nitory
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Post by nitory on Nov 30, 2016 2:34:13 GMT
Jennifer McCann is to step down as an MLA to take up a post as an adviser to health minister Michelle O'Neill. Her replacement will be selected on December 1 st, safe to assume her replacement will be in the same mould and have the same life achievements as her and the other West Belfast Sinn Fein MLAs. Rosie McCorley who lost her seat earlier this year is a possible replacement, also heard some rumours online that Séanna Walsh may be the choice  . Second co-option of the Assembly term, the first was North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Daithí McKay over the bizarre Jamie Bryson coaching scandal. His replacement was former North Antrim MLA from 2003-2007 Philip McGuigan, who stood aside for McKay in the 2007 election. This led to a number of resignations form NA Sinn Fein activists including their Ballymena councillor.
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Nov 30, 2016 2:45:15 GMT
I assume parties appoint the replacement in case of party MLAs?
The only co-option I followed was Claire Sudgen (let's say the system was VERY kind to her, to say the least), who was designated by a late Independent. So, Independents have a different system?
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Nov 30, 2016 2:56:51 GMT
I assume parties appoint the replacement in case of party MLAs? The only co-option I followed was Claire Sudgen (let's say the system was VERY kind to her, to say the least), who was designated by a late Independent. So, Independents have a different system? Yes, the party chooses the replacement, this is usually decided by the local party branch, but the Party leadership has the final say. Last year there was controversy after the replacement of South Belfast DUP MLA Jimmy Spratt was Special Adviser in the First Minister's Office Emma Pengelly who had no previous links with the constituency and without consulting S Belfast Party Members. This led to professional troll and councillor Ruth Patterson to leave the party and run as an independent. I believe when Independents name a replacement either on their nomination papers or once they are elected. |
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Post by Lord Twaddleford on Nov 30, 2016 10:24:34 GMT
What does the Northern Ireland Assembly have against by-elections?  |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Nov 30, 2016 10:32:55 GMT
What does the Northern Ireland Assembly have against by-elections? It's been deemed more important to preserve the party and community balance than it is to require democratic approval of the individual in the Assembly. The Assembly has the opposite problem to Scottish local government and Dáil Éireann (where byelections do take place in multi-member STV, and parties end up losing seats which they would have held had it been a full election. |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Nov 30, 2016 13:56:01 GMT
It's been deemed more important to preserve the party and community balance than it is to require democratic approval of the individual in the Assembly. The Assembly has the opposite problem to Scottish local government and Dáil Éireann (where byelections do take place in multi-member STV, and parties end up losing seats which they would have held had it been a full election. I believe that there were by-elections for the 1973 Sunningdale Assembly and the 1982-86 Prior Assembly during their short lifespans. There were. The one Sunningdale byelection took place after it had been wound up, in the busy election year of 1974: cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/politics/election/raby1974.htm |
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Nov 30, 2016 18:02:57 GMT
The absence of byelections for the current Assembly makes sense but I am confused by the situation in local government in the Province, whereby sometimes new councillors are co-opted, and other times there is a by-election. How is the decision made about whether there should be a by-election? Can't find anything specifying the rules for co-options, but news articles suggest its for the council to decide whether to co-opt a member or for a by-election to be called.
Agreed. While Patterson was never going to be elected, the utterly derisory vote can partly be explained by running a campaign in her full on trolling persona, more aimed at getting coverage in the Belfast Telegraph and attacking Pengelly than any actual groundwork. She made Jamie Bryson her campaign manager for Woden's sake! The wards Pengelly was given to canvas were the more middle-class outskirts of Belfast like Carryduff. The other DUP candidate, Christopher Salford was given the loyalist areas along the Donegal Rd, which he (and Patterson) represented on the council. |
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Dec 1, 2016 13:42:48 GMT
The Assembly has the opposite problem to Scottish local government and Dáil Éireann You mean to say that the Scottish Parliament and the Dail are full of high grade,credible useful individuals who are able to grasp tricky concepts and move efficient government forward? Joking aside, there's no reason why Stormont can't have by-elections. It would help the normalisation of politics there if they did. |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Dec 1, 2016 13:47:20 GMT
Ironically I think the 'better quality of representative' argument works the other way. Having replacements named by the party means the party can nominate talented people who they think will do well in office, instead of having to choose any old duffer who looks like they would get more votes.
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Dec 1, 2016 14:47:02 GMT
Ironically I think the 'better quality of representative' argument works the other way. Having replacements named by the party means the party can nominate talented people who they think will do well in office, instead of having to choose any old duffer who looks like they would get more votes. Yes, a fair point. I suppose it works both ways. |
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Dec 2, 2016 2:53:02 GMT
Órlaithí Flynn has been selected by the West Belfast branch to replace Jennifer McCann. Will have to be approved by the SF Ard Chomhairle (National Executive Committee) on Saturday, but is just a formality. She was the only candidate nominated and currently works as an adviser for MLA Alex Maskey, having previously been an adviser to two other W Belfast SF MLAs over the past 5 years. Some fresh blood for SF in West Belfast, which has become even more of an ageing provos club for the past few years.
