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Post by therealriga on Mar 29, 2024 17:09:38 GMT
DUP politicians this century whose careers have been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals:
Paul Berry Iris Robinson Peter Robinson Davy Tweed David Simpson Jeffrey Donaldson
Politicians from nationalist parties? Can't think of any.
For "GOD" and Ulster etc.
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 29, 2024 17:15:37 GMT
Um, Gerry Adams's brother.
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Post by stb12 on Mar 29, 2024 17:18:13 GMT
Máiría Cahill would have something to about the IRA and sexual abuse as well
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Post by therealriga on Mar 29, 2024 17:29:47 GMT
Um, Gerry Adams's brother. Gerry Adams' brother Liam's political career was ended/seriously damaged by a sex-related scandal? That's news to me, especially since Liam Adams was never elected anywhere. Perhaps you missed the " politician... whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" part of my post? Gerry Adams was elected as sole candidate of SF in Louth in 2011 with nearly 21.%. The brother's scandal happened in 2013. Gerry Adams was comfortably re-elected in 2016. His vote share did indeed fall to 15.8%, but that appears to be due to Sinn Féin running a second candidate, who got 13.1% and was also comfortably elected. Doesn't seem to have damaged his career (or his party) at all. Why should it? I have little doubt we could find examples of Labour/Conservative/Lib Dem politicians with close family involved in similar but who were re-elected.
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Post by therealriga on Mar 29, 2024 17:36:11 GMT
Máiría Cahill would have something to about the IRA and sexual abuse as well Cahill is a "politician this century whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" ?? Don't think so. She was unelected in January 2010 when she came forward with rape allegations. Elected to the Irish Seanad in 2015. Co-opted to Lisburn council in 2018. Doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all, on the contrary, being awfully cynical, it helped her.
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Post by stb12 on Mar 29, 2024 17:39:17 GMT
Máiría Cahill would have something to about the IRA and sexual abuse as well Cahill is a "politician this century whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" ?? Don't think so. She was un-elected in January 2010 when she came forward with rape allegations. Elected to the Irish Seanad in 2015. Co-opted to Lisburn council in 2018. Doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all, on the contrary, being awfully cynical, it helped her. My point was that there clearly isn’t some kind of problem within unionism that there isn’t with nationalism. As ever with these things there’s flawed or even bad people everywhere
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Post by therealriga on Mar 29, 2024 17:48:09 GMT
Cahill is a "politician this century whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" ?? Don't think so. She was un-elected in January 2010 when she came forward with rape allegations. Elected to the Irish Seanad in 2015. Co-opted to Lisburn council in 2018. Doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all, on the contrary, being awfully cynical, it helped her. My point was that there clearly isn’t some kind of problem within unionism that there isn’t with nationalism. As ever with these things there’s flawed or even bad people everywhere Well, 4 DUP MPs involved in sex scandals out of not very many in the last 15 years indicates that there is a problem with candidate selection and things being swept under the rug. I haven't counted Peter Robinson in the four, but let's be honest, would Iris Robinson have even been an MP had she not been married to him? I doubt it. I obviously haven't counted Paul Berry in the four MPs either since he never made it to Westminster, but he was a rising star and almost certainly would have got the DUP nomination for Upper Bann and would highly likely have gained the seat just as Simpson did. So the point is not that Nationalist parties are some kind of God-fearing angels, obviously they aren't, but that they are far more careful as to who they let near their top table.
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Post by therealriga on Mar 29, 2024 18:21:37 GMT
Come to think of it, there's a huge irony in Jeffrey Donaldson, a man whose career was boosted by his opposition to The Good Friday Agreement, being charged on Good Friday.
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Post by greatkingrat on Mar 29, 2024 18:46:27 GMT
Will his political career come back to life on Sunday?
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Post by Rutlander on Mar 29, 2024 20:12:18 GMT
Come to think of it, there's a huge irony in Jeffrey Donaldson, a man whose career was boosted by his opposition to The Good Friday Agreement, being charged on Good Friday. The Good Friday Arraignment? (OK - not technically)
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Mar 29, 2024 20:14:28 GMT
Lots of major Irish political developments seem to take place over the Easter weekend. Kind of like an Irish version of Germany's 9 November 'Schicksalstag'.
