The SDLP

[Nally Stand]

That's it, someone points out where you're wrong and you try to make it appear as if they were supporting you.

TAM - When posted like so, with selctive quoting, yes it can appear arrogant. However, when all posts are read in context it is quite clear that I stated my opinion, and then stated the reasons I believe entitle me to have that opinion. Is that arrogant?

What I would consider far more arrogant is a bunch of clowns attempting to shout me down and complaining about this and that, offerinf no evidence to support their claims and dismissing my opinion because, you know, I went to Trinity.

What EVIDENCE have you presented? All I have heard from you is that you have some friends who study law, therefor you believe that most law students who wear GAA jerseys support SF.

That is NOT "evidence". Why criticise people for not having any evidence with which to counter your opinion, when that opinion is one that you yourself cannot back up with any single solitary shred of evidence?

Well it is evidence. It's probably anecdotal evidence and you can argue over the quality / reliability of it, but it is evidence.

Honestly Maguire01, I don't know if you are Gallsmans cheerleader or my stalker!

[Maguire01]

That's it, someone points out where you're wrong and you try to make it appear as if they were supporting you.

TAM - When posted like so, with selctive quoting, yes it can appear arrogant. However, when all posts are read in context it is quite clear that I stated my opinion, and then stated the reasons I believe entitle me to have that opinion. Is that arrogant?

What I would consider far more arrogant is a bunch of clowns attempting to shout me down and complaining about this and that, offerinf no evidence to support their claims and dismissing my opinion because, you know, I went to Trinity.

What EVIDENCE have you presented? All I have heard from you is that you have some friends who study law, therefor you believe that most law students who wear GAA jerseys support SF.

That is NOT "evidence". Why criticise people for not having any evidence with which to counter your opinion, when that opinion is one that you yourself cannot back up with any single solitary shred of evidence?

Well it is evidence. It's probably anecdotal evidence and you can argue over the quality / reliability of it, but it is evidence.

Honestly Maguire01, I don't know if you are Gallsmans cheerleader or my stalker!

Hilarious i'm sure.

[Hereiam]

What are the SDLP doing. I fear this is the end of this party pairing up with that Finna fail crowd.

[playwiththewind1st]

The fact that nobody on here has posted a thing about the SDLP since 2010 sort of sums the whole thing up.

[Hereiam]

I suppose. My gripe with the SDLP is that they take every opportunity to make a swipe at SF. If you look at the UUP and the DUP you don't see this happening. You could say that the unionist have agreed to show a strong front where as our side look to make fools of each other.
Has any UUP member spoke out against what Paisley jr has been up to or the path the DUP is taking with brexit, very few.
I suppose the OO is keeping the thing together on a united front.

[omaghjoe]

Just reading back over this thread and had a good oul laugh.

Seems like some lads were arguing about nawhin years ago still have to be arguing about nawhin

[trailer]

It's a last throw of the dice. SDLP has failed to make itself relevant in recent times. Perhaps this can bring a normality to their politics. Time will tell if that can help to regain the middle ground from SF.

[naka]

It's a last throw of the dice. SDLP has failed to make itself relevant in recent times. Perhaps this can bring a normality to their politics. Time will tell if that can help to regain the middle ground from SF.

Trailer agree with the point on relevancy  and last throw of the dice for the sdlp but regards middle ground would you not think that in the main the middle ground have opted out and it's for the sdlp to reach out to those nationalists who want the United ireland eventually but want education health  Brexit etc dealt with immediately.

[imtommygunn]

There's maybe some alliance in there too. I think parties like the greens (in south belfast anyway) get more than they used to as well but yeah I would say you're right in that a lot of the middle ground maybe don't vote any more and that would be half the reason we are in the mess we are in with those pricks the DUP supposedly representing us.

[johnnycool]

There's maybe some alliance in there too. I think parties like the greens (in south belfast anyway) get more than they used to as well but yeah I would say you're right in that a lot of the middle ground maybe don't vote any more and that would be half the reason we are in the mess we are in with those pricks the DUP supposedly representing us.

