That’s the reason I asked, when I thought about it there’s no-one within the SDLP at the moment that could pull it off. Margaret Ritchie could perhaps drop the falloff of the SDLP vote on the strength of her ministerial performance but I don’t think she would make sufficient inroads West of the Bann to take her over the top

It obviously would have to be someone who could both cut into SF’s vote & bring out the garden centre Taigs (for want of a better term) & I don’t think the SDLP have anyone to do this on their own bat right now.

As for actual names – they could go south but I’m not sure parachuting someone from the Republic would work unless they were very high profile – the only name i can come up with off the top of my head is someone like Jarlath Burns who might take a share of SFs vote & who seems to come across as an articulate enough individual.

Out of curiousity, whom would you suggest?

Been there,done that. They were called the Womans’ Coalition

As it stands the Alliance Party don’t address the constitutional question.
The major thing that affects Northern Ireland’s electorate is simply not talked about by the alliance party, making them much cleverer than the likes of us.

Below is one of the Alliance parties principlies, this in my view makes them a Unionist Partly, albeit a very moderate one.

The Party’s founding principles were expressly in favour of Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom, although in contrast to the Unionist parties, this was expressed in socio-economic rather than ethnic terms.

3. Allister – to stoke, in any way that I possibly can, the flames raging as a result of the unionist civil war.

Snap. The fact that Alban comes across as a decent skin is probably the only reason I’d bother giving the SDLP a transfer.

And as much as I’d like to transfer to Alliance and the Greens, I think the thought of Allister getting over the line as a result of Nationalist transfers would be very very funny.

Haven’t had a good laugh since watching the Politics Show yesterday. Could you rescue my day by repeating once more that you are an Alliance supporter? Ha ha ha ha ho ho ho, sorry just practicing!

‘jayzuz wept’

If this is what ‘unionism ‘ has to offer – will somebody please turn off the light and lock the door on their way out .

Now I can see why Nigel has that forever ‘hunted ‘ appearance . But to give Mrs Dodds her due I’d say she could hold her own in a chin wag in Moore St – As for the EU Parliament?

Dodds is by far the best anti DUP campaigner I have ever seen. The woman has spent the whole of this campaign making her party look dafter than they have ever looked (and that is some achievement).

On the back of the show, I found Alban to be quite straight and sensible, Parsley would do very well with a good strong political machine behind him and Agnew seems like he knows his stuff.

Jim Nicholson was, without a doubt, the strongest pro-union (not Unionist) candidate, it was great to see him let the children get on with it, even his ‘party unity’ crack was excellent (DUP TUV are the same party after all).

It surprises me but, for my first party election I believe I am going;

1 Jim Nicholson – The days of ‘little Ulster unionism’ are very much over.

2 Parsley – he will make a very successful CU candidate one day.

3 Maginness – I’m shocked, but I think the SDLP are getting this “GFA sorts out the UI agenda, let’s get on with the politics” thing.

I would have voted for Diane Dodds if she had have been standing in ‘Britains got talent’ I think her Majestic Majesty (the Queen, not Dodds), would enjoy watching the ‘shreiking harpy’ (Dodds not the Queen) as part of the variety performance.

Not many people know about his privileged, English private
school upbringing.

Although, Alliance are hardly the beautiful people’s party are they? Ford.. Long.. ghastly.