Council Elections 2011

Council shenanigans thread

Blank on May 26, 2011, 9:03 pm

| Readers 3

It happens every time. We’ve already had the UUP/DUP power play in Castlereagh and their failed move to weight things toward Unionism in Belfast. What else is going on as other Councils reconvene and divvy up the spoils of war? Niall Ó Donnghaile has become Belfast’s youngest ‘Lord’ Mayor. Though the News Letter tweeted that with an anglicisation of his name: New Belfast Lord Mayor expected to be Niall Donnelly, SF, and deputy Ruth Patterson, DUP Ryan McAleer notes: A …

West Belfast: Eaten bread soon forgotten #ae11 #belw11

Blank on April 19, 2011, 7:59 pm

| Readers 24

In 2007 it was impossible for anyone that follows local elections to be anything but impressed with Sinn Féin’s vote management in West Belfast; 4.9 quotas returning 5 candidates when one of them (Gerry Adams TD) was exceptionally high profile seemed to be delivered effortlessly (those that have worked campaign trails know it will have been anything but). This time round SF are attempting the same feat with slightly different circumstance – Adams is gone so their vote management strategy …

DUP already planning for co-options?

Blank on April 16, 2011, 5:01 pm

| Readers 77

During the final months of the last Assembly there was a steady stream of co-options as MLAs stood down and allowed potential successors to raise their profile. A similar situation was taking place at council level. It now seems extremely likely we will have a raft of co-options at Council level from the DUP at least immediately after the elections. They uniquely have stacked their Assembly slate with candidates also seeking election to Councils. 64% of their Assembly candidates are …

There are more than two shades of Green

Blank on April 10, 2011, 8:53 pm

| Readers 65

Chris has provided a very useful analysis of what he sees as the main electoral battleground between the two forms of constitutional nationalism. One of the main areas of growth he suggested for SF was at council level. However, he overlooked that at this election SF will be facing numerous challenges across multiple councils from Republicans of various hues. In January I suggested 22 Council seats that dissenting Republicans could consider running in. While I didn’t get them all right, republicans will have a non-SF option …

Éirígí Candidates to Stand in Northern Ireland Local Government Elections

Pete Baker on January 24, 2011, 2:00 pm

| Readers 30

The Irish Times reports that the “republican socialist political grouping” éirígí has announced that they will contest the forthcoming local government elections in Northern Ireland. From the Irish Times report About 140 members from across Ireland attended the conference in the Culturlann centre on Falls Road, where delegates voted in favour of running candidates in the council elections. Éirígí, which was formed in April 2006, has yet to decide in how many of the North’s 26 local government areas it …