UK General Election 2017

[Dougal Maguire]

You know well what he means. Whilst it's one thing to deal with a constituency issue for a constituent, it's quite another to represent Catholics/Nationalists in Westminster. For instance would you envisage Gregory Campbell calling for a debate on a topic like Bloody Sunday or RUC collusion?

[T Fearon]

No.But seven non unionists were elected and will not take their seats.

[The Subbie]

No.But seven non unionists were elected and will not take their seats.

And made no secret of the fact during their canvass to secure said election, what's your point again exactly ?
Apart from heaping praise on one of history's foremost practitioners of Lollardism &  a certifible rascist.

[seafoid]

Catholics in NI have no parliamentary representation. Very strange.

You've picked the word Catholic for a reason - prob for a reaction.

As a Catholic I don't need parliamentary representation. As a nationalist, I did hope for some.
I was reading that Mark Durkan, like Seamus Mallon, was a man who got stuck into the detail of legislation and would have "had the backs" of nationalists in that regard. That's now missing.

Should have Said nationaliste. Anyway a Sad state of affaire.

[LeoMc]

Catholics in NI have no parliamentary representation. Very strange.

You've picked the word Catholic for a reason - prob for a reaction.

As a Catholic I don't need parliamentary representation. As a nationalist, I did hope for some.
I was reading that Mark Durkan, like Seamus Mallon, was a man who got stuck into the detail of legislation and would have "had the backs" of nationalists in that regard. That's now missing.

Should have Said nationaliste. Anyway a Sad state of affaire.

SF stood on a platform of Abstensionsism so any one who voted for them cannot have an issue with not being represented.

[Avondhu star]

Abstain but take the Queen's shilling. Very principled.

[Rois]

Serious answer, I'll find examples. Seamus Mallon gave an example of his input on Marian Finucane show a few Sundays ago on Radio 1. It was with regard to release of prisoners I think, and he'd identified an incorrect clause in the readings of the legislation that required amendments favouring nationalists.
I was just looking at Hansard records of Mark Durkan in Westminster (really interesting read in parts). He took a very strong position (numerous times)on the reading of draft legislation on NI welfare reform and on dealing with the past. He was also engaged in seeking legislative protection for the role of Ireland in NI as part of Brexit changes. Who will do that now?

And how did all of that end up?

Seamus Mallon - ended up successfully amending wording of legislation to provide additional protection.  I'd have to go over the interview again, am sure it is online if you don't believe me, but it was part of Seamus Mallon's point about importance of the role of the SDLP in Westminster when it is argued that there is no need for nationalists to be there.

For Mark Durkan - welfare reform and Brexit not enacted in legislation yet.  But there will be no SDLP MP or staff reviewing the legislation word by word and opposing/rewording clauses for the benefit of the nationalist electorate as Hansard records Mark had been doing.
Even if she took her seat, I'm not sure I would be trusting Elisha McCallion for one with that role - given her victory speech ended "right folks, I'm not goany keep yeez any longer, there's pardayin te be done". 

[Franko]

Serious answer, I'll find examples. Seamus Mallon gave an example of his input on Marian Finucane show a few Sundays ago on Radio 1. It was with regard to release of prisoners I think, and he'd identified an incorrect clause in the readings of the legislation that required amendments favouring nationalists.
I was just looking at Hansard records of Mark Durkan in Westminster (really interesting read in parts). He took a very strong position (numerous times)on the reading of draft legislation on NI welfare reform and on dealing with the past. He was also engaged in seeking legislative protection for the role of Ireland in NI as part of Brexit changes. Who will do that now?

And how did all of that end up?

Seamus Mallon - ended up successfully amending wording of legislation to provide additional protection.  I'd have to go over the interview again, am sure it is online if you don't believe me, but it was part of Seamus Mallon's point about importance of the role of the SDLP in Westminster when it is argued that there is no need for nationalists to be there.

For Mark Durkan - welfare reform and Brexit not enacted in legislation yet.  But there will be no SDLP MP or staff reviewing the legislation word by word and opposing/rewording clauses for the benefit of the nationalist electorate as Hansard records Mark had been doing.
Even if she took her seat, I'm not sure I would be trusting Elisha McCallion for one with that role - given her victory speech ended "right folks, I'm not goany keep yeez any longer, there's pardayin te be done".

Sweet Jesus, didn't know that.  What a plank.   

[stew]

I think you'll find if you live in a Constituency with a Unionist MP he or she will adequately represent and help you. A friend of mine,a catholic nationalist, wrote to Enoch Powell no less when he was South Down MP,with a minor problem.Two days later,Enoch actuallly turned up at his house and couldn't have been more helpful.

A DUP MP once told me privately that NI doesn't count at Westminster.Bet he has changed his tune.

Now you're talking about what a great, honest man Enoch Powell was? I really have nothing to say.....
[/quote7

That is not what he said at all ffs!

[Rois]

Fair play to you Rois, I'm a political nerd and even I don't review Hansard!

Just discovered that you can search by politician when I was trying to find some back-up!  Last time I considered Hansard was when I was doing a law module at QUB...a loooooooooooong time ago.

[Owen Brannigan]

Serious answer, I'll find examples. Seamus Mallon gave an example of his input on Marian Finucane show a few Sundays ago on Radio 1. It was with regard to release of prisoners I think, and he'd identified an incorrect clause in the readings of the legislation that required amendments favouring nationalists.
I was just looking at Hansard records of Mark Durkan in Westminster (really interesting read in parts). He took a very strong position (numerous times)on the reading of draft legislation on NI welfare reform and on dealing with the past. He was also engaged in seeking legislative protection for the role of Ireland in NI as part of Brexit changes. Who will do that now?

And how did all of that end up?

Seamus Mallon - ended up successfully amending wording of legislation to provide additional protection.  I'd have to go over the interview again, am sure it is online if you don't believe me, but it was part of Seamus Mallon's point about importance of the role of the SDLP in Westminster when it is argued that there is no need for nationalists to be there.

For Mark Durkan - welfare reform and Brexit not enacted in legislation yet.  But there will be no SDLP MP or staff reviewing the legislation word by word and opposing/rewording clauses for the benefit of the nationalist electorate as Hansard records Mark had been doing.
Even if she took her seat, I'm not sure I would be trusting Elisha McCallion for one with that role - given her victory speech ended "right folks, I'm not goany keep yeez any longer, there's pardayin te be done".

Sweet Jesus, didn't know that.  What a plank.   

She is an example of how the quality of the candidate for SF is irrelevant to their voters and is not the only example.  It is only the party that counts and not voting for the best candidate.

[armaghniac]

Of course they made an informed decision, they looked for the party name and voted for the person connected with that party.

[AhNowRef]

I think you'll find if you live in a Constituency with a Unionist MP he or she will adequately represent and help you. A friend of mine,a catholic nationalist, wrote to Enoch Powell no less when he was South Down MP,with a minor problem.Two days later,Enoch actuallly turned up at his house and couldn't have been more helpful.

A DUP MP once told me privately that NI doesn't count at Westminster.Bet he has changed his tune.

Now you're talking about what a great, honest man Enoch Powell was? I really have nothing to say.....

Enoch Powell, Paedo Facilitator Sean Brady, Atilla the hun ... all great lads to this gobsh1te

[red hander]

Abstain but take the Queen's shilling. Very principled.

Brits have exploited Ireland for 800 years and the rest of its empire to boot... f**k em

[tiempo]

Abstain but take the Queen's shilling. Very principled.

Brits have exploited Ireland for 800 years and the rest of its empire to boot... f**k em

Getting paid by the union to destabilise the unionist colony, be rude not to