Stormont Assembly Elections 2017

Started by give her dixie, January 13, 2017, 11:42:52 AM

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Applesisapples

Quote from: armaghniac on April 27, 2017, 10:22:16 AM
Quote from: Applesisapples on April 27, 2017, 09:45:05 AM
SF have nothing to gain from a pact. They do like a few seats as it brings in cash. It is a better proposition for them to garner every possible vote. SF taking seats in Westminister would be as effective as the stoops, in other wards pissing against the breeze. The DUP had some sway because they would vote with May, but even that was very limited.

If they define themselves as advancing themselves, then this is true. If they define themselves as doing what is good for Ireland then an anti Brexit pact has a lot going for it.  But I think we always knew which was the priority for SF.
An anti brexit pact won't make any difference. All it would do his hand a lifeline to the Stoops and a leg up to the greens.

Owen Brannigan

#1366
Quote from: Applesisapples on April 27, 2017, 01:37:43 PM
Quote from: armaghniac on April 27, 2017, 10:22:16 AM
Quote from: Applesisapples on April 27, 2017, 09:45:05 AM
SF have nothing to gain from a pact. They do like a few seats as it brings in cash. It is a better proposition for them to garner every possible vote. SF taking seats in Westminister would be as effective as the stoops, in other wards pissing against the breeze. The DUP had some sway because they would vote with May, but even that was very limited.

If they define themselves as advancing themselves, then this is true. If they define themselves as doing what is good for Ireland then an anti Brexit pact has a lot going for it.  But I think we always knew which was the priority for SF.


An anti brexit pact won't make any difference. All it would do his hand a lifeline to the Stoops and a leg up to the greens.

No lifeline when they were putting the option of an independent who would attend Westminster on the table as a proposal but the Shinners demanded that only party political representation would be acceptable to them.

Just further proof that SF would prefer DUP/UUP would win seats rather than SF to be working with or aiding the SDLP.

At the end of the day, it is as much the money that can be taken in by a party by winning a seat at Westminster as the influence they can exert.  This money is essential to the SDLP but less so to SF.

Ronnie

#1367
Chris Hazzard MP for South Down, in the independent republic of Northern Ireland.

That better Keyser Soze?

Owen Brannigan

Away from the electioneering, two major issues have come to the fore away from politicians:

1. The disaster in the health system where Daisy Hill is just a symptom

2. The swingeing cuts in education.

All hailed the Bengoa report which was the agreed way forward.  It and all previous reports on health proposed that the number of acute hospitals should be reduced to just four which would have scrapped Daisy Hill A&E.  We can't have it every way, we don't have the resources to have local A&E departments.  Health is ring fenced and only gets 3% when it needs 5% to stand still without any increase in services.  The likely closure of Daisy Hill has happened when the politicians are offside and not by coincidence, it is to their advantage that administrators do the work they should be doing if they were up to the job and running the country. BTW the problems in Daisy Hill are long running and the Health Minister had turned her face away from dealing with them before shutting down government.

The cuts in education are real and are probably closer to 7 or 8% in real terms and exist for one reason, i.e. the mitigation of welfare reform cuts has cost so much that the budget for them has been increased by 9% in cash terms.  This had to be taken from somewhere and education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure and justice have all been reduced to pay for not implementing the welfare reform.  Again this works in favour of SF-DUP coalition as it maintains their mitigation of welfare but the civil servants get the blame for taking the additional cost from the education and the other areas.

RHI and the respect agenda was a fig leaf for the failure of the DUP-SF to be able to produce a budget for 2017-18 by pulling down the assembly and handing over the problem to the UK government and civil servants.  Why do you think that DUP handed over the finance ministry to SF having carefully guarded it for so long to keep it anyway from nationalist and republican rouges and renegades?  It was a poisoned chalice that was too hot to handle (i know mixed metaphors) and the only way out was to pull down the assembly for something that had not been a problem only a matter of weeks before.  How would it play in Dublin when a SF finance minister implemented severe cuts to public services when its TD had and continued to harangue FG for its cuts in the RoI?

At some stage people in N.Ireland need to wake up and see that the cuts are real, inevitable, not the fault of Brokenshire or the civil servants, the budget cannot meet all of our needs.  If politicians prevent welfare cuts by taking so much from other budgets, we must expect cuts elsewhere even if they didn't have the courage to tell everyone this would happen.

