The SDLP

[Snapchap]

It's amazing how many people point to he 2019 General Election as evidence of him being a good leader for having gotten two MPs elected.

In reality, one of those was his own success in Foyle, the SDLP's (sole remaining) stronghold, which was also his home constituency, where he was running as the party leader, and was standing against probably the weakest candidate SF in the north at the time. Hardly the greatest political achievement of our time. While the other seat won was in South Belfast where Sinn Féin stood aside to give them a clear run against the DUP.

His tweet yesterday trying to justify their abstention had a severe 'when you're explaining, you're losing' vibe about it.

[Applesisapples]

It's amazing how many people point to he 2019 General Election as evidence of him being a good leader for having gotten two MPs elected.

In reality, one of those was his own success in Foyle, the SDLP's (sole remaining) stronghold, which was also his home constituency, where he was running as the party leader, and was standing against probably the weakest candidate SF in the north at the time. Hardly the greatest political achievement of our time. While the other seat won was in South Belfast where Sinn Féin stood aside to give them a clear run against the DUP.

His tweet yesterday trying to justify their abstention had a severe 'when you're explaining, you're losing' vibe about it.

The SDLP frustrate the life out of me as a voter, I am their demographic but the drive me to vote SF. Mainly because much as I dislike some of SF's antics, I've had a positive experience with their Reps as opposed to the SDLP who I've found hard work to deal with. but also because they have nothing to offer other than said single transferable whinge.

[JohnDenver]

Did anybody see Nichola Mallon's video response on twitter justifying her abstaining from the vote?

I struggled to understand her reasoning.

1 - She said SDLP supported a 2 week extension to current restrictions - which the DUP vetoed

2 - She said SDLP then supported Robin Swann's counter proposal for a 1 week extension to the current restrictions - again vetoed

3 - She then said that she/SDLP couldn't support what was finally agreed - a 1 week extension to current restrictions, with a second week of partial extensions - so she abstained??

Is it just me - or was the 3rd option which is now in play not a better (closer to the 1st option) result than the 2nd option which was supporting??

[Applesisapples]

Did anybody see Nichola Mallon's video response on twitter justifying her abstaining from the vote?

I struggled to understand her reasoning.

1 - She said SDLP supported a 2 week extension to current restrictions - which the DUP vetoed

2 - She said SDLP then supported Robin Swann's counter proposal for a 1 week extension to the current restrictions - again vetoed

3 - She then said that she/SDLP couldn't support what was finally agreed - a 1 week extension to current restrictions, with a second week of partial extensions - so she abstained??

Is it just me - or was the 3rd option which is now in play not a better (closer to the 1st option) result than the 2nd option which was supporting??

The SDLP are now defined by the whole a but SF narrative. I had to stop following Eastwood on twitter because there was nothing resembling a coherent policy or strategy.

[imtommygunn]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

[Applesisapples]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

[93-DY-SAM]

The SDLP frustrate the life out of me as a voter, I am their demographic but the drive me to vote SF. Mainly because much as I dislike some of SF's antics, I've had a positive experience with their Reps as opposed to the SDLP who I've found hard work to deal with. but also because they have nothing to offer other than said single transferable whinge.

I'm exactly the same. Thankfully I've never really had any issues that I needed assistance with from any councillor, MLA or MP but around 10 years ago I had a particular issue I needed help with. It was around the time of assembly elections. I had local SLDP representatives canvassing at my door and I told them they'd get my vote if they could assist me. Their local councillor took my details and she promised me they'd be in touch in a few days. Needless to say I never heard from her or anyone in the SDLP after that and they didn't get my vote. Spoke to a Sinn Fein councillor some time after that and they had taken the matter up in the space of a few weeks and it was resolved a month or so after that between their local councillor and MP for my area. It was a major issue for us at the time and we were under alot of stress. While I'm no fan of some of the SF antics especially at Stormont they get things done on the ground at a local level. My mother and father have had a similar issue with the SDLP on a different matter where they promised them the world in sorting out a particular issue which dragged on for months but someone from SF stepped in and had it sorted in a matter of weeks. All promises when standing on your doorstep. Apart from Patsy McGlone I'd have very little time for any of the rest of them.

Our family would have been traditional SDLP voters but they have seriously lost their way in the last 10 or 15 years and I don't think any of us will vote SDLP again. It's a constant bashing of other parties particularly SF instead of them carving out their own path.