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r34t
Non-Aligned
Posts: 872
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Post by r34t on Mar 29, 2024 21:12:51 GMT
Cahill is a "politician this century whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" ?? Don't think so. She was un-elected in January 2010 when she came forward with rape allegations. Elected to the Irish Seanad in 2015. Co-opted to Lisburn council in 2018. Doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all, on the contrary, being awfully cynical, it helped her. My point was that there clearly isn’t some kind of problem within unionism that there isn’t with nationalism. As ever with these things there’s flawed or even bad people everywhere But there is a correlation in that some of those who clutch the bible closest seem to stray furthest away from it.
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Mar 29, 2024 21:21:10 GMT
I get the impression that one or two Republican politicians may have been involved in activities of an even more morally dubious nature than extra-marital sex (most of those on therealriga's list were not guilty of any criminal offence). Of course such activities may be said to have enhanced rather than ended their political careers. That probably says more about the moral compass of their voters..
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CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,315
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Post by CatholicLeft on Mar 29, 2024 22:50:14 GMT
Máiría Cahill would have something to about the IRA and sexual abuse as well Cahill is a "politician this century whose career has been ended or seriously damaged by sex-related scandals" ?? Don't think so. She was unelected in January 2010 when she came forward with rape allegations. Elected to the Irish Seanad in 2015. Co-opted to Lisburn council in 2018. Doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all, on the contrary, being awfully cynical, it helped her. I would say more callous than cynical and, given that I have a lot of respect for you, I think it is uncharacteristically so.
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Post by islington on Mar 30, 2024 0:28:49 GMT
My point was that there clearly isn’t some kind of problem within unionism that there isn’t with nationalism. As ever with these things there’s flawed or even bad people everywhere But there is a correlation in that some of those who clutch the bible closest seem to stray furthest away from it. Paula Vennells says hi.
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Post by thinwhiteduke on Mar 30, 2024 0:48:35 GMT
Sympathy for Gavin Robinson who's been thrust into the leadership under terrible circumstances.
Looked quire shell-shocked during his interview earlier.
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Post by uthacalthing on Mar 30, 2024 1:32:53 GMT
As ever, my moderation shines through. I am not actively happy about it. But neither am I distressed.
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Post by agedlikewine on Mar 30, 2024 7:30:43 GMT
I get the impression that one or two Republican politicians may have been involved in activities of an even more morally dubious nature than extra-marital sex (most of those on therealriga's list were not guilty of any criminal offence). Of course such activities may be said to have enhanced rather than ended their political careers. That probably says more about the moral compass of their voters.. The DUP have plenty of ex-terrorists too. The hypocrisy being pointed out is that they are Bible Thumpers who wax lyrical on morals and values, and also wish to have their religion interfere with the conduct of government. A reminder that the DUP in the past has hinted that LGBT+ campaign groups promote paedophilia, so maybe if Donaldson is found guilty they could do with some introspection.
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Post by batman on Mar 30, 2024 8:23:28 GMT
Nevertheless, to be completely fair to the DUP, they are not a party with a paramilitary genesis, unlike some other more minor Unionist parties.
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Post by therealriga on Mar 30, 2024 10:39:21 GMT
Sympathy for Gavin Robinson who's been thrust into the leadership under terrible circumstances. Looked quire shell-shocked during his interview earlier. He's inherited a poisoned chalice, no doubt. Politically, it comes at a very tricky time for the DUP with anger among their voters at them going back into regional government despite (in the eyes of loyalists) not achieving any significant on the Brexit Irish sea border issue, as they believe the concessions Donaldson got were nowhere near enough. Now, whoever takes over the DUP will also have to deal with the fall-out of the scandal as well. In Robinson's favour, unlike the other Robinson who held his seat before him, he isn't personally involved, but with a majority of 1800 eroded by a few hundred in boundary changes he's probably the underdog in Belfast East now. Alliance would win Lagan Valley in a by-election held in such circumstances and even without it, will have a good shot in the general. Strangford, South Antrim and East Antrim could also be in play for Alliance in a good year. Robinson, Little-Pengelly or whoever takes over will have to hope that the scandal has died down by then, but it's a short window.
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