6 County Assembly Elections - 5th May 2022

[marty34]

Sammy caught out telling a few porkies in relation to the NIP this morning on GMU;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00174hg

1 hr 42 mins in.

Time this was done more often and tbh the business community need to step forward and tell it as it is.

That's good listening.

Sammy all over the place. As you say, more questioning like this to happen - pull the DUP up on these figures.

The DUP just seem to make up stats/figures of their own.

Key think here is that it seemed a department 'comissioned' this survey - probably done deliberately to get a stat for theelection...before anybody could check it, as reporter said he had to go looking for it.

It was worse than that, the selectively leaked survey was widely quoted by the DUP before the election, however the survey was not available for scrutiny by reporters until after the election .
And of course the DUP interpretation of the survey contradicted reality.

Ask where the 'survey' came from?

[Main Street]

Sammy caught out telling a few porkies in relation to the NIP this morning on GMU;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00174hg

1 hr 42 mins in.

Time this was done more often and tbh the business community need to step forward and tell it as it is.

That's good listening.

Sammy all over the place. As you say, more questioning like this to happen - pull the DUP up on these figures.

The DUP just seem to make up stats/figures of their own.

Key think here is that it seemed a department 'comissioned' this survey - probably done deliberately to get a stat for theelection...before anybody could check it, as reporter said he had to go looking for it.

It was worse than that, the selectively leaked survey was widely quoted by the DUP before the election, however the survey was not available for scrutiny by reporters until after the election .
And of course the DUP interpretation of the survey contradicted reality.

Ask where the 'survey' came from?

Where did the survey come from?

[Farrandeelin]

I feel sorry for everyone who voted for the 54 MLAs who want a functioning Assembly

More than 54 surely?

[imtommygunn]

That is presumably the number of non dup mlas.

[Armagh18]

That is presumably the number of non dup mlas.

did they not only get 26? Maybe hes including UUP and that other little clown.

[Walter White]

Every channel north, south and across the water is talking about the Protocol and how it needs to change for the "peace and prosperity of NI".

Some have pointed to the election of 54 pro-Protocol MLA's, but surely at this point it makes more sense to have a referendum and allow the people in the North to have a proper voice, not have everyone assume and speak on our behalf.

I would say it would far exceed 70% in favour, to put an end to this rubbish, and highlight even more how much of a roadblock the DUP are, even with a minority electorate.

[Armagh18]

Every channel north, south and across the water is talking about the Protocol and how it needs to change for the "peace and prosperity of NI".

Some have pointed to the election of 54 pro-Protocol MLA's, but surely at this point it makes more sense to have a referendum and allow the people in the North to have a proper voice, not have everyone assume and speak on our behalf.

I would say it would far exceed 70% in favour, to put an end to this rubbish, and highlight even more how much of a roadblock the DUP are, even with a minority electorate.

It'd pass, but honestly don't think it's the sort of thing ordinary people should be voting on, we know all the lies that will be spouted. How many on here would honestly know the ins and outs of it?

[Walter White]

Every channel north, south and across the water is talking about the Protocol and how it needs to change for the "peace and prosperity of NI".

Some have pointed to the election of 54 pro-Protocol MLA's, but surely at this point it makes more sense to have a referendum and allow the people in the North to have a proper voice, not have everyone assume and speak on our behalf.

I would say it would far exceed 70% in favour, to put an end to this rubbish, and highlight even more how much of a roadblock the DUP are, even with a minority electorate.

It'd pass, but honestly don't think it's the sort of thing ordinary people should be voting on, we know all the lies that will be spouted. How many on here would honestly know the ins and outs of it?

I accept your point, and we know how much false information is spread. However, I don't think the question to the ordinary person should be "Should the Protocol be retained in it's current form" - as to your point, very few would have the information to answer properly.

Instead, I think a simple question of "Does the NI Protocol, in it's current form, have a material adverse impact on your day-to-day life either personally or professionally - yes/no"

I live in a rural area, I work in Belfast and deal with a large number of people who span many different professional sectors, and I would say the positive:negative ratio is about 5:1 in my experience.

