Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Applesisapples]

unbelievable that Flanagan is in and Gildernew is out. She must have really pissed off someone. To me as a nationalist voter this puts a huge question mark over SF when they choose someone who continually puts his size 10's in his gob over a capable woman like Gildernew

Maybe it's a case of fighting fire with fire.  I would say that Phil Flanagan, despite his many faux pas. would appeal to the more hard-line republicans of Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

No one should kid themselves that even a modicum of moderate unionism exists in this area and perhaps the people are sick of seeing Arlene walking around Tesco's with her union jack shopping bag and that stupid royal brooch that she never leaves off, sick of the unionist pacts and sick of the hard-line unionist representatives.

When you signed up to the GFA you signed up to her right to do so, whether you like it or not. Actually it says more about the intransigence and insecurity of the PUL community than it does about anything else. I don't object to anyone having hard line views I do object to stupidity in political leadership.

[winghalfun]

Sick of these people indeed, but how can they be opposed?  I can certainly imagine Gildernew in Stormont as a First/Deputy First Minister, and someone that might advance the nationalist cause, but Flanagan would be an embarrassment. Flanagan reminds me of certain GAA players who will "stand up for themselves", but who just get sent off and and who are ultimately a scourge. What is needed is a player that goes up and scores at the other end, not one slabbering.

I would agree entirely with this Armaghniac but perhaps unfortunately in this case needs must and if Michelle ran in this constituency again I feel she might struggle to get enough voters out.

Phil says, albeit in a very clumsy and politically incorrect way what a lot of Sinn Fein voters in Fermanagh are thinking.

Is this good enough to progress the nationalist cause on the wider political scale? - probably not.

But hey, get him in and then try and tame him. Bit like Randle Patrick "Mac" McMurphy 

[smelmoth]

No one should kid themselves that even a modicum of moderate unionism exists in this area and perhaps the people are sick of seeing Arlene walking around Tesco's with her union jack shopping bag and that stupid royal brooch that she never leaves off, sick of the unionist pacts and sick of the hard-line unionist representatives.

Sick of these people indeed, but how can they be opposed?  I can certainly imagine Gildernew in Stormont as a First/Deputy First Minister, and someone that might advance the nationalist cause, but Flanagan would be an embarrassment. Flanagan reminds me of certain GAA players who will "stand up for themselves", but who just get sent off and and who are ultimately a scourge. What is needed is a player that goes up and scores at the other end, not one slabbering.

Agree with the "stand up for themselves" analogy. Flanagan seems to have a serious issue with intellect. Maybe he will "represent" a section of republicanism/nationalism in the sense that he shares the same view as those voters, But the representation required from a polictical representative is a bit more than that.

As for  winghalfun's comment in respect of there not even being a modicum of moderate unionism in the area? What is this based upon?

I know the area well. There is a strong element of ordinary decent folk who would coincidentally vote to maintain the union if asked. Too many don't vote in MLA or Westminster elections. Some do vote for unified unionist candidates in a General Election, specifically to keep SF out. What is wrong of that? Don't assume that the same voters would vote the same way to keep SDLP out or a catholic voting on another ticket? There will be voters in the south who do and will vote a certain way to keep SF out.

West of the Bann there is not a lot of centrist options 

[winghalfback]

I would hazard a guess Michelle gildernew will be running in FST. The fact it's 3 men all from Fermanagh tells me sf will want a woman standing and a Tyrone person standing too. Michelle fits this bill.

[armaghniac]

I would hazard a guess Michelle gildernew will be running in FST. The fact it's 3 men all from Fermanagh tells me sf will want a woman standing and a Tyrone person standing too. Michelle fits this bill.

I suspect this is a stunt, a bit like FG not selecting Richard Bruton in Dublin. Make sure to select the local hack, who HQ don't approve of, and leave off the "big" candidate knowing that HQ will reinsert the "big" candidate and the local will still get his run out.

[Maguire01]

I would hazard a guess Michelle gildernew will be running in FST. The fact it's 3 men all from Fermanagh tells me sf will want a woman standing and a Tyrone person standing too. Michelle fits this bill.

I suspect this is a stunt, a bit like FG not selecting Richard Bruton in Dublin. Make sure to select the local hack, who HQ don't approve of, and leave off the "big" candidate knowing that HQ will reinsert the "big" candidate and the local will still get his run out.

