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Tories could run a minority government on these numbers. 58 for the SNP??? Almost a revolution!!!

I'm hearing rumours that in FST Elliott is confident as is Bell in S Belfast

It's a good story until you reach the bit where Tom Elliott calls something blatantly sectarian!

Man shot dead in Belfast this morning.  Early reports suggest the victim is former senior IRA man Gerard Davison.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-32590282

Jaysus lads keep up, der was a vote in the partitionist assembly during de week on those sorts of boyos getting married

As a neutral I thought the better team won.  Big 2nd half from the Ulstermen and Tipp filled the togs a bit.  Ref was a bit odd right enough but as for the so called dark arts the stamp by the Tipp midfielder in the first half was a disgrace. Dirty animal should have got the line and Tyrone would have won by 6 or 7.

Why? Surely spectators being taken ill couldn't have stopped Tyrone from coming out but not Tipp? Unless they were members of Tyrone's support staff that isn't much of an explanation. Hopefully the spectators are ok but it's not like they're being treated on the pitch.

Keep digging big lad

Tyrone kicking some amount of wides

Looked like a stamp there

Red card all day long there. Deliberate stamp.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CD4DT3kWoAAFJyk.jpg:large

It might not increase their vote in the south, but they could lose quite a bit. Sinn Feins base in there is more leftish compared to the north.

Everyone knows that SF stand on an absention policy in the north. The thing is that it never has mattered before and Westminster elections anyway usually don't matter here that much. It is unlikely that it will matter in a weeks time either, but there is an outside chance they could be put in a position to decide between either absention or have a real chance to "stop Tory cuts". Either way they risk losing votes and not gaining much, and SF would rather that did not happen.

My own opinion is that Sinn Fein will retain their five constituencies in Westminster but other than Michelle Gildernew in Fermanagh and South Tyrone, their majorities in the other four seats will be smaller than five years ago.

There's not a lot I'd disagree with here Cletus.  The "problem" may be that you can't dip in and out of abstentionism.  Once you're in Westminster, you're in for good and while a hung parliament may present opportunities during the next five years, a big working majority for the Cons or Lab in 2020 would reduce SF to insignificant by-standers.  I'd never say never but maybe the 2025 election might be more realistic depending on events.

By the way if you stop "Tory Cuts" you simply enable "Labour Cuts" which will be every bit as painful.

On the SF vote again, I broadly agree.  Nationalist/Republicans in the North are beginning to display voter fatigue and apathy.

"A sure fire vote loser in the North."

What about the south?

I doubt it would increase their vote and would probably lose some of the traditional Republican vote.  As another poster said people in the North who vote SF are well aware that they don't take their seats so the abstention policy mustn't be a big factor in the decisions to vote SF

So what about Tom Barry last night??

A hung parliament is for five years, dropping abstentionism is for life

None of the Brit parties will work with SF.

A sure fire vote loser in the North.

To be fair to Hazzard he was only slightly worse than Mike Nesbitt yesterday.

Did anyone hear Chris Hazzard (SF) on the Nolan Show this morning??  I think even hardline DUPs would have some sympathy for him.  Car crash would not do it justice.  It made Natalie Bennett's "brain fade" moment look like a master class in communication technique.  I believe Chris is studying for a PhD.  Clearly not in economics...