Northern Ireland to lose two MPs…
According to this breaking news story on the Irish Times site… No details as to which two will go, but it will certainly make 2015 a great deal more interesting…
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Books
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A New Vision for the Catholic Church – Book Review
The oft-quoted verse from the book of Proverbs, ‘where there is no vision, the people perish,’ (chapter 29, verse 18) opens a new book by Gerry O’Hanlon, A New Vision for the Catholic Church: A View from Ireland (Columba Press, 2011). That verse could be considered an apt summary of the current state of the [...] read our review »
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“Good Friday. The death of Irish Republicanism” by Anthony McIntyre: a review
This was a book that I first reviewed at the same time as “Unionism Decayed” back in 2008. Like Vance’s work, it is the author’s portrayal of a defeated political movement or ideal and as a Unionist it was instructional to read an interpretation of the immediate post-Agreement period from the other side of the fence. [...] read our review » -
Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human [...] read our review »
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Just to deal with some points further up:
Peter Geoghegan: these are major overhauls of the electoral map that have just been passed without a lot of voters knowing much about them.
Well, some of us were following the process pretty closely, and I’ve done numerous blog pieces and four or five media interviews about it.
Sammy: at one point wasnt the change to the number of MPs intended to be dependent on AV passing?
No.
Seth: Anyone know if the failure to remove the link in NI was deliberate or forgetful?
The default is to keep devolved and Westminster seats the same. Wales successfully argued for a decoupling. NI didn’t make the argument.
Drumlins Rock: will the RPA go ahead and the new wards & DEAs be used?
Probably not.
Sammy/mfbailey: The 2007 boundaries are different for all but the south-western seats and North Down. The increase in electorate is indeed spectacular.
Drumlins Rock: I think that looks along the right lines. It depends a bit on the extent to which the commissioners take the existing seats as a starting point. I’d have thought it more likely that they leave the Armagh / South Down corner as is, which has slightly different knock-on effects.
Nicholas, Thats where I started, because it is ridiculous to divide Newry and Mourne like at present, the Mourne identity is much stronger than any county identity, Newry is in a position to rival L’derry as the second city within a generation it is stupid dividing it.
I’m waiting to hear some one say the same about my proposal to divide Craigavon, but Portadown & Lurgan are a old waring couple, best to split them and give us all peace, trial seperation, not a full divorce though
In the far west, Fermanagh has such a strong identity it spills into that western end of Tyrone, so long as you leave Omagh itself out as they are not much better that Portydown & Lurgan.
Dungannon, Armagh & Portadown might look strange, but there is a a good common identity their, with the three towns complimenting each other rather than rival. Coming from the far west of my proposed area I can say I certainly dont look to Enniskillen, maybe going there once or twice a yr! but I be in Armagh & Portadown regularly.
mfbailey,Nicholas
This ‘spectacular’ increase will surely become a major story in the run up to the election.
It seems a constitutional nonsense(good news to some of us) that the Stormo elections will have a bigger electorate than the (siginifcantly less important) Westminsters with immigrants presumably accounting for a large percentage of this increase – times like these the boul Horseman is sadly missed he would have given us the (hopefully good news) of how the ward increases impacted on the inferred constitutional head count and confirmed Natioinalist demographic advance.
mfbailey, did you do those sums by comparing the 2007 and 2011 – if so, seems strange they didnt show the percentages increases themselves?
Good work DR and I like the names too. Have you worked out the potential winners and losers yet!. I quite like Nicholas idea to bin East Londonderry as it means Gregory wont have to double job anymore maybe we should try and redraw the constituencies to help poor overworked Sammy too!
Dungannon, Armagh & Portadown might look strange, but there is a a good common identity their
I actually thought that one of the more sensible proposals you churned out. Those areas are inextricably linked. Dungannon and Enniskillen aren’t really.
The argument for a single seat based on Newry & Mourne council also holds a lot of weight. There was no telling that to Seamus Mallon though.
Have put my suggestions in their own thread.