6 County Assembly Elections - 5th May 2022

[Farrandeelin]

Are they waiting to the friday after to start counting or will they start as soon as its over.

May as well wait till the Friday given the PR-STV system.

[imtommygunn]

Is there less DUP posters about your areas than normal?

I didn't see any around my nearest, quaint little village which isn't as loyal as it was 10 years ago, but they'd normally have them up around the local PS which acts as a polling station but nada and I think I saw two for Weir in the staunch little village of Greyabbey and it would normally be festooned with them...

Wondering if the financial wheels are coming off the DUP!

Definitely. For me it looks like there are plenty in the areas they're strong in. e.g. if you start driving through Comber or Ards there are plenty but south belfast there aren't that many and they are only in specific parts of south belfast - e.g. milltown / shaws bridge area and a bit on the embankment. It looks like they are just reminding people in the areas that vote for them.

[marty34]

Are they waiting to the friday after to start counting or will they start as soon as its over.

May as well wait till the Friday given the PR-STV system.

Probably start the next morning I'd say. Gather them all to the count centres overnight.

Regarding posters - they must be costly to make? Maybe they can be used again if same people standing etc. but still it all adds up.

Do people get paid for putting them up or just party helpers?

Funny thing is when half of them goes up, the wind blows them around and the info. can't be seen, which is ironic, as they're up for PR. You'd think they'd at least put them up right and not blow around.

[Armagh18]

We need one health trust with regional care centres. If you have Cancer you go to the Cancer specialists hospital say Craigavon, For Ortho it is Altnagelvin say, For Neuro, the Royal etc. Having all services in every hospital is crazy. This means closing departments in certain hospitals. Families need to take on more responsibility and get patients discharged. If they can't go to a family then into a home and the family invoiced. Bed blocking in the health service is a problem.
More nurses need trained. we need to get more nurses into full time contracts and cut out the expensive agency workers. In the short term this means recruiting from abroad.
Some simple solutions but the CS is fighting this at every point. They need P45'd

Also centralising cancer services given how common and debilitating it is across the population would be a f**king disaster. Sending the elderly and infirm from Fermanagh and West Tyrone the length of the province to receive basic healthcare is a cruel suggestion.

It is not cruel. It will increase the chances of survival by cutting waiting times which will improve outcomes. I understand that it would be better to have all the treatments provided next door to where you live but that just isn't viable.
To clarify I meant having each service provided by every trust. 1 trust. Then specialists centres all across NI not centralised in Belfast. Sick ppl in Belfast might have to travel to Derry for specialist care and that is something we're all going to have to sign up to.

Don't know if that is realistic for everyone!

[bogball88]

Are they waiting to the friday after to start counting or will they start as soon as its over.

Correct. Verficiation of unused votes will happen on Thursday night, but the first counting of valid votes cast won't happen until Friday morning

[bogball88]

Re DUP posters-in Lisburn I notice they have reused posters from previous years. Jeffrey Donaldson look about 15 years younger with a curtains haircut 

[general_lee]

Regarding posters - they must be costly to make? Maybe they can be used again if same people standing etc. but still it all adds up.

Do people get paid for putting them up or just party helpers?

Funny thing is when half of them goes up, the wind blows them around and the info. can't be seen, which is ironic, as they're up for PR. You'd think they'd at least put them up right and not blow around.

Unionists seem to be very big into their posters, (which is understandable given their penchant for climbing lampposts and attaching things to them) so I'd say plenty of volunteers willing to help out. I drove from Portadown to Lurgan and the closer you got to Craigavon the more Unionists posters I saw. Even saw the TUV weasel's wee face at the m1 roundabout at Lurgan. It's funny how they are able to erect their posters in what are inherently "nationalist" areas (which to be fair they should be) but SF, SDLP and alliance are getting dogs abuse, assaulted and having their material attacked and destroyed.

[Snapchap]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the generla election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the generla election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Isn't that the election SF had the whatsapp group going around asking people to vote Alliance to keep SDLP out.

[Snapchap]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the general election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Isn't that the election SF had the whatsapp group going around asking people to vote Alliance to keep SDLP out.

I have no idea. Hard to comment, or indeed verify, unsubstantiated claims like that. I do know it's the election Colum was referring to when he just tried to pretend that others standing aside to aid them in certain constituencies had absolutely nothing to do with their increase in votes. I also know that in yesterday's interview, Colum refused to encourage SDLP voters to transfer to SF, but had no problem telling how he personally transferred to the UUP last time.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the general election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Isn't that the election SF had the whatsapp group going around asking people to vote Alliance to keep SDLP out.

I have no idea. Hard to comment, or indeed verify, unsubstantiated claims like that. I do know it's the election Colum was referring to when he just tried to pretend that others standing aside to aid them in certain constituencies had absolutely nothing to do with their increase in votes. I also know that in yesterday's interview, Colum refused to encourage SDLP voters to transfer to SF, but had no problem telling how he personally transferred to the UUP last time.

Yeah whats good for the goose......

[Snapchap]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the general election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Isn't that the election SF had the whatsapp group going around asking people to vote Alliance to keep SDLP out.

I have no idea. Hard to comment, or indeed verify, unsubstantiated claims like that. I do know it's the election Colum was referring to when he just tried to pretend that others standing aside to aid them in certain constituencies had absolutely nothing to do with their increase in votes. I also know that in yesterday's interview, Colum refused to encourage SDLP voters to transfer to SF, but had no problem telling how he personally transferred to the UUP last time.

Yeah whats good for the goose......

lol so you're backtracking on the relevance of your whatsapp tale. Well that didn't take long!!

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the general election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Isn't that the election SF had the whatsapp group going around asking people to vote Alliance to keep SDLP out.

I have no idea. Hard to comment, or indeed verify, unsubstantiated claims like that. I do know it's the election Colum was referring to when he just tried to pretend that others standing aside to aid them in certain constituencies had absolutely nothing to do with their increase in votes. I also know that in yesterday's interview, Colum refused to encourage SDLP voters to transfer to SF, but had no problem telling how he personally transferred to the UUP last time.

Yeah whats good for the goose......

lol so you're backtracking on the relevance of your whatsapp tale. Well that didn't take long!!

Not at all, I am saying Shinners were at this shit last election-FACT!!!! It was embarrassing tbh. Take your oil

[trailer]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the generla election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Rent free

[Snapchap]

Just catching up on Colum Eastwood's interview on yesterdays Talkback. General gist of the one interaction where Colum brought up the subject of their recent most election performance, then regretted doing so and accused to host of being the one who brought up the subject:

Colum: If you look at the last election, people voted for us in huge numbers
William: When was that?
Colum: It was...it was 2019 in the General Election.
William: In the local election in 2019 the SDLP got the lowest number of votes in the party's history and you lost seats?
Colum: Well we....we..eh...we did well. Then in the general election we got a huge result
William: But in the generla election, other partties stood aside to help you in a number of constituencies. Would you not accept that you got a bit of help? Then you had the EU elections, and you finished in fourth, you're not doing well as a party are you?
Colum: Do you want to talk about previous elections or do you want to talk about the one we're about to have?

Rent free

It was literally on the radio