Stormont Assembly Elections 2017

[AhNowRef]

Didn't Sinn Fein appoint Mary McArdle as a SPAD? 

Daithi McKay involved in coaching Bryson at the Nama inquiry.  Maybe not as bad as the DUP but as a joint government the both of them have failed to deliver.

"Maybe" not as bad .... Its not even in the same galaxy !!

and didnt Daithi McKay resign  .. FFS 

If the Shinners had been involved in a 1/10 of what the DUP had there would have been all hell to pay ... and their vote would certainly have suffered..

Appointing a SPAD convicted of murdering an innocent woman isn't in the same galaxy - 

Ah well if you're going to go back to before the peace deal then why not kick it all off with Strongbow, the penal laws or maybe just harp on about 50 years of the old "protestant state for a protestant people" stormont or maybe Paisley and the various organisations he and his fellow DUPers were involved in and the pleasant characters they were frequently associated with .. FFS 

The point that many unionists & obviously you, seem to forget is that we are where we are .. i.e. in the here and now .. its a better place for it and incompetence & corruption NOW is not helping ...

You must be in the "hold your nose" category re SF ... thats whats got us to where we are right now .. well, that and DUP Incompetence & corruption

Do you not get that ?

Its not going back before the peace deal.  It was only a few years ago mcardle was appointed as a SPAD.  I am far from someone who wants to hold their nose...I have previously voted for Sinn Fein.  However I'm sick of two parties in government who squabble like children and dont want to work together.

IMO its time to give someone else ago instead of voting alone green and orange lines.  Do you not get that?

The shooting was before the peace deal is what I meant ... Look, if you're going to start barring people with a past from certain posts then the peace process wouldnt have heppened in the first place ....
I started voting for SF when the peace broke out and will continue to do so unless they start doing the same sorta sh1t as the DUP, but they arent .. not as far as I can see anyway ...
Marty McGuiness has bent over backwards to try and make it work .. Big Arnie Fister has done the exact opposite .. The DUP are embroiled in several financial scandals ... Sf arent ..... The DUP have to "hold their noses" .. SF dont .. etc....

I really dont see how you can compare the two parties .. this aul bull "They're both as bad as each other" simply isnt true ...

[Orior]

The sinners were on my door and said two words why you should vote SF, Arlene Foster.  That is some campaign - nothing about social care, jobs, education or brexit - numpties the lot of them.

And what two words did you reply with?

[AhNowRef]

The DUP and SF exist in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.

possibly but who would you vote for ?

I wouldn't vote for either of them.  Both are politically corrupt in the same sense as the larger parties in the Republic have showed themselves to be over many years.

Are you saying SF are every bit as corrupt as the DUP ?

and if so, how ?

I suppose you are counting Red Sky, NAMA and RHI as DUP corruption?  Yet none have been proved beyond sheer incompetence?  Is this correct or do you have other details or evidence of corruption by DUP?

It looks pretty corrupt to me ... what would your guess be ?

.. but even if conclusive proof cannot is not found, incompetence on this scale is just as harmful ... and its the DUPs doing .. not SF.

[Frank_The_Tank]

Didn't Sinn Fein appoint Mary McArdle as a SPAD? 

Daithi McKay involved in coaching Bryson at the Nama inquiry.  Maybe not as bad as the DUP but as a joint government the both of them have failed to deliver.

"Maybe" not as bad .... Its not even in the same galaxy !!

and didnt Daithi McKay resign  .. FFS 

If the Shinners had been involved in a 1/10 of what the DUP had there would have been all hell to pay ... and their vote would certainly have suffered..

Appointing a SPAD convicted of murdering an innocent woman isn't in the same galaxy - 

Ah well if you're going to go back to before the peace deal then why not kick it all off with Strongbow, the penal laws or maybe just harp on about 50 years of the old "protestant state for a protestant people" stormont or maybe Paisley and the various organisations he and his fellow DUPers were involved in and the pleasant characters they were frequently associated with .. FFS 

The point that many unionists & obviously you, seem to forget is that we are where we are .. i.e. in the here and now .. its a better place for it and incompetence & corruption NOW is not helping ...

You must be in the "hold your nose" category re SF ... thats whats got us to where we are right now .. well, that and DUP Incompetence & corruption

Do you not get that ?

Its not going back before the peace deal.  It was only a few years ago mcardle was appointed as a SPAD.  I am far from someone who wants to hold their nose...I have previously voted for Sinn Fein.  However I'm sick of two parties in government who squabble like children and dont want to work together.

IMO its time to give someone else ago instead of voting alone green and orange lines.  Do you not get that?

The shooting was before the peace deal is what I meant ... Look, if you're going to start barring people with a past from certain posts then the peace process wouldnt have heppened in the first place ....
I started voting for SF when the peace broke out and will continue to do so unless they start doing the same sorta sh1t as the DUP, but they arent .. not as far as I can see anyway ...
Marty McGuiness has bent over backwards to try and make it work .. Big Arnie Fister has done the exact opposite .. The DUP are embroiled in several financial scandals ... Sf arent ..... The DUP have to "hold their noses" .. SF dont .. etc....

