As Alan points out in South Belfast there are eleven parties standing candidates… but none of them are independents. Again, there’s not likely to be much play in the overall game..
It will be worth looking at Conall McDevitt’s (occasionally of this parish) performance who is standing for election for the first time having been co-opted for Carmel Hannah’s seat. He’s had plenty of time to build his provenance there, so he should be safe. Keep an eye on Máirtín O Muilleoir who will be looking to carve out Sinn Fein beachhead in the council right in the heart of the SDLP’s in prosperous backyard in Balmoral.
The smart money is probably no change. But it will be interesting to see how things work out for the outgoing Health Minster Michael McGimpsey whose running mate Mark Finlay is said to be working hard to bring in a personal vote. Will he tip the scales too far?
See also:
– Sammy Morse’s profile for the 2007 Assembly elections
– Splintered Sunrise on the Westminster elections last year..
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty