West Tyrone By Election - Thurs 3rd May 2018

[WT4E]

Result:

Orfhlaith Begley (SF)         16,346 - 46.7%
Thomas Buchanan (DUP)    8,390 - 23.9%
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP)    6,254 - 17.9%
Chris Smyth (UUP)             2,909 - 8.3%
Stephen Donnelly (All)        1,130 - 3.2%

Turnout:  55%
SF Majority 7,956

Comfortable hold for SF. Turnout was down more than 13% on last year so vote share is a better indicator than number of votes cast.  Good performance from SDLP and decent show by the UUP.  McCrossan's share of the vote up nearly 5% and UUP up 3.2%.  SF down 4% and DUP down 3%.  Seems that more SF and DUP voters stayed at home but there's still a wee swing from SF to SDLP.  Local sources tell me that SF's stance on the 8th Amendment Referendum was an issue for some people.

Other than that there was the gun slinging in Greencastle.  I note this incident is now being played down significantly.  UUP candidate Chris Smyth tweeted yesterday that a man came in pointing a gun saying he was "looking for unionists".  This immediately didn't ring true as he was in Greencastle where unionists are, as they say, like hen's teeth!  Arlene Foster called it an attack on democracy.  It now seems that as the man produced his polling card to vote a member of staff saw what she thought was a gun.  The man voted, left the polling station, staff contacted the PSNI and since he has just given in his polling card they had his name and address, so the PSNI went and arrested him and are investigating.  DUP Belfast City Councillor Dale Pankhurst had called for the election to be suspended and for SF to be excluded from a re-arranged by-election!

I'd say SF will be happy with a solid performance by virtual unknown Begley.

You can't be serious - Someone brings a gun and its Sinn Feins fault - but to be fair most people who brought guns to Greencastle probably voted Sinn Fein! lol

That awkward moment when you go to vote and your gun falls out!

[AQMP]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

[ziggysego]

f**king hell. Cops at a polling station In Greencastle after someone brandished a gun.

Exciting day in Greencastle.

Was somebody caught voting Alliance?

Due to local issues, mainly Dalradian and the Cyanide Processing Planet they want to build on the outskirt of the village, I'd say the SF would have taken hit in favour of Alliance.

Does anyone even give a shite how the knuckle draggers in Tyrone vote?

Crawl back under your stone.

[ziggysego]

f**king hell. Cops at a polling station In Greencastle after someone brandished a gun.

I think somebody said Quantum Leap was a shite show.

Justified lol

[Farrandeelin]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Hmmm. Interesting one that.

[AQMP]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Hmmm. Interesting one that.

UKIP vote has collapsed - they've lost nearly all their councillors - and it seems that has benefited the Tories.  Any anti-Brexit vote seems to have gone to the Lib Dems.  It's a sort of an "as you were" result overall but it's disappointing for Labour and Corbyn.  They didn't make the big gains in London that were predicted.  Their long term Brexit strategy of "don't interrupt the Tories while they're making a mistake" has some logic to it but ordinary voters seem confused as to what their Brexit policy is.

[Owenmoresider]

Result:

Orfhlaith Begley (SF)         16,346 - 46.7%
Thomas Buchanan (DUP)    8,390 - 23.9%
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP)    6,254 - 17.9%
Chris Smyth (UUP)             2,909 - 8.3%
Stephen Donnelly (All)        1,130 - 3.2%

Turnout:  55%
SF Majority 7,956

Not a bad performance by McCrossan, up in share of votes and actual votes given the considerably reduced turnout. The outcome was never in doubt anyway.

[AQMP]

Result:

Orfhlaith Begley (SF)         16,346 - 46.7%
Thomas Buchanan (DUP)    8,390 - 23.9%
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP)    6,254 - 17.9%
Chris Smyth (UUP)             2,909 - 8.3%
Stephen Donnelly (All)        1,130 - 3.2%

Turnout:  55%
SF Majority 7,956

Not a bad performance by McCrossan, up in share of votes and actual votes given the considerably reduced turnout. The outcome was never in doubt anyway.

Yeah, I think he'll be happy enough with that result. 

I note turnout in Carrickmore, Orfhlaith Begley's (and Barry McElduff's) home village was 60%, down 12.5% from the election last year.  Election fatigue, plus the winner never being in doubt probably accounts for the lower turnout.

[trailer]

Result:

Orfhlaith Begley (SF)         16,346 - 46.7%
Thomas Buchanan (DUP)    8,390 - 23.9%
Daniel McCrossan (SDLP)    6,254 - 17.9%
Chris Smyth (UUP)             2,909 - 8.3%
Stephen Donnelly (All)        1,130 - 3.2%

Turnout:  55%
SF Majority 7,956

Not a bad performance by McCrossan, up in share of votes and actual votes given the considerably reduced turnout. The outcome was never in doubt anyway.

Yeah, I think he'll be happy enough with that result. 

I note turnout in Carrickmore, Orfhlaith Begley's (and Barry McElduff's) home village was 60%, down 12.5% from the election last year.  Election fatigue, plus the winner never being in doubt probably accounts for the lower turnout.

You would have thought turnout in Carrickmore would have been up. Young candidate, one of their own, show support etc.

[trailer]

When the results were read out the laughter from SF at McCrossan's total was a bit cringe. Respect agenda anyone?

[Avondhu star]

When the results were read out the laughter from SF at McCrossan's total was a bit cringe. Respect agenda anyone?

Respect for opponents! You realise this is Tyrone you are on about

[Avondhu star]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Despite some wishful thinking the Brexit support is holding and no rush into Corbyns arms by the British public

[tiempo]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Despite some wishful thinking the Brexit support is holding and no rush into Corbyns arms by the British public

Despite some wishful extrapolation regarding Brexit, the British public and Jeremy Corbyn following the recent round of council elections in England, its a simple fact that Jeremy Corbyn was on a sum total of 0 ballot papers during the same council elections... and that the elections had nothing to do with Brexit...

[Avondhu star]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Despite some wishful thinking the Brexit support is holding and no rush into Corbyns arms by the British public

Despite some wishful extrapolation regarding Brexit, the British public and Jeremy Corbyn following the recent round of council elections in England, its a simple fact that Jeremy Corbyn was on a sum total of 0 ballot papers during the same council elections... and that the elections had nothing to do with Brexit...

Absolute rubbish. Immigration was a big factor in Brexit. It is the pressure on local services such as schools and hospitals caused by massive immigration that led the British working class to vote for Brexit. Schools and hospital services are controlled by local authorities so local elections have a big connection to the Brexit issue.

The Shinners wishful thinking want to break the May Foster agreement and bring their pal Corbyn in to No. 10

[tiempo]

In other election news, across the water Labour fails to make significant gains in the English Council elections as the Tory vote holds up.

Despite some wishful thinking the Brexit support is holding and no rush into Corbyns arms by the British public

Despite some wishful extrapolation regarding Brexit, the British public and Jeremy Corbyn following the recent round of council elections in England, its a simple fact that Jeremy Corbyn was on a sum total of 0 ballot papers during the same council elections... and that the elections had nothing to do with Brexit...

Absolute rubbish. Immigration was a big factor in Brexit. It is the pressure on local services such as schools and hospitals caused by massive immigration that led the British working class to vote for Brexit. Schools and hospital services are controlled by local authorities so local elections have a big connection to the Brexit issue.

The Shinners wishful thinking want to break the May Foster agreement and bring their pal Corbyn in to No. 10

One small step for man... one giant extrapolated buck-lep for a bed wetter in his wellingtons.