Saturday, February 09, 2008
Two defections and one selection…
THE deputy chairman of the DUP’s youth association, Edward Hanna (25), has announced he will be joining the Ulster Unionists. The ex-DUP executive member claimed: “The centre of DUP politics has moved from its community base and people have taken to being very arrogant and not entirely out of touch but certainly politics driven by the people. The DUP completely ripped up their manifestos after the elections. There was no consultation with the people, there was no consultation anywhere.” The DUP responded: “In this case it would be best described as sour grapes. It is up to Mr Hanna if he wishes to use arrogance and rumours as an excuse and cover.” More unusually, the former chairman of the SDLP’s Bangor branch, Andrew Muir (pictured), is joining the Alliance Party. And in the Foyle constituency, Sinn Fein has selected Martina Anderson to take Mark Durkan on in the next general election.
Muir told the Belfast Telegraph his decision was in no way a criticism of leader Mark Durkan.
But he argued that with the SDLP on course to merge with Fianna Fail this year, the time was right to realign himself with a party “in tune with the real issues facing Northern Ireland today”.
“The politics of Northern Ireland are now fundamentally different than in 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, never mind 1970 when the SDLP was formed,” he said.
“As a passionate supporter of the Good Friday Agreement, the Alliance Party provides me with a natural centrist home in the post-nationalist era we now live.
“The threat of terrorism and environmental catastrophe now means that the need for European unity outweighs desires for old fashioned Irish unity.
But an SDLP spokesman claimed Mr Muir’s departure was motivated by personal ambition.
Belfast Gonzo @ 01:26 PM
I was at the Mandela Hall and had a great night basking in the Prod culture- don’t seem to recall any anti- British remarks but do recall a shout of no surrender something the DUP have long spoutted but since forgotten.
Ulidian you seem to have seen this oo book, from my sources I believe it would make an interesting read!!!!
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 12:32 PM“If or when FF merge with the SDLP, reintegrate the last remnants of the PDs and formalise their membership of the European Liberal Democratic and Reform Party, we may have two members of that wider European party active in NI; FF and the UK LibDem aligned Alliance.”
I think there is a reformist (Fianna Fail, the PDs, the SDLP & Alliance do not easily sit with the “liberal” title) v statist (SF/DUP) divide opening up in NI over the coming years.
I wouldn’t go so far as to hook up Fine Gael & the UUP – but a reformist coalition reaching across the communal divide is as you suggest with Fianna Fail & Alliance/Liberal Unionist at its core is in prospect.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 12:52 PMroland rat,
Maybe your friends were at the wrong night!?
And one night is not all to show for the work done! I can mind being at several things at queen’s which ed was involved in!
Perhaps you would like to show what has been done since? Apart from the very small DUP love in that took place in the great hall?
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 01:00 PMAs for the OO work,
You obviously associate with the wrong people.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 01:01 PMYou shouldn’t really say things that out loud. The official reason you knocked those doors in Nov was to build a profile and relationship for your party
No, the official reason I knocked those doors was because of my commitment to my community and because I’d already seen that repeat of Top Gear on Dave. ;-) Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a bit of ambition in Alliance - the SDLP have already admitted that people leave the SDLP if they’re ambitious.
Did Sammy have a he’s not the only gay running for village council moment?
Not being Dafydd from Little Britain, I never really fancied the idea of being the only gay in the village. After all, if you’re the only gay in the village you can’t do gay things like form a male voice choir, join an amateur dramatic society, or indeed (by logical deduction) have sex.
Seriously, I’ve always wanted to be the first person in NI to be elected out and proud, but if I have to share the honour with a comrade, I’ll be happy to do so.
If or when FF merge with the SDLP, reintegrate the last remnants of the PD’s and formalise their membership of the European Liberal Democratic and Reform Party, we may have two members of that wider European party active in NI; FF and the UK LibDem aligned Alliance.
What makes you think ALDE would take FF? FG are naturally members of ALDE rather than the EPP, especially now that they can join ALDE without joining ELDR. FF could fill FG’s vacated place in EPP, into which they would fit quite happily.
By the way, you do know that no-one actually cares about this stuff in the real world, don’t you?
People keep telling me how Fianna Fáil are going to abolish rain in the Summer and cure the common cold when they come North. We’ll see. But please forgive me for being underwhelmed in the absence of actual evidence.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 01:08 PMSo the stoops bring change.....
is that why the electorate have turned their backs on them?
A membership that gets smaller as the weeks go by?A party split into different factions rife with tenions with the Derry faction at present calling the shots…
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 02:26 PMTwinbrook
I was reluctant to get involved in this, but would you answer the question raised by Brendan, Belfast? Where are the job creation initiatives?
You keep saying that the SDLP’s vote is in decline. No one’s arguing with that. And a big part of it may be because of the decline of the SDLP, but that doesn’t prove your point.
Unless, of course, your point is simply to have a go at the SDLP.
Your writing style reminds me a lot of that guy involved in the last ‘high profile’ defection from the SDLP some time back. A Vice Chairman or some such. All we’re missing is an attack on the ‘Attwood Cabal’.
So, what have SF done for job creation in West Belfast?
