GE15

Gerry Kelly running on an aggressively ‘get themuns out’ ticket in North Belfast

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  Here’s the front of a leaflet in support of Gerry Kelly’s bid for the Westminster seat of North Belfast. The lack of party logos suggests it’s intended to reach beyond party loyalists to wavering SDLPers and dissidents by rousing sectarian tensions, tribal loyalties, erm, legitimate political grievances against the sitting MP (who just happens to be an Orangemen). Classic old style Defenderist values then, which really don’t go much further than, ‘get themuns out’. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written …

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Today London, perhaps it’s time for another naming of parts.

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No further comment, but to quote Alex Massie in obvious frustration with an elite London commentariat that seems to understand less and less of how the wider country works… We’ve just had two years of intensive constitutional politics. Time enough, you’d think, for even London-based politicians and commentators to work out how British politics actually works. But if you think that you’d be wrong. Very wrong. Consider out old friend the Barnett Formula. Antiquated and not entirely fit for purpose – …

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#GE15: Will religion (or no religion) help decide the East Belfast race?

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Belfast East is expected to be one of the most hotly contested seats in the upcoming General Election next May, but actually what are the chances that Naomi Long will be able to hold on to her seat after snatching it off Peter Robinson in 2010? The DUP conference has just passed and anyone who tuned in could be forgiven for thinking that they plan to pummel an almighty amount of resources into taking back east Belfast from Naomi Long, …

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Mr Ó Muilleoir goes to Stormont, Mr Maskey goes to the West.

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From the Anderstown News Twitter feed tonight The former Lord Mayor, Máirtín Ó Muilleoir will replace Alex Maskey as the Sinn Fein MLA for South Belfast, with Maskey moving over to West Belfast to take over from Sue Ramsey. It is also reported that Ó Muilleoir will stand for the South Belfast seat in 2015, which will certainly put the seat at risk for the SDLP as Ó Muilleoir performed well in the Balmoral ward at the last local elections. …

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Nesbitt:”This is about the Union, this is about putting Unionism first, this is about the good of Northern Ireland.” #UUP2014

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Yesterday as the Ulster Unionist conference wrapped up I sat down with the party leader, Mike Nesbitt to discuss the last election, Unionist unity and the party’s prospects for the upcoming Wesminster election. I began by asking him about the last election, how did he feel about the UUPs moderate improvement from 2011? Well I wasn’t looking at the percentage, I was looking at the total number of people getting elected and we got 99 and that is the equivalent …

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