Election 2005

On Spotlight tonight Mark Carruthers asked all of the party leaders to give their predictions for seats in the Westminster election. Interestingly, both Nigel Dodds and Martin McGuinness declined to give an estimate – though McGuinness got the last word “Vote for Sinn Fein is a vote for Peace”. Trimble reckons that his party will make gains (though Dodds couldn’t resist the temptation to remind viewers that he’d make similar gains last time round and they lost seats then) in …

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Tonights Belfast Telegraph carries a features article on Tyrone Howe’s decision to persue a career in electoral politics. Some people might say ‘why?’; I prefer to say ‘why not?’ If I can make a difference and bring my inclusive, open-minded approach to things, it will be a positive thing to do. And I think I am in a position where I can try and be a force for good. Sports people in Northern Ireland are probably the most open-minded, progressive …

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John Murray Brown has noted how an issue that made the world’s press for about two weeks solid, has disappeared as an issue in this election. On the South Belfast front he notes: “Sinn Féin has no chance of taking the seat. But Mr Adams’ presence in the constituency this week suggests that such is the bitterness between the rival nationalist parties that Sinn Féin would prefer to see a unionist MP than for the SDLP to claim a little …

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Just been out round Sandy Row with Jimmy Spratt and an entourage of a good 20 plus leafleters. Since yesterday they’ve delivered 8,000 of them and by tomorrow night they’ll pushed out another 7,000. Amongst them was Jim Kirkpatrick a former UUP councillor, who is now an enthusiastic DUP man.Jim acknowledges that the DUP have learned some things from Sinn Fein about working effective politics. “Sinn Fein worked on the ground with the sneakers on and the jeans and they …

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A “sign of increasing desperation” is, probably, a fair assessment of how the call from the UUP’s Michael McGimpsey, for the DUP’s Jimmy Spratt to “do the decent thing, put unionism first and pull out of the race”, will be seen.. and the SDLP’s Alasdair McDonnell is unlikely to dispute that interpretation. Pete Baker

Everytime I ask someone from Sinn Fein why they think they have had such a large conversion rate from SDLP voters they say its’ about delivery. When I asked Mark Durkan he refuted it:”They are good at exploiting issues to try and cultivate support. I suppose our natural inclination is to try and solve problems rather than exploit them rather than try to exploit them. In government, we engaged and engineered more change than any other party. Sinn Fein had …

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UTV carried the Press Association report yesterday, while the Irish Examiner has virtually the same report today. Independent Human Rights Candidate Liam Kennedy took his campaign against paramilitary gangs to the Shankill Road yesterday accompanied by Progressive Democrat TD, Fiona O’Malley. Worth noting that, in contrast to some of the comments we’ve seen posted here, “there was no vitriol”. One other point to add, the PA report refers to the “gruesome campaign posters”.. ermm.. actually, not that “gruesome”. Pete Baker

When asked by a journalist outside Sinn Fein’s Belfast Headquarters this morning, Gerry Adams (standing in the rain) said “Alisdair McDonnell has no chance of winning South Belfast”. It was something of a throwaway line. But he argued that McDonnell was motivating Unionists to come out and vote for their people. So it’s a safe bet that Sinn Fein’s hard core will not be backing McDonnell for this one.But, much against the trend elsewhere, they don’t really figure in this …

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Andrea Clements with a useful rundown of the seats in the Belfast City Council to watch. Not least the Pottinger Ward, where unusually it’s a face off between the two big beasts of Northern Ireland politics: Sinn Fein and the DUP! Mick FealtyMick 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

Anthony McIntyre is critical of Liam Kennedy’s decision to stand in West Belfast, and argues that instead he should have run in his own South Belfast constituency against a more vulnerable opponent like Alex Maskey. Mick FealtyMick 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

Malachi O’Doherty is a South Belfast voter. Faced with an array of choices, he’s frustrated with just how blunt an instrument the vote actually turns out to be. He concludes: “I will vote. I would feel cheaper still if I didn’t. But I will not come away satisfied that I have made any clear or effective statement through that vote about the future that I want here”. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …

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John Coulter was pessimistic over the fate of the moderate parties in his Daily Star predictions yesterday. According to him, between them, they will only have Eddie McGrady’s Fortress Downpatrick. Writing in the Blanket, he explains why he thinks Trimble has lost so much ground from an apparent position of strength in 1998 when the Belfast Agreement was signed.Irish Daily Star political column: DR JOHN COULTER predicts the SDLP and UUP will have some serious thinking to do after 5 …

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Mitchell McLaughlin broke the news to Slugger earlier today that Sinn Fein’s tallies put him comfortably ahead of Durkan. Though he wouldn’t say by how much, the party had first figured it about ten days ago but were concerned about the effects of releasing it too early. On the other side, Mark Durkan doesn’t exactly exude confidence. But then this was never going to be an easy fight for him. However, he is picking up some feedback that people who …

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Returning to Hannover Street Last time David Trimble walked down the main street in Portadown he only got as far as the Ulster Bank before he was confronted by a group of nine or ten men, said to have paramilitary connections and forced him to leave his campaign team to progress without him. But this Saturday, he genuinely had a lot of fun. Like the time five wee tykes came running across the street, shouting “Hello David!”, and all of …

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The online poll at the Irish News at the moment is asking readers if they are happy about the temporary change in the GAA@s rule 42, in order to allow Soccer and Rugby to be played at Croke Park. The current rating is: 78% unhappy; 18% happy; and 3% don’t care! Mick FealtyMick 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 …

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Or rather David McConaghey, the DUP’s campaign manager in Upper Bann, makes Daily Ireland’s quote of the day: “We have beaten him [Trimble] on the ground every day for the last four years. We believe we are four figures ahead”. Fair play to DI for giving us the credit!! Mick FealtyMick 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 …

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John Barry and Kelly Andrews Green party Co Chairs John Barry and Kelly Andrews are both standing for election in North Down. He has a realistic chance of being one of the first in his party to take a council seat. Of local (Slugger) interest is that Barry’s Alliance party rival Ian Parsley (affectionately known here at Slugger as IJP) is being slated number one in the Holywood seat to his higher profile running mate David Alderdice.Barry reckons they are …

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The economy here is not bad – for example unemployment in Newry is only 3%, compared up to 20% only ten or fifteen years ago. Unlike Britain house prices are still remarkably bouyant. However, Eilis O’Hanlon, thinks that in terms of choosing their politics, the Northern Irish polity seems deaf to reason.Despite, the bank robbery and the McCartney murder, not to mention multiple efforts by middle ground politicians: …none of it makes the slightest ripple in the North, any more …

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David Simpson David Trimble is not a man whose poltical fortunes can be written off lightly. But on this occasion his challenger is impressive. David Simpson is certainly larger and more charming. And he canvasses with a broad smile and a team of twenty around him. The UUP are more economical – sending out smaller (and multiple) teams of councillors, with and without their (at least in some places round here) controversial MP. Slugger was in Portadown with Simpson on …

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I would have loved to have had the job of proof reading the Sinn Fein manifesto, although I doubt my comments about historical revisionism and unachievable dreams would go down well. I say again, let’s go through this for the less intelligent amongst us: The Six-County statelet has been characterised since its inception by injustice, inequality, repression and conflict. (pg 13) Quite so. From the opposition of the Nationalist community to Lord Londonderry’s proposed educational reforms in the 1920’s to …

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