(Blaming the Brits isn’t a valid answer either)
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 02:54 PMWell done Andrew on Stormont Live.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:31 PMEddie Hanna - what a joke.
you’ve had your 5 seconds of fame, exit stage left.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:36 PMMoving from one “bent-over-a-barrell” party of loving-all-things-english slaves to another party that have the same slave attitude is hardly going to make much of a different to this part of occupied Ireland now is it. Arise my dear slaves and throw off the chains of England before your children get ingrained with the same inferior-to-the-english mentality that you possess.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:44 PM<i>I was at the Mandela Hall and had a great night basking in the Prod culture- don’t seem to recall any anti- British remarks but do recall a shout of no surrender something the DUP have long spoutted but since forgotten.<i>
Was this the same cry of “No Surrender”, after which Eddie Hanna shit himself? Was this the same concert at which Eddie Hanna offered his unflinching support for the DUP and spoke of “the new dawn for Northern Ireland” (a reference to the Paisley/Adams press conference)?
What an absolute hypocrite.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:47 PMMoving from one “bent-over-a-barrell” party of loving-all-things-english slaves to another party that have the same slave attitude is hardly going to make much of a different to this part of occupied Ireland now is it. Arise my dear slaves and throw off the chains of England before your children get ingrained with the same inferior-to-the-english mentality that you possess.
Who said that the drugs don’t work?
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:51 PMSlaves All
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:52 PM“Another major problem the DUA face is the age groups within it, it is dominated enormously by first years ....”
I know - having lots of new recruits is always a serious problem for political parties???
Atleast Eddie Hanna won’t have that problem in his new party.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 03:53 PMDear DUP Secretary,
Please accept my resignation from this sectarian group of back-woods-men who kneel at the alter of all-things-english because I believe myself to be inferior to that race of people and don’t have the cahona’s to even consider independence for this miserable statelet that we like to call Norn Iron. From now on I will be doing my business with the infamous UUP, who also grovel at the feet of the englishman, but we do it in better suits.Your humble slave-minded unionist,
Edwardo.Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 04:07 PM“So the stoops bring change.....
is that why the electorate have turned their backs on them?
A membership that gets smaller as the weeks go by?A party split into different factions rife with tenions with the Derry faction at present calling the shots…”
Look up ‘non sequitur’ in the dictionary.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 04:27 PMI know I have joined this thread abit late but its marvellous to see the SDLP members and supporters on asking what has Sinn Fein done for West Belfast while telling us that they will hold Foyle.
What has the SDLP done for Derry, they have controlled the council since 1973, held the Westminster seat since 1983 and had the MEP living in the city from 1979 til 2004.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 04:34 PMJ Kelly
to be fair the MEP was a registered voter in the city, not quite the same thing as being a full time resident.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 04:54 PMTo J Kelly - i am not making any grand claims on behalf of the SDLP in Derry. I am merely posing a question to ‘Twinbrook’ who claims to have seen “first hand SF’s work on job creation”. To date he has not been able to reply.
So I have to assume he cannot / will not reply because he was bullshitting.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 05:06 PM“The DUP completely ripped up their manifestos after the elections.” Edward Hanna
At each and every election in recent years the UUP’s cry was that the DUP manifestos were vague and open to interpretation. The UUP claimed that the manifestos were non commital.
Mr Hanna, you now are supporting a party with a MEP/party grandee who stood on the manifesto pledge of “No Guns, No Goverment”
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 05:34 PMA few simple observations of this thread, from someone who is a self confessed political anorak:
1. who the heng is eddie hanna?
2. why does a political nobody like this guy get such publicity?
3. if you are leaving the DUP beacuae they have broken pledges (really?) then why join the UUP, a party who broke every single pledge they ever made in the last ten years?
4. if Mr hanna is as clued in politically as he obviously thinks he is, then why is he talking about his job of rebuilding the UUP? everyone knows that’ll never happen....
Maybe Mr hanna could enlighten me if he gets a chance.
Regards
The Poddington Pea
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 06:59 PMI know I have joined this thread abit late but its marvellous to see the SDLP members and supporters on asking what has Sinn Fein done for West Belfast while telling us that they will hold Foyle.
What has the SDLP done for Derry, they have controlled the council since 1973, held the Westminster seat since 1983 and had the MEP living in the city from 1979 til 2004.
--------------------------------
AND DERRY IS STILL A MICKEY MOUSE EXCUSE FOR A CITY HARDLY SOMETHING TO HOLD UP AS AN GREAT EXAMPLE FOR THE SDLP
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 07:06 PMT&J;: why would Muir bring baggage to Alliance because he is a champion of gay rights?
Remember that Seamus Close brought baggage when he was out of line with Alliance Party policy on the issue of gay marriage.
Wouldnt his sexual identity (along with Anna LO) help Allinace to demonstrate a working model of what true diversity looks like in NI?Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 07:14 PMA Bhreandáin, As you seem so obsessed about job creation - can you name any job created by any politician - apart from getting their granny’s second cousin once removed in as Personal secretary? Are you saying PSF in West Belfast didn’t create even ONE job?
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 07:59 PMA chara Poncho.
You miss the point. I have not claimed that politicians create jobs, whether they do or not is a separate argument. Mind you you come down on both sides of the argument yourself in one neat paragraph.
In his defence / support of SF ‘Twinbrook’ claimed to have seen ‘in person’ job creation efforts by that party in West Belfast.
I merely asked for an example of what he had seen ‘in person’. For the record Poncho, I haven’t had an answer.
Posted by on Feb 11, 2008 @ 08:54 PM