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 9, 2017 4:56:56 GMT
5 MLAs will be resigning after being elected MPs, 4 Sinn Féin, 1 DUP.
Barry McElduff - West Tyrone - Sinn Féin
Michelle Gildernew - Fermanagh & South Tyrone - Sinn Féin
Chris Hazzard - South Down - Sinn Féin
Elisha McCallion - Foyle - Sinn Féin
Paul Girvan - South Antrim - DUP
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 13, 2017 15:49:37 GMT
Sinn Féin have chosen their co-options for West Tyrone and Foyle - linkKaren Mullan replaces Elisha McCallion in Foyle Catherine Kelly to replace Barry McElduff in West Tyrone. Catherine Kelly has worked as a political advisor to McElduff and unsuccessfully stood in the 2014 Local elections for Omagh Town DEA. Karen Mullan is a community worker in Derry. Rumours for the other co-options: South Antrim - Trevor Clarke - MLA from 2007-Mar 2017 narrowly losing his seat. South Down - Michael Gray Sloan - candidate in 2016 and previously a political adviser to Caitríona Ruane. Though the second part should surely bar him from any future in political office. Fermanagh & South Tryone - SF will probably want a female candidate from the South Tyrone end of the constituency. Goes at odds with most members being from the Fermanagh end which was part of how GIldernew was shortly deselected before the 2016 Assembly elections. None of the three councillors in South Tyrone seem likely (unless Gildernew's brother is preferred) all male and rather long in the tooth. Perhaps one of Gildernew's office staff fits the bill. |
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 14, 2017 22:14:12 GMT
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Jun 14, 2017 22:15:26 GMT
Husband?
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 14, 2017 22:28:26 GMT
No, Michelle didn't take her husband's name, the Gildernew name being republican royalty in south Tyrone, parents were very active during the 60s in the civil rights marches. Maybe a brother, she has nine siblings, it isn't the brother who is a councillor for Clougher Valley though. |
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 17, 2017 16:58:00 GMT
Victims campaigner Emma Rogan has been selected to replace Chris Hazzard in South Down - linkJust waiting on the DUP in South Antrim now. |
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nitory
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Post by nitory on Jun 17, 2017 20:52:34 GMT
Not exactly onerous duties for four of the five... I imagine for some in Sinn Fein becoming MPs sends dread down their spines - where careers go to wither and die, possibly why since the end to double jobbing it had become a bit of a retirement home to politicians in the party. Gildernew before has implied not being in Stormont made her miserable and Hazzard was one of the rising stars in the party (amongst a dim and dull bunch) becoming infrastructure minister before the executive halted. |
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Post by therealriga on Jun 19, 2017 20:44:24 GMT
I believe that there were by-elections for the 1973 Sunningdale Assembly and the 1982-86 Prior Assembly during their short lifespans. The absence of byelections for the current Assembly makes sense but I am confused by the situation in local government in the Province, whereby sometimes new councillors are co-opted, and other times there is a by-election. How is the decision made about whether there should be a by-election? I'm ok with avoiding by-elections. It saves money and maintains the party balance. What I'm not ok with is these politicians being selected by political parties, without being given a mandate in an election. Instead, every candidate should be allowed to select up to 3 substitutes and if none of those subsequently agree to take the seat, a by-election takes place.
As it is, the system is being abused, especially by Sinn Féin, who often use it to "blood" new candidates when there is no need to replace existing representatives. The nadir of this was a few years ago. Sinn Féin wanted to raise the profile of Máirtín Ó Muilleoir in Belfast South ahead of a run at Westminster in 2015 and the Assembly in 2016. There was a problem: they only had one MLA in Belfast South, Alex Maskey, who didn't want to leave the assembly.
How did they solve it? They persuaded one of their 5 West Belfast MLAs to stand down. Alex Maskey resigned his South Belfast seat, but was then immediately co-opted to represent the vacant West Belfast seat. Ó Muilleoir was then co-opted for South Belfast. Pure games playing.
To answer your question about local government. The situation used to be that the whole council could agree to co-opt someone to replace a councillor. If they couldn't agree, a by-election took place. This could prove controversial. For example, back in 1981, an Independent Nationalist councillor was murdered by the UDA. The DUP blocked a co-option and won the resulting by-election.
Around 2011, they changed the system, by-elections can't take place any more and new councillors are co-opted by their party.
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neilm
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Post by neilm on Jun 20, 2017 6:52:52 GMT
Scrapping co-options might make politics in Northern Ireland more normal.
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