Rossfan

But sure SF in the 26 Cos are in favour of free everything ::)
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

Ronnie

Quote from: Owen Brannigan on April 27, 2017, 11:45:22 PM
Away from the electioneering, two major issues have come to the fore away from politicians:

1. The disaster in the health system where Daisy Hill is just a symptom

2. The swingeing cuts in education.

All hailed the Bengoa report which was the agreed way forward.  It and all previous reports on health proposed that the number of acute hospitals should be reduced to just four which would have scrapped Daisy Hill A&E.  We can't have it every way, we don't have the resources to have local A&E departments.  Health is ring fenced and only gets 3% when it needs 5% to stand still without any increase in services.  The likely closure of Daisy Hill has happened when the politicians are offside and not by coincidence, it is to their advantage that administrators do the work they should be doing if they were up to the job and running the country. BTW the problems in Daisy Hill are long running and the Health Minister had turned her face away from dealing with them before shutting down government.

The cuts in education are real and are probably closer to 7 or 8% in real terms and exist for one reason, i.e. the mitigation of welfare reform cuts has cost so much that the budget for them has been increased by 9% in cash terms.  This had to be taken from somewhere and education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure and justice have all been reduced to pay for not implementing the welfare reform.  Again this works in favour of SF-DUP coalition as it maintains their mitigation of welfare but the civil servants get the blame for taking the additional cost from the education and the other areas.

RHI and the respect agenda was a fig leaf for the failure of the DUP-SF to be able to produce a budget for 2017-18 by pulling down the assembly and handing over the problem to the UK government and civil servants.  Why do you think that DUP handed over the finance ministry to SF having carefully guarded it for so long to keep it anyway from nationalist and republican rouges and renegades?  It was a poisoned chalice that was too hot to handle (i know mixed metaphors) and the only way out was to pull down the assembly for something that had not been a problem only a matter of weeks before.  How would it play in Dublin when a SF finance minister implemented severe cuts to public services when its TD had and continued to harangue FG for its cuts in the RoI?

At some stage people in N.Ireland need to wake up and see that the cuts are real, inevitable, not the fault of Brokenshire or the civil servants, the budget cannot meet all of our needs.  If politicians prevent welfare cuts by taking so much from other budgets, we must expect cuts elsewhere even if they didn't have the courage to tell everyone this would happen.

Some of this is fair enough in the context of the UK's shaky economic future.  Cuts are inevitable but I haven't seen Máirtín Ó Muilleoir shirking his responsibility.  Notwithstanding SF perceiving James Brokenshire as partial, as the UK's Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, he really should have been able to knock a few heads together within 8 weeks.  It is a derogation of his duty to "pause" talks re: forming a govt for NI. I think Arlene Foster's 2 day gaelic reach-out may be too little too late..  Let's get the Brexiteers out.

JPGJOHNNYG

Gerry kelly stepping aside for john finucane. Might make thinks a bit closer esp if sdlp picked someone other than mallon. Would be good to see dodds go

seafoid

Quote from: Owen Brannigan on April 27, 2017, 11:45:22 PM
Away from the electioneering, two major issues have come to the fore away from politicians:

1. The disaster in the health system where Daisy Hill is just a symptom

2. The swingeing cuts in education.

All hailed the Bengoa report which was the agreed way forward.  It and all previous reports on health proposed that the number of acute hospitals should be reduced to just four which would have scrapped Daisy Hill A&E.  We can't have it every way, we don't have the resources to have local A&E departments.  Health is ring fenced and only gets 3% when it needs 5% to stand still without any increase in services.  The likely closure of Daisy Hill has happened when the politicians are offside and not by coincidence, it is to their advantage that administrators do the work they should be doing if they were up to the job and running the country. BTW the problems in Daisy Hill are long running and the Health Minister had turned her face away from dealing with them before shutting down government.

The cuts in education are real and are probably closer to 7 or 8% in real terms and exist for one reason, i.e. the mitigation of welfare reform cuts has cost so much that the budget for them has been increased by 9% in cash terms.  This had to be taken from somewhere and education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure and justice have all been reduced to pay for not implementing the welfare reform.  Again this works in favour of SF-DUP coalition as it maintains their mitigation of welfare but the civil servants get the blame for taking the additional cost from the education and the other areas.

