Unionist Outreach in Craigavon

[deiseach]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

In the absence of any rules to force people to adopt certain methods of sharing the the spoils, such as you have in the Assembly, you can't stop parties not voting to share the spoils. Unionist politicians are going to form a pact, simple as that. Although I accept that there should be a obligation to be up front about it. You agree on the order of business and proceed through it in an orderly fashion. The bizarre manner in which they went about this stank to high heaven

[Ulick]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

Hmmm... true to a certain extent. However what has more of an impact is that the ward boundaries are out of date and unionist dominated wards return more councilors than nationalist wards even though they have less voters.

[Maguire01]

In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down.

Lisburn currently has a nationalist mayor as well - its second I understand.

Just a thought, but in England, would a Conservative controlled Council vote for a Lib Dem or Labour mayor to give everyone a 'fair crack of the whip'? What happens on councils down south where one party has a substantial majority?

Whatever about the specifics of this instance, which seems odd to say the least, are we skewing democracy in expecting every party to get their time as mayor, regardless of how many votes they get in an area? Taking Lisburn as an example, should SF ever expect to have a mayor when they have 5 out of 30 seats on the council?

[Dougal Maguire]

Strabane & Omagh has it's first DUP chairperson. Neither one would shake the hands of Sinn Fein cllrs, who offered their congratulations.

I'm not sure you're right here' Did Strabane not have unionist chairpersons for years, Tommy Kerrigan for one.

[Dougal Maguire]

What i'm most confused about here is that surely the unionists councillors could have done the very simple maths on a FPTP scenario and supported a single candidate from their ranks (just as the SDLP appears to have supported the SF candidate here)? Surely that would have given them their desired outcome with no scope for opposition?

UUP and DUP are killing each other in Craigavon indeed UUP is split among itself hence Arnold Hatch voting for Carla Lockhart rather than himself

[Dougal Maguire]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

In the absence of any rules to force people to adopt certain methods of sharing the the spoils, such as you have in the Assembly, you can't stop parties not voting to share the spoils. Unionist politicians are going to form a pact, simple as that. Although I accept that there should be a obligation to be up front about it. You agree on the order of business and proceed through it in an orderly fashion. The bizarre manner in which they went about this stank to high heaven

I love when misinformed people like yourself post on threads like this to display your total ignorance of Northern politics.

[ziggysego]

Strabane & Omagh has it's first DUP chairperson. Neither one would shake the hands of Sinn Fein cllrs, who offered their congratulations.

I'm not sure you're right here' Did Strabane not have unionist chairpersons for years, Tommy Kerrigan for one.

Wrong again

Definitely right about Omagh DC though and both chairs wouldn't accept the congratulations from Sinn Fein.

[Dougal Maguire]

Strabane & Omagh has it's first DUP chairperson. Neither one would shake the hands of Sinn Fein cllrs, who offered their congratulations.

I'm not sure you're right here' Did Strabane not have unionist chairpersons for years, Tommy Kerrigan for one.

It was the notorious Edward Turner of the UUP that was the Chairman of Strabane for quite a few years, Kerrigan was the Vice Chair in that era and Chairman for a year in the last council term

I met Tommy Kerrigan a few times. He seemed a nice enough man. I seem to remember him being hauled over the coals by the DUP hierarchy after he shook hands with a Sinn Fein Chair or vice Chair in the days before the entente cordial that exists between DUP and SF everywhere apart from Craigavon

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

In the absence of any rules to force people to adopt certain methods of sharing the the spoils, such as you have in the Assembly, you can't stop parties not voting to share the spoils. Unionist politicians are going to form a pact, simple as that. Although I accept that there should be a obligation to be up front about it. You agree on the order of business and proceed through it in an orderly fashion. The bizarre manner in which they went about this stank to high heaven

I love when misinformed people like yourself post on threads like this to display your total ignorance of Northern politics.

Pretty much how we feel about you lads complete ignorance of politics in the Republic.

[Nally Stand]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

In the absence of any rules to force people to adopt certain methods of sharing the the spoils, such as you have in the Assembly, you can't stop parties not voting to share the spoils. Unionist politicians are going to form a pact, simple as that. Although I accept that there should be a obligation to be up front about it. You agree on the order of business and proceed through it in an orderly fashion. The bizarre manner in which they went about this stank to high heaven

I love when misinformed people like yourself post on threads like this to display your total ignorance of Northern politics.

Pretty much how we feel about you lads complete ignorance of politics in the Republic.

Says the man living on a totally different island.

[Dougal Maguire]

Well we'll see how much you lot understood over the next few days when Spain gets a much better bailout deal than you got and you find yourselves with nothing to bargain with in order to negotiate a similar deal because you have already voted Yes in the referendum. 

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

While of course de Hondt would be a much preferable system, it is still to be established whether the system used did break the rules which were in place at the time. What was much more shocking, disturbing or laughable, depending on your perspective, were the comments of DUP councillors who said that they wouldn't share power with SF until the latter proved they were a "peace loving party." Clearly a man who doesn't turn on the news or travel outside of Craigavon too often.

[Saffrongael]

There is a certain irony in Sinn Fein accusing their brothers in arms (no pun intended) the DUP of a carve up or dirty tricks.

[Nally Stand]

The term they used was "untill SF prove themselves a democratic party". Which is priceless considering another Unionist, Adrian Cochrane (UUP) from Antrim Borough Council yesterday stated "pigs will fly before Antrim allows a SF mayor. Yes, it's undemocratic but I'll never promote SF. I don't think they are fit for public office".

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Totally different situation, Craigavoin Borough is evenly balanced between both communities, it was just the unwillingness of SDLP voters to transfer that enable Unionists to hold the balance of power. Craigavon has a record of sectarian bigotry stretching back over many years. Remember the ST Peter's debacle where the had to be forced in the courts to lease ground to the GAA Club. In Nationalist controlled councils by and large Unionists get a fair crack of the whip, even Ballymena has elected a nationalist Mayor. Craigavon closely followed by Lisburn have continously done what the could to keep the croppies down. I'm afraid your post displays an ignorance of the North and its politics.

In the absence of any rules to force people to adopt certain methods of sharing the the spoils, such as you have in the Assembly, you can't stop parties not voting to share the spoils. Unionist politicians are going to form a pact, simple as that. Although I accept that there should be a obligation to be up front about it. You agree on the order of business and proceed through it in an orderly fashion. The bizarre manner in which they went about this stank to high heaven

I love when misinformed people like yourself post on threads like this to display your total ignorance of Northern politics.

Pretty much how we feel about you lads complete ignorance of politics in the Republic.

Says the man living on a totally different island.

Sure you live on a totally different planet.