Surely if a large majority stated that the Protocol had no material impact, the UK Government will be challenged when using NI as pawns to create a trade war.

In my view, the Protocol is working, and the figures back that up. It shows that the harder the Brexit, the worse-off you are. The UKG wants rid of the Protocol as it is absolute comparable proof that they have shot themselves, and the British people, in the foot.

[seafoid]

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/former-secretary-julian-smith-questions-if-tory-mps-are-using-northern-ireland-for-other-agendas-in-protocol-row-41644523.html

Some Conservative Party MPs are using Northern Ireland "for other agendas" according to the former Secretary of State Julian Smith.

In an interview with Politics Home's podcast The Rundown, Smith suggested there was a "question" over how committed some MPs are to Northern Ireland.

"My priority as somebody that really wants to stand up for Northern Ireland is to make sure as we go through the coming weeks that Northern Ireland's priorities and requirements are front and center, and not being used as a vehicle for other people's priorities," he said.


Smith urged the EU to "shift" its negotiation position in a bid to persuade the DUP to take part in the Stormont institutions.

"The message I'm trying to communicate to EU interlocutors is: you might not want to shift for the ERG [European Research Group of backbench Conservative MPs], but do listen to Northern Ireland and political unionism on what it needs to give them," he added.

[theskull1]

Not long I fear before the "bomb and the bullet" card gets played by unionism so as to force the EUs hand. The UK government will be happy to have the leverage

[Eire90]

A Queen's University professor has suggested that Britain may try to claim back the entire island of Ireland in the event of Sinn Féin leading government in both Belfast and Dublin.

In an opinion piece published by  RTE, Prof Cathal McCall, who teaches European politics and borders at Queen's, said some Tories still believe Ireland "belongs to Britain".

"After all, it was Britain's 100 [years] ago and it still holds a part of it, so why not all of it?", he added.

The author of the book Border Ireland: From Partition To Brexit, Prof McCall said opinion polls suggest "Sinn Féin will also be the unassailable victor in the next Irish general election", due to take place in 2025.

"A Sinn Féin taoiseach is in the offing for the first time in the history of the state," he said.

"What would be the British government's attitude to Sinn Féin's electoral dominance on the island of Ireland should it materialise?"

Prof McCall said that Britain could "respect the democratic decisions taken, north and south, and pledge to advance British-Irish intergovernmental cooperation with the Irish republican interlopers".

[Farrandeelin]

A Queen's University professor has suggested that Britain may try to claim back the entire island of Ireland in the event of Sinn Féin leading government in both Belfast and Dublin.

In an opinion piece published by  RTE, Prof Cathal McCall, who teaches European politics and borders at Queen's, said some Tories still believe Ireland "belongs to Britain".

"After all, it was Britain's 100 [years] ago and it still holds a part of it, so why not all of it?", he added.

The author of the book Border Ireland: From Partition To Brexit, Prof McCall said opinion polls suggest "Sinn Féin will also be the unassailable victor in the next Irish general election", due to take place in 2025.

"A Sinn Féin taoiseach is in the offing for the first time in the history of the state," he said.

"What would be the British government's attitude to Sinn Féin's electoral dominance on the island of Ireland should it materialise?"

Prof McCall said that Britain could "respect the democratic decisions taken, north and south, and pledge to advance British-Irish intergovernmental cooperation with the Irish republican interlopers".

That shower of f**kers in RTÉ's wet dream.

[imtommygunn]

Not long I fear before the "bomb and the bullet" card gets played by unionism so as to force the EUs hand. The UK government will be happy to have the leverage

Apparently poots said on Nolan - it's either the protocol or the peace process.

[Armagh18]

Not long I fear before the "bomb and the bullet" card gets played by unionism so as to force the EUs hand. The UK government will be happy to have the leverage

Apparently poots said on Nolan - it's either the protocol or the peace process.

What are they going to do? Attack innocent unarmed Catholics/foreigners?

[Eire90]

The tories want chaos if i was putting on a tin foil hat id not be suprise if we see them doing false flag attacks to blame the irish