In the likes of South Belfast, do you think pairing up with FF will do more harm than good?

[JPGJOHNNYG]

The SDLP are being whacked from both sides. Firstly there has been a big drift to SF a) because SF became more acceptable post GFA and b) as a response to the ever more entrenched unionist electorate backing the DUP and their antics.
Secondly the Alliance party, since overly unionist Allardice left as leader they have become a lot more neutral as opposed to previously pro UK. A move which has resulted in them getting a number of pale green votes from previous SDLP voters. Recent research shows Alliance draw the majority of their votes from the catholic community background something confirmed at the the last euro election when the transfers were broken down.
Nationalism needs a second all Ireland party. If pbp or the green party had any wit about them they could have really exploited the SDLP's perilous position but instead they continue to dance around the constitutional question. This SDLP/FF arrangement is underwhelming. It makes a mockery of FF's promise to contest elections in 2019 some 5 yrs ago. Its also a problem for SDLP who have a green and red wing. Its a risk I think is worth taking though to stop the rot. The Irish labour party are at rock bottom and offer nothing so that really just left FF as a possible partner. The big loss in all this will be Clare Hanna who is one of the more capable politicians and probably had their best chance of winning back a Westminster seat as she would have got a broad coalition of votes to beat pengelly something MacDonnell used to have until people realised he was a bit of a bollox

[seafoid]

The SDLP are being whacked from both sides. Firstly there has been a big drift to SF a) because SF became more acceptable post GFA and b) as a response to the ever more entrenched unionist electorate backing the DUP and their antics.
Secondly the Alliance party, since overly unionist Allardice left as leader they have become a lot more neutral as opposed to previously pro UK. A move which has resulted in them getting a number of pale green votes from previous SDLP voters. Recent research shows Alliance draw the majority of their votes from the catholic community background something confirmed at the the last euro election when the transfers were broken down.
Nationalism needs a second all Ireland party. If pbp or the green party had any wit about them they could have really exploited the SDLP's perilous position but instead they continue to dance around the constitutional question. This SDLP/FF arrangement is underwhelming. It makes a mockery of FF's promise to contest elections in 2019 some 5 yrs ago. Its also a problem for SDLP who have a green and red wing. Its a risk I think is worth taking though to stop the rot. The Irish labour party are at rock bottom and offer nothing so that really just left FF as a possible partner. The big loss in all this will be Clare Hanna who is one of the more capable politicians and probably had their best chance of winning back a Westminster seat as she would have got a broad coalition of votes to beat pengelly something MacDonnell used to have until people realised he was a bit of a bollox

The thing about a UI is that the North will be subsumed into the South
SF is now a Dublin party.  O'Neill is only deputy leader

The North needs a party to fight its corner in a UI 

But  it would be a much nicer problem to have than a hard border

[snoopdog]

I would have voted SF in the past. But they have done nothing for anyone in the last few years.
If The SDLP had Claire Hanna as a leader then they may well start to make gains. Joining with FF i think is not the answer.
Sf sit back while health education etc is collapsing around them all just to get one over the DUP. Its fine for mary lou she has no family in the North. I live in Dublin now but i see with elderly parents what the outcome of this sf dup stand off is. Its time for a change from both sides. 

[Walter Cronc]

Agree here - have lost major respect for SF at a very local level over the past year!

Apart from John Finucane - not many if any inspire me.

[trailer]

I would have voted SF in the past. But they have done nothing for anyone in the last few years.
If The SDLP had Claire Hanna as a leader then they may well start to make gains. Joining with FF i think is not the answer.
Sf sit back while health education etc is collapsing around them all just to get one over the DUP. Its fine for mary lou she has no family in the North. I live in Dublin now but i see with elderly parents what the outcome of this sf dup stand off is. Its time for a change from both sides.

Interesting that there's a lot of support for Claire Hanna, who wouldn't be a huge advocate for a UI. Claire would also be on the very left of the party.

Agree the whole link up is a bit underwhelming but get the impression that both parties have left room to reverse out of the link-up should it tank.