Friday, October 23, 2009
Parsley Conservative Candidate for North Down, over to you Sylvia..
The BBC tells us that regular Slugger commenter Cllr Ian J Parsley, formerly of the Alliance Party, has been selected as the Conservative candidate for North Down. It will be up to the UUP/Conservative selection panel to decide whether he is their joint candidate in preference to the sitting MP for North Down, the independently minded Lady Sylvia Hermon - who has yet to declare her intentions. As the BBC report says
She now has several options:
• To change her mind about the electoral deal with the Conservatives and put herself forward as a candidate.
• To seek a special dispensation from the party leaderships which would allow her to stand for the UUP, outside of the pact.
• To walk away from the UUP and either stand as an independent or withdraw from politics entirely.
Only 1 and 3 are viable options, and 1 seems unlikely.
Pete Baker @ 10:10 AM
Option 1 would also require her constituency party selecting her as their option *against* Ian Parsley and that might be a lot more difficult than you’d expect for a sitting MP.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:18 AMLady Sylvia could always back Parsley, stand for Assembly (even a future minister) or of course go to the Lords.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:18 AMSo North Down will have a DUP , UCUNF , TUV , Alliance , and possibly an ‘independent ’ Unionist -Lady Sylvia .
Could it be possible for the SDLP to win this seat given fragmentation of the unionst vote ? Surely not SF ?
Methinks Lady Sylvia will stand on her own merits i.e as an independent and will be re-elected and will be at Westminster when the UCUNF deal is a another failed memory .
Unless of course she’s had enough of the game and is thinking retirement .
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:29 AMWhatever she decides if the UUP end up with no seats it will surely be the end of Wee Reggie with panic in the ranks with the fear of further losses at Stormo.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:35 AMfirst thing pete is you have 4 options up there not 3, no.2 is out as the UCU have to stand in every constuiency, no.1 is a long shot but as time has went on it is not out of the question, no.3 was always the likeliest outcome since the deal was first mooted, but no.4 could well be on her mind. when do ND pick their candidate? persume its not that far away, I sure we can be patient enough to wait a few more days and then all shall be clear, well a bit clearer..
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:41 AMShe could join the Alliance Party :-)
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:42 AMI hope she stands (in whatever capacity).
Therefore the people of North Down can choose between a politician of considerable principle or a smarmy, hyper-ambitious ship-jumping rat.Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:47 AMDelighted to hear it.
Sylvia’s been a fine MP but she’s clearly had enough of Westminster.
She should support Parsley, who will finally provide NI with some real representation at Westminster.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 11:57 AMDec you should moderate your language. Peter Weir is an upstanding MLA
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:02 PMAgree with ALAN56.
Sylvia plainly doesn’t want to be at Westminster any more, but she wants to represent North Down.
She backs Parsley for Westminster, and she goes for Stormont where the link doesn’t apply. She’d be guaranteed a seat, an ongoing role doing what she loves, and indeed a ministry if she wanted one.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:02 PMI don’t why there is a big fuss is about this story.
The Tories have to put a candidate in each seat as do the UUP, therefore by the pact the Tories have to put someone forward.
I am quite excited by this U&C agreement.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:14 PM@Greenflag. I think that is just wishful thinking even with a 5 way spilt on the non-Nationalist vote I still don’t see it splitting enough to allow the SDLP’s best 4.4% come into play. Don’t forget North Down has never elected an SDLP representative in any multi-member constituency wide election.
Even when Marietta Farrell was in pole position (well 6th on 1st pref)to break that duck in 1998 she lost out to Jane Morrice.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:28 PM1. I can’t see Sylvia joining the alliance party - this would mean she would have to take the Lib Dem whip in Westminster.