[johnnycool]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

The SDLP shouldn't be giving that bigot any time at all.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

The SDLP shouldn't be giving that bigot any time at all.

Unfortunately the electorate listen to the show. Why should we the nationalist people give him a free reign

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

The SDLP frustrate the life out of me as a voter, I am their demographic but the drive me to vote SF. Mainly because much as I dislike some of SF's antics, I've had a positive experience with their Reps as opposed to the SDLP who I've found hard work to deal with. but also because they have nothing to offer other than said single transferable whinge.

I'm exactly the same. Thankfully I've never really had any issues that I needed assistance with from any councillor, MLA or MP but around 10 years ago I had a particular issue I needed help with. It was around the time of assembly elections. I had local SLDP representatives canvassing at my door and I told them they'd get my vote if they could assist me. Their local councillor took my details and she promised me they'd be in touch in a few days. Needless to say I never heard from her or anyone in the SDLP after that and they didn't get my vote. Spoke to a Sinn Fein councillor some time after that and they had taken the matter up in the space of a few weeks and it was resolved a month or so after that between their local councillor and MP for my area. It was a major issue for us at the time and we were under alot of stress. While I'm no fan of some of the SF antics especially at Stormont they get things done on the ground at a local level. My mother and father have had a similar issue with the SDLP on a different matter where they promised them the world in sorting out a particular issue which dragged on for months but someone from SF stepped in and had it sorted in a matter of weeks. All promises when standing on your doorstep. Apart from Patsy McGlone I'd have very little time for any of the rest of them.

Our family would have been traditional SDLP voters but they have seriously lost their way in the last 10 or 15 years and I don't think any of us will vote SDLP again. It's a constant bashing of other parties particularly SF instead of them carving out their own path.

We had similar experience with both SF and SDLP. Sean Carr (Ind) best around our way for that sort of thing. Drains, fences, roads, anti social etc Gary Donnelly(Ind) in Creggan the man there. We had SF come out to our estate to set up a meeting to "help" with issues. Really they were only there because they heard locals wanted to set up commmunity association and were putting pressure on council to find out who owned disused community hall, young fathers were breaking into locked park to let local wains use park. It turns out it was a money spinner for SF who owned building and wasn't happy to negotiate with residents who werent run by SF community led group.
Once SF they found out that the residents wanted to be drivers behind the association they abandoned area and done nothing we asked for help with.

[johnnycool]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

The SDLP shouldn't be giving that bigot any time at all.

Unfortunately the electorate listen to the show. Why should we the nationalist people give him a free reign

Do they?

[LCohen]

You saw what I said about no substance.

There it is again.

Ah look, here's the quasi-unionist to throw in his few cents.

Jabbers, that takes the biscuit, I've been called many's the thing on this forum, quasi-unionist wasn't one of them, quite the reverse.

Any person from a nationalist background in the north who defends and promotes the Free State establishment parties attitude and policies to the northern situation during the troubles is a wrong one and you are certainly guilty of that.

Spell out what the RoI "Establishment Parties" are get wrong re NI?

Is there any reason to suggest that their policies on that issue are reflective of opinion in Ireland?

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

The SDLP shouldn't be giving that bigot any time at all.

Unfortunately the electorate listen to the show. Why should we the nationalist people give him a free reign

Do they?

Yeah, going by the amount of people who phone in, i rarely miss, always important to hear all sides, SF all listen in secret, Gerry Kelly tweeted a few times that "on the Nolan show he said .....".
Quality of guests bar the obvious tubes like Bryson and Jim Allister can be good

[Applesisapples]

Eastwood is awful - a really poor leader. I quite like Mallon generally and Hanna is ok though not as ok as I thought she was initially. They are definitely a party which still aren't progressing.

Mallon is good, Hanna is too rehearsed, she has been left stumped a few times by Nolan, hardly a genius himself.

At least she went on to face him, he's a hateful hoor but no way stupid and backed up in advance of every interview with tonnes of info from a full production team.

The SDLP shouldn't be giving that bigot any time at all.

Unfortunately the electorate listen to the show. Why should we the nationalist people give him a free reign

Do they?

Yeah, going by the amount of people who phone in, i rarely miss, always important to hear all sides, SF all listen in secret, Gerry Kelly tweeted a few times that "on the Nolan show he said .....".
Quality of guests bar the obvious tubes like Bryson and Jim Allister can be good

Nolan turns everything into a onesie anti SF rant. Not worth the airtime.