|
|
Post by thinwhiteduke on Jan 10, 2020 0:11:01 GMT
Matthew O'Toole, previously a Downing Street spokesperson, will replace Claire Hanna as SDLP MLA for South Belfast.
Even to me as a member, this has come completely out of the blue..
|
|
obsie
Non-Aligned
Posts: 861 
|
Post by obsie on Jan 10, 2020 1:53:44 GMT
|
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,712
|
Post by CatholicLeft on Jan 10, 2020 10:35:43 GMT
Matthew O'Toole, previously a Downing Street spokesperson, will replace Claire Hanna as SDLP MLA for South Belfast. Even to me as a member, this has come completely out of the blue.. Good Lord, that is surprising |
|
Merseymike
Independent
Posts: 40,417
Member is Online
|
Post by Merseymike on Jan 10, 2020 10:47:04 GMT
I think one of the simplest things that can be changed is instead of requiring the largest parties from each community to do a power sharing deal, allow the two largest parties to do a deal with a smaller party from the other community (ie. SF-UUP or DUP-SDLP) or allow for the smaller parties to do a deal with each other (ie. UUP-SDLP-APNI). Would mean that the government is still 'cross-community', whilst allowing for different government options should the largest parties not be able to reach an agreement. ^This Although I'd go one step further and allow normal coalitions, they've got plenty of strands of opinion and given that no side really has a majority there's no point continuing this cross community stuff. That would focus them a bit: make a deal or you won't get the trappings of office. Only just seen this. It's an interesting point. It would require national PR which would stop the pork barrelling - the reality would be that the Alliance party would have considerably more influence |
|
Merseymike
Independent
Posts: 40,417
Member is Online
|
Post by Merseymike on Jan 10, 2020 10:56:24 GMT
Matthew O'Toole, previously a Downing Street spokesperson, will replace Claire Hanna as SDLP MLA for South Belfast. Even to me as a member, this has come completely out of the blue.. Good Lord, that is surprising Very much a liberal establishment centrist, which appears to be where the SDLP is at niw |
|
|
|
Post by thinwhiteduke on Jan 10, 2020 14:22:45 GMT
|
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,712
|
Post by CatholicLeft on Jan 10, 2020 15:43:28 GMT
Good Lord, that is surprising Very much a liberal establishment centrist, which appears to be where the SDLP is at niw Three words of which I despair. |
|
|
|
Post by belleofbellevale on Jan 12, 2020 11:45:36 GMT
Scrapping Northern Ireland might have same effect...
|
|
|
|
Post by thinwhiteduke on Jan 31, 2020 10:43:07 GMT
Martina Anderson selected to become SF MLA for Foyle. Not exactly the 'new blood' which is needed to reverse their decline in Derry..
|
|
Merseymike
Independent
Posts: 40,417
Member is Online
|
Post by Merseymike on Jan 31, 2020 11:00:33 GMT
Martina Anderson selected to become SF MLA for Foyle. Not exactly the 'new blood' which is needed to reverse their decline in Derry.. Perhaps the SF rise in Derry was something of a blip and it's returned to its usual loyalties? |
|
|
|
Post by thinwhiteduke on Oct 31, 2020 16:37:09 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Oct 31, 2020 16:54:37 GMT
I'm modestly encouraged that scandals involving Sinn Féin now involve small-scale financial dodginess.
|
|
stash
Forum Regular
Posts: 51
|
Post by stash on Jun 16, 2021 21:33:38 GMT
|
|
obsie
Non-Aligned
Posts: 861
|
Post by obsie on Jun 21, 2021 6:18:19 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by seanryanj on Jun 21, 2021 9:18:09 GMT
Condolences to the family. However I think it was grubby to hand over the seat a few days ago. Who in the party was going to challenge what probably the wish of a dying man? |
|
ricmk
Lib Dem
Posts: 2,615
|
Post by ricmk on Jun 21, 2021 9:24:43 GMT
Condolences to the family. However I think it was grubby to hand over the seat a few days ago. Who in the party was going to challenge what probably the wish of a dying man? RIP indeed. However there's an easy answer to your question: Jeffrey Donaldson. If elected DUP leader, he's made it clear he wants to serve as First Minister, so would need a co-option to get into NI Assembly, and thus a DUP vacancy. So this would have been an ideal platform. I know nothing locally but I wonder if that was why the Poots leadership cut this option off very quickly (EDIT - I previously assumed that it was the father's nomination, but have checked and it's party leadership.) With this path blocked, he's likely in the position of needing to force someone out in a fractious and unhappy party, unless there is a willing volunteer then this could create further ructions. The one bauble is that there would then be a vacancy for the Lagan Valley parliamentary seat, but it's far from clear that the DUP would hold that, the electorate can hardly have missed the ferrets fighting in sacks and there's sure to be a more hardcore unionist option on the ballot paper. So if the MLA forced out goes for the parliamentary seat in exchange, it's high-risk for them. |
|
|
|
Post by seanryanj on Jun 21, 2021 10:46:43 GMT
Condolences to the family. However I think it was grubby to hand over the seat a few days ago. Who in the party was going to challenge what probably the wish of a dying man? RIP indeed. However there's an easy answer to your question: Jeffrey Donaldson. If elected DUP leader, he's made it clear he wants to serve as First Minister, so would need a co-option to get into NI Assembly, and thus a DUP vacancy. So this would have been an ideal platform. I know nothing locally but I wonder if that was why the Poots leadership cut this option off very quickly (EDIT - I previously assumed that it was the father's nomination, but have checked and it's party leadership.) With this path blocked, he's likely in the position of needing to force someone out in a fractious and unhappy party, unless there is a willing volunteer then this could create further ructions. The one bauble is that there would then be a vacancy for the Lagan Valley parliamentary seat, but it's far from clear that the DUP would hold that, the electorate can hardly have missed the ferrets fighting in sacks and there's sure to be a more hardcore unionist option on the ballot paper. So if the MLA forced out goes for the parliamentary seat in exchange, it's high-risk for them. If Donaldson steps down as MP (He might ask Arlene to step aside for him) The DUP convention in LV should indeed be interesting! |
|
|
|
Post by relique on Jun 21, 2021 11:10:30 GMT
The most likely move is to propose to a MLA to stand down as MLA and then stand in the by-election after Donaldson becomes an MLA.
After all, it could be a nice exchange with Givan to "appease the tensions".
|
|
CatholicLeft
Labour
2032 posts until I was "accidentally" deleted.
Posts: 6,712
|
Post by CatholicLeft on Jun 21, 2021 14:32:08 GMT
The most likely move is to propose to a MLA to stand down as MLA and then stand in the by-election after Donaldson becomes an MLA. After all, it could be a nice exchange with Givan to "appease the tensions". If Givan stands for the seat in a byelection, he would likely lose as many in the DUP would seek to take revenge against him, perhaps by voting for the UUP, or stay at home. |
|
iang
Lib Dem
Posts: 1,813
|
Post by iang on Jun 21, 2021 15:12:41 GMT
Wouldn't a Lagan Valley Westminster by-election be a prime target for Alliance, especially if the DUP vote gets split by a combination of internal ructions and the possibility of someone like TUV on the ballot paper siphoning off hard line votes?
|
|