RHI and the respect agenda was a fig leaf for the failure of the DUP-SF to be able to produce a budget for 2017-18 by pulling down the assembly and handing over the problem to the UK government and civil servants.  Why do you think that DUP handed over the finance ministry to SF having carefully guarded it for so long to keep it anyway from nationalist and republican rouges and renegades?  It was a poisoned chalice that was too hot to handle (i know mixed metaphors) and the only way out was to pull down the assembly for something that had not been a problem only a matter of weeks before.  How would it play in Dublin when a SF finance minister implemented severe cuts to public services when its TD had and continued to harangue FG for its cuts in the RoI?

At some stage people in N.Ireland need to wake up and see that the cuts are real, inevitable, not the fault of Brokenshire or the civil servants, the budget cannot meet all of our needs.  If politicians prevent welfare cuts by taking so much from other budgets, we must expect cuts elsewhere even if they didn't have the courage to tell everyone this would happen.

The richest 1% of people in the UK own 50% of everything. They should pay extra tax instead of having education cuts.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

yellowcard

Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on May 02, 2017, 06:40:31 PM
Gerry kelly stepping aside for john finucane. Might make thinks a bit closer esp if sdlp picked someone other than mallon. Would be good to see dodds go

Interesting choice of candidate and he is someone capable of putting it up to Nigel Dodds although I suspect Dodds is still favourite to take the seat.

Milltown Row2

Quote from: seafoid on May 02, 2017, 06:53:01 PM
Quote from: Owen Brannigan on April 27, 2017, 11:45:22 PM
Away from the electioneering, two major issues have come to the fore away from politicians:

1. The disaster in the health system where Daisy Hill is just a symptom

2. The swingeing cuts in education.

All hailed the Bengoa report which was the agreed way forward.  It and all previous reports on health proposed that the number of acute hospitals should be reduced to just four which would have scrapped Daisy Hill A&E.  We can't have it every way, we don't have the resources to have local A&E departments.  Health is ring fenced and only gets 3% when it needs 5% to stand still without any increase in services.  The likely closure of Daisy Hill has happened when the politicians are offside and not by coincidence, it is to their advantage that administrators do the work they should be doing if they were up to the job and running the country. BTW the problems in Daisy Hill are long running and the Health Minister had turned her face away from dealing with them before shutting down government.

The cuts in education are real and are probably closer to 7 or 8% in real terms and exist for one reason, i.e. the mitigation of welfare reform cuts has cost so much that the budget for them has been increased by 9% in cash terms.  This had to be taken from somewhere and education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure and justice have all been reduced to pay for not implementing the welfare reform.  Again this works in favour of SF-DUP coalition as it maintains their mitigation of welfare but the civil servants get the blame for taking the additional cost from the education and the other areas.

RHI and the respect agenda was a fig leaf for the failure of the DUP-SF to be able to produce a budget for 2017-18 by pulling down the assembly and handing over the problem to the UK government and civil servants.  Why do you think that DUP handed over the finance ministry to SF having carefully guarded it for so long to keep it anyway from nationalist and republican rouges and renegades?  It was a poisoned chalice that was too hot to handle (i know mixed metaphors) and the only way out was to pull down the assembly for something that had not been a problem only a matter of weeks before.  How would it play in Dublin when a SF finance minister implemented severe cuts to public services when its TD had and continued to harangue FG for its cuts in the RoI?

At some stage people in N.Ireland need to wake up and see that the cuts are real, inevitable, not the fault of Brokenshire or the civil servants, the budget cannot meet all of our needs.  If politicians prevent welfare cuts by taking so much from other budgets, we must expect cuts elsewhere even if they didn't have the courage to tell everyone this would happen.



The richest 1% of people in the UK own 50% of everything. They should pay extra tax instead of having education cuts.

I'd say the 1% you speak of have off shore accounts and only reside in Britain for small periods to avoid the tax payments.... you'd do the same if that's the rules... and if not you'd take your business elsewhere and make even more money... your crusade  against the billionaires is futile. It's never going to happen so why bring it up all the time?
None of us are getting out of here alive, so please stop treating yourself like an after thought. Ea

Avondhu star

Quote from: Milltown Row2 on May 02, 2017, 08:40:31 PM
Quote from: seafoid on May 02, 2017, 06:53:01 PM
Quote from: Owen Brannigan on April 27, 2017, 11:45:22 PM
Away from the electioneering, two major issues have come to the fore away from politicians:

1. The disaster in the health system where Daisy Hill is just a symptom

2. The swingeing cuts in education.

All hailed the Bengoa report which was the agreed way forward.  It and all previous reports on health proposed that the number of acute hospitals should be reduced to just four which would have scrapped Daisy Hill A&E.  We can't have it every way, we don't have the resources to have local A&E departments.  Health is ring fenced and only gets 3% when it needs 5% to stand still without any increase in services.  The likely closure of Daisy Hill has happened when the politicians are offside and not by coincidence, it is to their advantage that administrators do the work they should be doing if they were up to the job and running the country. BTW the problems in Daisy Hill are long running and the Health Minister had turned her face away from dealing with them before shutting down government.