Flanagan took the last seat at the last election 62 votes ahead of the SDLP. Even the slightest drop in SF's vote or the slightest increase in the SDLP vote would see that seat back to the SDLP, and no doubt it's a seat they're targeting. Selecting Flanagan rather than Gildernew has weakened SF here, but to add Gildernew as a fourth candidate would surely hand that seat back to the SDLP, no?

[Maguire01]

No one should kid themselves that even a modicum of moderate unionism exists in this area and perhaps the people are sick of seeing Arlene walking around Tesco's with her union jack shopping bag and that stupid royal brooch that she never leaves off, sick of the unionist pacts and sick of the hard-line unionist representatives.

Absolute and total nonsense. There are many moderate unionists in this constituency. There are many unionists who can't abide SF, many, for example, with very vivid memories of what happened in Enniskillen in 1987, but that doesn't in itself make them 'extreme'.

[Tony Baloney]

SF should ban Flanagan from all forms of social media. He doesn't seem to be the brightest lad about.

[Farrandeelin]

Michelle Gildernew... would you?

[give her dixie]

Very bad move by the party here on this. It's obvious there is a problem, and maybe time will reveal.
However, she remains one of their most articulate and well liked politicians. She carries a lot of respect
from a lot of people.

Before Christmas she was selected to run for Stormont. Phil was deselected, and in my opinion rightly so.
Then Phil goes to HQ and they order another vote. This time, Bromwyn McGahan also runs for selection.
She had replaced Michelle in Stormont, and before Christmas ruled herself out of the selection process and said
she wouldn't stand again. Why did she run this time, and coming from the same area as Michelle, did she split
the vote? Or did a whispering campaign go around and people were quietly told how to vote? How did we end
up with 3 Fermanagh men and no one from Tyrone?

As previously stated, Michelle would be 1st or Deputy 1st Minister material. The same can't be said for many in the
party in Stormont. She would have been a natural successor to McGuinness, but somehow she has been sidelined.
I know Adams thinks very highly of her, so the resentment could be coming from up the ladder in Stormont.

While I can't see it happen, I would like to see her run as an independent for this area in the election.
She would have no problem getting a seat, and with a bit of luck take Phils seat !!

I have a lot of time and respect for Michelle, and I hope she is back on the political scene soon as we could do with her.

[armaghniac]

West of the Bann there is not a lot of centrist options

Sure we sent you a Unionist candidate from Cross', a GAA supporter like all Cross people, and you wouldn't vote for him.

Flanagan took the last seat at the last election 62 votes ahead of the SDLP. Even the slightest drop in SF's vote or the slightest increase in the SDLP vote would see that seat back to the SDLP, and no doubt it's a seat they're targeting. Selecting Flanagan rather than Gildernew has weakened SF here, but to add Gildernew as a fourth candidate would surely hand that seat back to the SDLP, no?

Provided there is transfer discipline it doesn't follow that the seat would be lost, but it could be at risk, I suppose. Gildernew might get a vote or two that might otherwise go to the SDLP, Flanagan would not.

[Maguire01]

West of the Bann there is not a lot of centrist options

Sure we sent you a Unionist candidate from Cross', a GAA supporter like all Cross people, and you wouldn't vote for him.

Flanagan took the last seat at the last election 62 votes ahead of the SDLP. Even the slightest drop in SF's vote or the slightest increase in the SDLP vote would see that seat back to the SDLP, and no doubt it's a seat they're targeting. Selecting Flanagan rather than Gildernew has weakened SF here, but to add Gildernew as a fourth candidate would surely hand that seat back to the SDLP, no?

Provided there is transfer discipline it doesn't follow that the seat would be lost, but it could be at risk, I suppose. Gildernew might get a vote or two that might otherwise go to the SDLP, Flanagan would not.

It would have to be very disciplined with a margin that tight, not to mention the lack of geographic spread.

[give her dixie]

Phil to pay nearly £50,000 in compensation plus cost to Tom Elliott

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-mla-phil-flanagan-to-pay-uups-tom-elliott-almost-50k-in-compensation-for-falsely-implying-he-shot-people-34420324.html

[Minder]

Phil to pay nearly £50,000 in compensation plus cost to Tom Elliott

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-mla-phil-flanagan-to-pay-uups-tom-elliott-almost-50k-in-compensation-for-falsely-implying-he-shot-people-34420324.html

Well he is actually trying to get the Stormont insurance company to pay for it.

[ashman]

To be fair to the boy from Fermanagh he gives unique soundbites.

Most SF reps are dull as ditchwater and regimental.