2. Labour obviously haven’t been able to entice her to join.
3. DUP will never win the seat in North Down, they just don’t like them. So it could be a good contest between Parsley and whatever nobody Alliance through at him
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:31 PMGarza,
The ‘big fuss’ is the specific circumstances of North Down where the UUP appear to be heading towards the high risk tactic of not reselecting their only sitting MP.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 12:55 PMJone it doesn’t say anywhere above that the UUP will not select Lady Hermon for North Down. It just says the tories have selected Parsley for North Down.
the U&C will then choose between Parsley and whoever the UUP put forward (hopefully Hermon).
I wouldn’t mind seeing Lady Hermon in Stormount either, she is a good politican and works hard for the people of North Down.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:11 PMGarza,
Do you honestly think that under the present circumstances the UUP could put Sylvia forward to the joint commmittee?
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:16 PMGarza do you really see Hermon taking the Conservative Whip - the UUP could only short list her if she agreed to do so?
She is a supporter of Labour and an admirer of Gordon Brown - not a great electoral platform these days
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:28 PM@LabourNIman re your Point 1, sorry, no Alliance MP would be compelled to take the Lib Dem whip. Unlike the UNCUNF pact, Alliance & Lib Dems are informally linked; membership of one does not assume the other, or preclude any other’s (if you follow me).
Doubtful she’d accept any party’s whip as a quid pro quo anyway; more likely to go Independent (Unionist).
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:48 PMWhilst 100% behind UCUNF I think I’ll be physically sick if Parsley wins the nomination over Sylvia.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 01:52 PMIs the reason the UU have shortened the length of their conference so that they can get a slot on the comedy channel?
Does anybody think there will actually be any fist fights at the confernece - or will it just be (Sylvia’s) handbags?
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 02:24 PMR AARDVARK
That’s an impossible position to hold and you know it.
Sylvia has constantly voted with Labour, including on key votes.
You cannot be both behind UCUNF and behind Sylvia.
SAMMY
Sylvia hasn’t attended Conference for years.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 02:26 PMContinental Drifter,
Sylvia’s a Unionist who has often been the UUP’s conscience.
Parsley is a sanctimonious turd who has frequently furnished both his anti-Unionist and UUP credentials on this site.
I’ll go for the liberal over the united Irelander any day.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 03:10 PM“2. Labour obviously haven’t been able to entice her to join.”
It isn’t permissible for her to join as the party’s rule book and constitution needs amending for that to happen properly.
Unless this is addressed by the powers that be then nothing can truly happen. It would of course merit consideration as it could become a refuge for the more Labour-minded Unionists out there on these shores.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 03:14 PMMr Ulster - Lib dems and alliance are ‘sister parties’ according to the lib dem website. My understanding is that they would take the whip. However, this is something only an alliance member can set straight
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 03:22 PMMr Parsley should be able to push a bit of cash towards his campaign given the generous sums of “consultancy” monies he has been reported as having received from the suckers in the Alliance Party. The biggest sucker is “Dr” Farry who as well as employing a very close relative as an assistant also is reported as having paid his fellow North Down Councillor around £17,000 for services rendered.Its amazing how the lilly white can appear a little grey when the spotlight of transparancy is shone on them. Anyone who votes for an opportunist turncoat and brazen user rather than supporting Lady Hermon needs their head looked at. She is probably the best and most dedicated MP from Northern Ireland unless anyone can suggest another name? The UUP has been led up a blind alley and they really do believe that their fortunes are going to change come the next Westminster election. Have any of their aspiring candidates or sitting members for the Assembly or the Super Councils looked beyond next May to evaluate the impact that a continuing pact with the Tories will make on their career. A number of names that have been plucked out of nowhere will run under the Tory ticket and get elected at the expense of quite a few sitting UUP representatives. Think about it boys and girls!! If they don’t accommodate Lady Hermon and put her forward as their North Down candidate then they are going to suffer the biggest humiliation in their history and there have been quite a few trip up’s for them in recent years. North Down will sound the final death knell of the UUP.
Posted by on Oct 23, 2009 @ 04:24 PM