The cuts in education are real and are probably closer to 7 or 8% in real terms and exist for one reason, i.e. the mitigation of welfare reform cuts has cost so much that the budget for them has been increased by 9% in cash terms.  This had to be taken from somewhere and education, agriculture, economy, infrastructure and justice have all been reduced to pay for not implementing the welfare reform.  Again this works in favour of SF-DUP coalition as it maintains their mitigation of welfare but the civil servants get the blame for taking the additional cost from the education and the other areas.

RHI and the respect agenda was a fig leaf for the failure of the DUP-SF to be able to produce a budget for 2017-18 by pulling down the assembly and handing over the problem to the UK government and civil servants.  Why do you think that DUP handed over the finance ministry to SF having carefully guarded it for so long to keep it anyway from nationalist and republican rouges and renegades?  It was a poisoned chalice that was too hot to handle (i know mixed metaphors) and the only way out was to pull down the assembly for something that had not been a problem only a matter of weeks before.  How would it play in Dublin when a SF finance minister implemented severe cuts to public services when its TD had and continued to harangue FG for its cuts in the RoI?

At some stage people in N.Ireland need to wake up and see that the cuts are real, inevitable, not the fault of Brokenshire or the civil servants, the budget cannot meet all of our needs.  If politicians prevent welfare cuts by taking so much from other budgets, we must expect cuts elsewhere even if they didn't have the courage to tell everyone this would happen.



The richest 1% of people in the UK own 50% of everything. They should pay extra tax instead of having education cuts.

I'd say the 1% you speak of have off shore accounts and only reside in Britain for small periods to avoid the tax payments.... you'd do the same if that's the rules... and if not you'd take your business elsewhere and make even more money... your crusade  against the billionaires is futile. It's never going to happen so why bring it up all the time?
Because he is under the impression someone actually pays attention to what he says
Lee Harvey Oswald , your country needs you

Owen Brannigan

Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on May 02, 2017, 06:40:31 PM
Gerry kelly stepping aside for john finucane. Might make thinks a bit closer esp if sdlp picked someone other than mallon. Would be good to see dodds go

It's a pity Finucane did not come forward as an independent willing to take his seat.  It would be something to have a Finucane putting it up to the Tory government at PMQ or any other occasion.

As an independent, the SDLP would have had to stand aside and Dodds could be taken down.

armaghniac

Quote from: Owen Brannigan on May 02, 2017, 09:21:48 PM
It's a pity Finucane did not come forward as an independent willing to take his seat.  It would be something to have a Finucane putting it up to the Tory government at PMQ or any other occasion.

As an independent, the SDLP would have had to stand aside and Dodds could be taken down.

Spot on.
If at first you don't succeed, then goto Plan B

JPGJOHNNYG

Quote from: Owen Brannigan on May 02, 2017, 09:21:48 PM
Quote from: JPGJOHNNYG on May 02, 2017, 06:40:31 PM
Gerry kelly stepping aside for john finucane. Might make thinks a bit closer esp if sdlp picked someone other than mallon. Would be good to see dodds go

It's a pity Finucane did not come forward as an independent willing to take his seat.  It would be something to have a Finucane putting it up to the Tory government at PMQ or any other occasion.

As an independent, the SDLP would have had to stand aside and Dodds could be taken down.

Shame they didnt get the antibrexit pact going in a few constituencies and even given the greens a free run somewhere like upper bann or east derry to give them an outside chance. Anyhow nevermind the big thing here is finucane is young and intelligent something that all parties are struggling to attract and could go far in SF so quite an asset to the party rather than going it alone as an independent

Ronnie

I see the UUP haven't selected Mike Nesbitt for one of the Belfast constituencies.  He's running in Strangford.  Once again they're accepting the DUP's 2nd fiddle when they could be bringing in the middle unionist voice.  He's their most high profile figure.  Some of their more liberal small c christian-types would appeal to republican/nationalist/A.N.other voters in safe DUP constituencies.   Back to that headcount then...