the former SF supporters could well either vote for or transfer to the Greens. Unlike the SDLP they are an all Ireland Party.
I am not suggesting that they are likely to win, but they could pull in a very strong vote and you never know. Also they are likely to have a larger impact on the final outcome than Cunningham. Here and in North Down they are the Jokers in the pack and I for one am not at all sure how to read it.
Greens are one of the considerations that make the election interesting as for me the peeing contests between the SDLP and SF and the DUP and the UUP are utterly facile. They are all over represented already by my reckoning. What difference would it make to NI if all these parties lost or gained 4 or 5 seats? No difference whatsoever! Pointless contests to all but the participants.
“Sammy Morse” is fairly free and easy about the people he pronounces “bigots”. It’s easily a defamatory term – especially in the context of those seeking elected office in NI – and personally I hope at least one of them takes action about this slur.
Crataegus – I agree with you that the Greens could do relatively well in North Down and South Down but it is relative. They are well short of a quota in both constituencies and will probably need an increase of 20% in first preferences to stay in the race for the last seat. Not impossible but unlikely this time round.
Martin Cunningham will probably poll over 1,000 on the first count in South Down. He got nearly 600 in the council election. Where his transfers go will help determine the winner of the last seat. The majority will probably not transfer but some will go back to PSF.
I wouldn’t expect the Greens to gain any. In South Down they are seen by Republicans as linked to the Stickies. Green candiate for Westminister last time, Raymond Blaney, was a former WP councillor and the current candidate Mussan would have been considered close to them through family connections in the past.
Sean Og
Thanks that bit of local information was useful. Greens are an odd group to try and get a handle on. Do you know anything about their current councillor in Downpatrick Bill Corry?
The votes that Mussen and Cunningham get will very much depend on the amount of activists they have. It would be a hard constituency to cover. It seems Greens are trying to build cross border cooperation and that could prove interesting.
Both Cunningham and Greens will get very respectable votes. It is becoming clear that what the likes of Cummingham were saying about SF is true. I expect SFs vote to drop I have no doubt that there is considerable dissatisfaction going back some time and that is now surfacing.
“There is no anti-policing republican candidate in East, North or South Belfast, South or East Antrim, Lagan Valley, North Down, Strangford and possibly South Down. North blooming Belfast!!! What a crowd of amateurs.”
Not much point standing in strongly unionist areas when resources are limited…North Belfast is strange although there is an independent candidate standing there called Raymond McCord…I assume this is the father of the Raymond McCord Jnr., the one killed by the UVF informer and the subject of the McLoan report on collusion. The decision to give him a free run in North Belfast may be to embarass the Provos/Brit. govt. (former RUC officers still serving in the PSNI, MI5, etc.) and highlight collusion(?).
seabhac siúlach
Interesting point, because I can’t see all being sweetness and light for SF in the Republican areas of N Belfast.
I for one would like to see Raymond McCord do well. On a point of principle I would vote for him if I could.
“I’m afraid it appears that George has took the hump with his former party and wants his revenge, he might cause them to miss on an extra seat in Strangford, but he’s unlikely to be back on his Stormont salary.”
As I recall it, when a sitting MP is defeated at a general election he receives a parachute payment of 50% of his salary, thus explaining why so many dead wood MPs hang on for one last hurrah. I have been told that this applies to MLAs too, but have been unable to check- anyone know?
Not much point standing in strongly unionist areas when resources are limited
North Belfast is not a ‘strongly’ unionist area. The Nationalist vote varies between 43% and 47%. It is a less ‘strongly’ unionist constituency than East Derry, Upper Bann or North Antrim, for example.
Although I argued that North Belfast wasn’t exactly prime territory for dissidents, there are enough disgruntled people about the place for dissidents to poll well into three, if not four, figures. Ardoyne, the New Lodge, Cliftonville, Newington, Ligoneill – we’re talking about serious Republican heartland areas here.
The decision to give him a free run in North Belfast may be to embarass the Provos/Brit. govt.
It would be very interesting if it were true – do you know if this is the case or is it an educated guess?
Sammy Morse
I know North Belfast is not a strongly unionist area…but the rest are…I was commenting on North Belfast as a separate case to those largely unionist areas…(re-reading what I wrote, I understand that I was not very clear…)
As to Raymond McCord, merely an educated guess on my part…but it would be the only scenario that would make sense. I mean, why compete with the Provos in their heartland of West Belfast and leave them a free run in North Belfast? It makes no sense unless some ‘deal’ has been done…after all, North Belfast could have been a happy hunting ground for any number of ‘dissident’ candidates…
By the way, that link of yours in your last entry does not seem to be working…
Esmond Birnie has a proposer called Roberta Flack- Does Donny Hathaway have a secret rival in the ballad crooning stakes? And who else has celebrity endorsements?
Try this – http://sammymorse.livejournal.com/13723.html
… and the green party candidate in South Belfast is nominated by Hugh Frew. Which begs the question, whatever happened to Barney McGrew, Cuthbert Dibble and Grubb?
Will McCartney canvass all six constituencies or will he just chose a people?
Sammy
Was over in North Belfast yesterday looking at some proposals for developments and whilst there visited a few old acquaintances. Certainly in Ardoyne it would seem that there is a fair amount of discontent with SF. Hard to know how representative it was but all is not well in that quarter. However the views of the more political types may not be the same as the general voter. Very hard to gauge, but I expect there to be downward pressure on the SF vote.
Darth
Was looking at the candidates in South Belfast, and the Green candidate surprised me, never heard of her, who is Brenda Cooke? Does anyone know? This is supposed to be a seat they are ‘targeting’. Also interestingly their leader or should I say leaders don’t seem to be standing anywhere? Whatever happened to the lady on the parades commission? Puzzled!
Darth Think if they get a “resettlement” of £20,000 if not elected. Think those not SELECTED or former MLA,s not seeking re-election also get £20,000 there is a Web site with this info, will try to find it!
With modern technology maybe we are getting to a stage where representative democracy can be replaced with its true form. Where all of the people can contribute, via live cyber polls etc instead of sending representatives who have their own agendas.
There is a book on how long it will take the MLAs debating a motion on their pay rises etc. Any takers?
Clockwoman
On another threat Darth suggested selection by lottery. The more I look through the list of candidates and the more I think about it the better the suggestion becomes.
Is that the same Roberta Flack that had the song out about an Esmond Birnie press statement?
Darth MLA retiring and non-selection monies are on N.I.Assembly Website under “Members” and then “Expenses”
Sammy,
Why do you label people who have the courage to put their name on a ballot paper and take part in the democratic process as being “nuts”? As you say yourself you don’t want to have to start listing all the nuts who stand for the DUP but you are prepared to apply this nasty term to the people who stand under the banner of “others”. Are you not behaving like a bigot towards the “others” when you use such language to describe them. Personally I wish them all well and I am sure that a few of them have more between their ears than the average party candidate. Play fair old buddy. I want to take your comments seriously and personal abuse doesn’t seem like your style.
Interesting take on Bob McCartney standing in 6 consituencies on the news tonight apparently he will be free to nominate a candidate of his choice if he wins more than one seat but will not be permitted to continually resign his seat and force by election after by election. This would mean that higher profile candidates from the bigger parties could run in any or all constituencies and hand the seat to whoever they have nominated as a successor.