Friday, June 22, 2007
Another one down
Today’s Ulster Star reports that Cecil Calvert, a veteran DUP Councillor, says he has quit the DUP as it “is no longer the party he has represented on Lisburn Council for the past 22 years”. Interestingly he added, “Dr Paisley stated he could do no other as Plan B was much worse than anticipated. Yet in 40 years I never heard Dr Paisley retreat from a threat real or imagined (my emphasis)”.
Hard to disagree with any of that really.
Michael Shilliday @ 09:25 AM
If it’s ‘Hard to disagree with any of that really’, then why bother to post it?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 09:47 AMTHE CECIL CALVERT!!! I can’t believe it, just cannot believe it. This is one loss the DUP WILL NOT be able to recover from.
*who is he?*
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 09:50 AMNo surprise here Cecil is a nutter of the first order. The phrase ‘as thick as two short blanks’ could have been written about him.
More seriously think Papa Doc will have to lay of the comedy routine with McGuinness or more stomachs will be turned.
Roll on a quiet Assembly Recess and a hardline speech on the 12th to sooth DUP nerves
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 09:51 AMIt will be fun if Tony B does announce his intention to convert before the 12th !
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 09:56 AMWhat´s the Ulster Star?
Who is Cecil Calvert?
Would Michael Shilliday prefer another forty years of the same old you-know-what or does he have his own workable Plan B?
Questions, questions…Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 10:16 AMJust how will the DUP be able to survive once all the nutters have left?
This is definitely an unmitigated disaster which can only serve to make the DUP more electable!
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 10:27 AMIsn’t it funny that “the party Cecil Calvert represented in Lisburn for 22 years” didn’t get too many votes for the vast majority of that time.
Its only in recent times when they have started to become a little more sensible that people have voted for them. Of course people like Calvert completely miss that fact and believe that the masses have only seen the light now and come round to the taliban views expressed by nutters like himself.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 10:53 AM“Just how will the DUP be able to survive once all the nutters have left?”
A question which answers itself.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:01 AM“Would Michael Shilliday prefer another forty years of the same old you-know-what or does he have his own workable Plan B?”
Yes but why didn’t Paisley say 40 years ago that his hate campaign had a time limit?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:04 AMMichael Shilliday’s posts seem only to consist of anti-DUP stuff. Is he so devoid of anything positive to say about his own party?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:06 AMMichael,
Another Duper jumped, How many DUP politicans have resigned now since the DUP agreed to powersharing with SF at Stormont.
They need to lose a few more councillors in Lisburn before the DUP lose their majority here. Lisburn and Castlereagh are DUP majority strongholds.
Anyone know the name of the new Mayor (or is it Lord mayor) who succeded Trevor Lunn (Alliance) in Lisburn?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:08 AMFrom what I hear this was one of the most ‘principled’ decisions that any Councillor ever takes.
“I was passed over for some particular trinket/chairmanship and now I’m going to resign in a huff - but dress it up as opposition to party policy.”
He wanted to be Mayor this year but was passed over by his Party for the position. Its as plain and as simple as that. This is despite the fact that he’s been mayor before, but when he didn’t get it this time he threw his rattle out of the pram promptly.
Childish - just as Sillyboy’s post is.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:11 AMcurious
The fact that people like Cecil Clavert are ju,ping off whilst people like Robert Smith in Ards are jumping on, should be taken as a positive sign for the DUP. They are now the centre-ground of Unionism.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:12 AMInsider
Ahhh. It all becomes clear now.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:13 AM“Michael Shilliday’s posts seem only to consist of anti-DUP stuff. Is he so devoid of anything positive to say about his own party?
Posted by Ginfizz on Jun 22, 2007 @ 12:06 PM”
Ah the delicious irony of the DUPes harping on about negativity.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:24 AMGood point Ginfizz,
I wonder if all these right winger supporters of Alister who left the DUP will in turn rejoin the UUP and help it to go to the right of the DUP?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:25 AM“Childish - just as Sillyboy’s post is.”
Man? Ball ?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:26 AMZiznivy
Not particularly. I don’t mind negaitivity and in fact enjoy a good scrap on here as much as the next person, but I just don’t see what purpose posts such as this serve.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:27 AMGinfizz
Anytime a Councillor resigns within about a week either side of a Council AGM the alarm bells should automatically start ringing.No principle is quite so sacred as the Mayoral chain it would seem.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:27 AMGinfizz, it must serve something otherwise why have you sent four posts to the thread?
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:30 AMcurious
Doubtful. Firstly, Reg et al would be mad to let them in. Secondly, they hate the UP almost as much as they hate Sinn Fein.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:30 AMCalvert was Mayor 2 or 3 years ago, it seems unlikley that he jumped because he didn’t get it this year. Jim Tinsley (DUP) is the new Mayor, Ronnie Crawford (UUP) is Deputy.
And the DUP do not have a majority on Lisburn City Council and never have, I don’t think they have in Castlereagh. They are the largest party, but that is different.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:30 AMMichael
The DUP has 13 out of 23 seats in Castlereagh.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:31 AM“The fact that people like Cecil Clavert are jumping off whilst people like Robert Smith in Ards are jumping on, should be taken as a positive sign for the DUP. They are now the centre-ground of Unionism.”
I take it you mean Cllr Robert Gibson in Ards?
That was more than counterbalanced when George Ennis who was a Cllr and an MLA and Terry Williams resigned from the party. Although I should point out similar to this Lisburn councillor there were other factors in play here such as the fact Ennis had been deselected as a candidate for the Assembly election possibly because of a falling out with Irish Robinson....but then you wouldn’t know all the factors in play with these thinga.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:36 AMGinfizz, Reg might be mad but he is not stupid. All those Dupers who jumped the DUP might come onboard the UUP since McNarry and co rejected the Irish language proposals at Stormont. Likewise now Big Ian is in bed with Mg and I hear rumours Ian junior is going on a cycling holiday with that SF woman from Castlebar who speaks gaelic better than Gerry, there is no challenges coming from the DUP against this outreach to unionists from SF.
The only party to be holding the fort and flying the flag for the Union at present is the UUP.
Posted by on Jun 22, 2007 @ 11:39 AM
