What is the most likely future of Northern Ireland ?

[Eamonnca1]

I've been saying on here for about 2 years i couldn't understand why people were slagging a nationalist for going to Westminster but voting a Unionist who would instead (alliance)..

The oddest type of people. And i don't care what people say but SF tried to reduce SDLP in Derry by encouraging transfers to alliance.

Twitter awash with these anti stoopers. Stupid for Stupids sake

Every time they give out about "stoops" going to Westminster I wonder about their opinions on Parnell and O'Connell doing the same.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

I've been saying on here for about 2 years i couldn't understand why people were slagging a nationalist for going to Westminster but voting a Unionist who would instead (alliance)..

The oddest type of people. And i don't care what people say but SF tried to reduce SDLP in Derry by encouraging transfers to alliance.

Twitter awash with these anti stoopers. Stupid for Stupids sake

Every time they give out about "stoops" going to Westminster I wonder about their opinions on Parnell and O'Connell doing the same.

They wouldnt know who they are, they'd have to look them up

[Rossfan]

Parnell and O'Connell didn't achieve very much in Westminster in the end.

[seafoid]

Parnell and O'Connell didn't achieve very much in Westminster in the end.

Not sure about that.
If the Shinners took their seats maybe they could use their influence to speed things up . The Tories are trína chéile.

https://youtu.be/aopdD9Cu-So

[grounded]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001cfvx

There's bin Lorry's meltdown on Nolan. 60 or 65% needed before any border poll can be called for. 'Good Friday agreement is wrong and unfair for Unionists'.

At the time of the GFA i was genuinely surprised that there was a Unionist Majority in favour of it 56-57% estimated.
     They were persuaded there would never be a Catholic majority or that Nationalist parties would never become the dominant force in Stormount. Essentially that there would never be the conditions for a United Ireland.
       They cannot get it into their heads that Nationalists in the North still would yearn for a UI.  Would there be a  Unionist Majority today in a GFA? I would bet not.
  They actually had it in their grasp to postpone the inevitable for much much longer, by making this place a fairer more equitable place for nationalists.  But they chose to drag their heals and be mean spirited as is unfortunately the Unionist way(with some small notable exceptions).
       Ultimately the DUP saw the writing on the wall and went for the one big thing that could lock NI into the UK for ever,  Brexit. It backfired spectacularly and propelled the argument for a United Ireland forward by a decade or so.
      If Brexit hadn't of happened would the Census have had as much of an impact?

Just a small note on polling and Lowry's obvious dislike of online polls(particularly Lucid talks) vs face to face polling. Any Nationalist who lives in the North would explain why they would prefer an online poll.
         If a BBC or UTV reporter and camera crew stopped you on the street and asked would you vote for a UI how many would actually want to be on TV saying yes. There is a strong sense of ' don't put your head above the paraphet' or I don't want to offend the neighbours ' sort of thing among Nationalists in the North and for a good reason!.

There has been a monumental shift in momentum and an acceptance within the Nationalist community that an AI is not some sort of wishy wasn't romantic notion but it is really happening.

Expect an organised 23 year old backlash against the GFA agreement supporters next year. The signatories to be painted as Lundys, an attempt to unite unionism and shed the soft middle under the DUP who refused to go in..

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/edwin-poots-executive-not-answer-to-peoples-problems-this-year-1372413.html

Well there you go, It didn't take long.   

[imtommygunn]

Pootsy is really stepping it up.

The party who don't support the GFA will withdraw support for the GFA. Ai dead on. They better be careful or a load of their mates will be put back in jail.

[Milltown Row2]

Seen this last night, they probably are still smarting after how Charlie treated them after his visit

For the DUP its all about power, they are junkies for it, they say the right thing for their voters and it works

[imtommygunn]

I imagine the fact that there is most likely an election coming up again fuels this too. The hate is always stoked up when that happens.

Sadly I think they will possibly take the largest party again if there's another election. If that happens I imagine Stormont would come back.

The Brits are going to screw them on the protocol - the last few days seem to indicate that. Any negotiation they will spin as a win though.

[Milltown Row2]

I imagine the fact that there is most likely an election coming up again fuels this too. The hate is always stoked up when that happens.

Sadly I think they will possibly take the largest party again if there's another election. If that happens I imagine Stormont would come back.

The Brits are going to screw them on the protocol - the last few days seem to indicate that. Any negotiation they will spin as a win though.

For them to win it the UUP will lose seats as will the Long's party, the next election will be completely prod/taig head count

[Snapchap]

Sadly I think they will possibly take the largest party again if there's another election.

Not a chance. There latest opinion poll (just a few weeks back) showed that while the DUPs support showed a slight increase, so did SF's who are maintaining a 6% lead over them.

For those interested, the only other party to increase support since the election is Alliance (+2), while the UUP support has stayed static and the SDLP have managed to slump back by another 2%.

There will never again be a DUP First Minister. Whether they ever got back into the assembly for that very reason, is a valid question.

[imtommygunn]

I hope you're right. You should be if people have any sense.

It would appear the SDLP are going nowhere I think they need to consider a leadership change.

[Snapchap]

I hope you're right. You should be if people have any sense.

It would appear the SDLP are going nowhere I think they need to consider a leadership change.

Going nowhere fast. They've gone through leaders at a rate of knots but I don't think there's anyone that can revive them. What do they offer/stand for? I mentioned in another thread last week how they launched their New Ireland Commission to great fanfare around 18 months ago. Here we are 18 months later and it transpires that the Commission hasn't actually done anything yet. Which is just so typically SDLP. Take their Fianna Fáil link up - also announced to great fanfare, but like their New Ireland Commission, it faded into obscurity they day after the big launch event and did nothing in practice. To paraphrase what one journalist said last week, 'the link-up has ended but most people are wondering if actually began'.

[imtommygunn]

I don't think Eastwood can take them anywhere but whether anyone else can I am not sure. The Fianna Fáil link up was very odd and an absolute disaster.  Yes unfortunately like you say going nowhere currently at least.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

I hope you're right. You should be if people have any sense.

It would appear the SDLP are going nowhere I think they need to consider a leadership change.

Going nowhere fast. They've gone through leaders at a rate of knots but I don't think there's anyone that can revive them. What do they offer/stand for? I mentioned in another thread last week how they launched their New Ireland Commission to great fanfare around 18 months ago. Here we are 18 months later and it transpires that the Commission hasn't actually done anything yet. Which is just so typically SDLP. Take their Fianna Fáil link up - also announced to great fanfare, but like their New Ireland Commission, it faded into obscurity they day after the big launch event and did nothing in practice. To paraphrase what one journalist said last week, 'the link-up has ended but most people are wondering if actually began'.

Youd rather vote Alliance of course