The SDLP

[imtommygunn]

She's a better answer than the current one.

You could be right about being beyond the point of rescue. I hope not.

[seafoid]

Who's Colin lol.

Just get Hanna or O'Toole as leaders and be done with it.

Hanna. The woman who was in a party with an 'electoral relationship' with Fianna Fáil, but who regularly attended Irish Labour party conferences, and was out canvassing for Fine Gael at one of the last elections. I don't think she's the answer to the SDLPs problems, somehow. O'Toole is probably their most effective communicator but to my mind the SDLP is beyond the point of rescue. Changing leader is just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

The Shinners mop up votes but the North's economy is a mess and living standards are falling.
Something doesn't add up.

[Rossfan]

It's about the tribe stupid!

[Snapchap]

Who's Colin lol.

Just get Hanna or O'Toole as leaders and be done with it.

Hanna. The woman who was in a party with an 'electoral relationship' with Fianna Fáil, but who regularly attended Irish Labour party conferences, and was out canvassing for Fine Gael at one of the last elections. I don't think she's the answer to the SDLPs problems, somehow. O'Toole is probably their most effective communicator but to my mind the SDLP is beyond the point of rescue. Changing leader is just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

The Shinners mop up votes but the North's economy is a mess and living standards are falling.
Something doesn't add up.

The north's economy? To quote Brian Feeney "This isn't a country. It isn't the size of Yorkshire. It doesn't have an economy".

[Sportacus]

Who's Colin lol.

Just get Hanna or O'Toole as leaders and be done with it.

Hanna. The woman who was in a party with an 'electoral relationship' with Fianna Fáil, but who regularly attended Irish Labour party conferences, and was out canvassing for Fine Gael at one of the last elections. I don't think she's the answer to the SDLPs problems, somehow. O'Toole is probably their most effective communicator but to my mind the SDLP is beyond the point of rescue. Changing leader is just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

The Shinners mop up votes but the North's economy is a mess and living standards are falling.
Something doesn't add up.

The north's economy? To quote Brian Feeney "This isn't a country. It isn't the size of Yorkshire. It doesn't have an economy".

Hanna or O'Toole would just be rearranging deck chairs.  Eastwood debated very well at the last election but it makes little difference, nationalists are voting SF to keep DUP out, not because SF have some amazing track record.

[seafoid]

Who's Colin lol.

Just get Hanna or O'Toole as leaders and be done with it.

Hanna. The woman who was in a party with an 'electoral relationship' with Fianna Fáil, but who regularly attended Irish Labour party conferences, and was out canvassing for Fine Gael at one of the last elections. I don't think she's the answer to the SDLPs problems, somehow. O'Toole is probably their most effective communicator but to my mind the SDLP is beyond the point of rescue. Changing leader is just re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

The Shinners mop up votes but the North's economy is a mess and living standards are falling.
Something doesn't add up.

The north's economy? To quote Brian Feeney "This isn't a country. It isn't the size of Yorkshire. It doesn't have an economy".

To quote John Hume, voters can't eat flags

[RedHand88]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

[seafoid]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

It's not about Derry.

[RedHand88]

This Unionist is more honest about it than Eastwood.

UUP councillor Ryan McCready, whose party increased both its vote share and its number of seats, is sanguine - if disappointed - about the outcome.

"It's what I expected," he told Belfast Live. "The system we used is proportional representation and the D'Hondt system.

"Sinn Fein had a fantastic election and they are entitled to three Mayoral terms - I don't have a problem with that because I respect democracy.

[keep her low this half]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

I find it amazing how this is such an issue for the local media when unionists are lacking representation in Derry or Fermanagh but is never an issue when nationalists are lacking representation in Ards and North Down or in Mid and East Antrim. Usual double standards from the usual suspects.

[Rois]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

I find it amazing how this is such an issue for the local media when unionists are lacking representation in Derry or Fermanagh but is never an issue when nationalists are lacking representation in Ards and North Down or in Mid and East Antrim. Usual double standards from the usual suspects.

Can you not just aspire to be better?  Do you have to match the lower standards? 

[JPGJOHNNYG]

I like Colum but this is daft as already pointed out the Unionist controlled councils in the east would never consider giving nationalists the mayor's position if they hadn't earned it at the ballet box. If he is that concerned then rather than asking SF to give up the one of their rota slots why doesn't he give up the SDLP slot!!

[JPGJOHNNYG]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

I find it amazing how this is such an issue for the local media when unionists are lacking representation in Derry or Fermanagh but is never an issue when nationalists are lacking representation in Ards and North Down or in Mid and East Antrim. Usual double standards from the usual suspects.

Can you not just aspire to be better?  Do you have to match the lower standards?

Normally I would agree but being good mannered and courteous hasn't exactly got nationalism anywhere. Sure they can't even accept a nationalist FM!

[Snapchap]

https://twitter.com/columeastwood/status/1667984392071913475

This is mad stuff from Colm. It's on a par with Danny Kennedys anti-democratic ramblings a few weeks ago. Unionists won't have a mayor in Derry for the next 4 years because they did not get enough seats to warrant one under the D'Hondt system, not because those pesky Shinners are up to their tricks.
I honestly almost put this in the WTF thread.

I find it amazing how this is such an issue for the local media when unionists are lacking representation in Derry or Fermanagh but is never an issue when nationalists are lacking representation in Ards and North Down or in Mid and East Antrim. Usual double standards from the usual suspects.

Can you not just aspire to be better?  Do you have to match the lower standards?

Not sure I get your point Rois. SF controlled councils operate D'Hondt in order ensure the fair allocation of positions based on proportional electoral strength, something unionist councils don't do. How is that matching unionist low standards when it comes to sharing power?

Colm Eastwood's tweet is just textbook Colm. He knows full well that SF operate D'Hondt by their own choice in order to share power as fairly and democratically as possible in councils they control. But he still had to find a way to turn it into an attack on them. The usual tiresome, dishonest B.S. from the SDLP leader.

[Rois]

I guess what I'm saying is could you not just make a gesture that would be a huge PR win for SF for something as inconsequential as this. 

SF have done a lot right recently, but probably do have to work twice as hard at it, given where they have come from.  John Finucane's speech (whatever about the content) has not gone down well.