I really dont see how you can compare the two parties .. this aul bull "They're both as bad as each other" simply isnt true ...

ok lets look as this aul bull they are both bad - You don't think language such as Michelle Gildernew saying "we'll put manners on Arlene Foster" Gerry - "Equality is the trojan horse to break the b@stards" - you think that is the type of mature stuff you want from political leaders?  I think it is childish and I would agree with you I dont think they are as bad as DUP but its clear as day for anyone to see they dont want to, or like working with each other so how can they be expected to run a good government.  Time to give the opposition of UUP/SDLP and Alliance a go and see if they can do any better.

[Take Your Points]

The DUP and SF exist in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.

possibly but who would you vote for ?

I wouldn't vote for either of them.  Both are politically corrupt in the same sense as the larger parties in the Republic have showed themselves to be over many years.

Are you saying SF are every bit as corrupt as the DUP ?

and if so, how ?

I suppose you are counting Red Sky, NAMA and RHI as DUP corruption?  Yet none have been proved beyond sheer incompetence?  Is this correct or do you have other details or evidence of corruption by DUP?

It looks pretty corrupt to me ... what would your guess be ?

.. but even if conclusive proof cannot is not found, incompetence on this scale is just as harmful ... and its the DUPs doing .. not SF.

The problem lies with providing proof of corruption.  Surely if there was proof of corruption in Red Sky or NAMA or Planning Decisions then it would have led to prosecutions or the withdrawal from government by the DUP's partners which did not occur within the mandate in which the complaints of corruption allegedly occurred and not until January 2017 when disrespect was cited by SF as the reason for bringing down the government partnership with DUP after they refused to join a motion of no confidence in the FM.

There is a difference between corruption as a legal offence and the corruption of power which can only be prosecuted in the court of the electorate.  However, the Assembly does not provide for this prosecution having any hope of occurring because the electorate cannot vote anyone out of power as it is guaranteed by the system.  The issues of which SF ministers have been accused have already been listed above and in some cases have been found guilty through the legal system. 

[Take Your Points]

In the 90 seat assembly, how many seats are required to be allocated a ministerial appointment?

[AhNowRef]

Didn't Sinn Fein appoint Mary McArdle as a SPAD? 

Daithi McKay involved in coaching Bryson at the Nama inquiry.  Maybe not as bad as the DUP but as a joint government the both of them have failed to deliver.

"Maybe" not as bad .... Its not even in the same galaxy !!

and didnt Daithi McKay resign  .. FFS 

If the Shinners had been involved in a 1/10 of what the DUP had there would have been all hell to pay ... and their vote would certainly have suffered..

Appointing a SPAD convicted of murdering an innocent woman isn't in the same galaxy - 

Ah well if you're going to go back to before the peace deal then why not kick it all off with Strongbow, the penal laws or maybe just harp on about 50 years of the old "protestant state for a protestant people" stormont or maybe Paisley and the various organisations he and his fellow DUPers were involved in and the pleasant characters they were frequently associated with .. FFS 

The point that many unionists & obviously you, seem to forget is that we are where we are .. i.e. in the here and now .. its a better place for it and incompetence & corruption NOW is not helping ...

You must be in the "hold your nose" category re SF ... thats whats got us to where we are right now .. well, that and DUP Incompetence & corruption

Do you not get that ?

Its not going back before the peace deal.  It was only a few years ago mcardle was appointed as a SPAD.  I am far from someone who wants to hold their nose...I have previously voted for Sinn Fein.  However I'm sick of two parties in government who squabble like children and dont want to work together.

IMO its time to give someone else ago instead of voting alone green and orange lines.  Do you not get that?

The shooting was before the peace deal is what I meant ... Look, if you're going to start barring people with a past from certain posts then the peace process wouldnt have heppened in the first place ....
I started voting for SF when the peace broke out and will continue to do so unless they start doing the same sorta sh1t as the DUP, but they arent .. not as far as I can see anyway ...
Marty McGuiness has bent over backwards to try and make it work .. Big Arnie Fister has done the exact opposite .. The DUP are embroiled in several financial scandals ... Sf arent ..... The DUP have to "hold their noses" .. SF dont .. etc....

I really dont see how you can compare the two parties .. this aul bull "They're both as bad as each other" simply isnt true ...

ok lets look as this aul bull they are both bad - You don't think language such as Michelle Gildernew saying "we'll put manners on Arlene Foster" Gerry - "Equality is the trojan horse to break the b@stards" - you think that is the type of mature stuff you want from political leaders?  I think it is childish and I would agree with you I dont think they are as bad as DUP but its clear as day for anyone to see they dont want to, or like working with each other so how can they be expected to run a good government.  Time to give the opposition of UUP/SDLP and Alliance a go and see if they can do any better.

No doubt the shinners do occasionally come out with some stuff thats bordering on stupid and antagonistic .. they should choose their words more carefully but they're arent in the same ballpark as the DUP ....
All you have to do is look/listen to a shinner & DUPer talking and you'll see who wants this to work and who doesnt..

btw - I actually think Naomi Long would be a great fist minister but that aint gonna happen ...

[AhNowRef]

The DUP and SF exist in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.

possibly but who would you vote for ?

I wouldn't vote for either of them.  Both are politically corrupt in the same sense as the larger parties in the Republic have showed themselves to be over many years.

Are you saying SF are every bit as corrupt as the DUP ?

and if so, how ?

I suppose you are counting Red Sky, NAMA and RHI as DUP corruption?  Yet none have been proved beyond sheer incompetence?  Is this correct or do you have other details or evidence of corruption by DUP?

It looks pretty corrupt to me ... what would your guess be ?

.. but even if conclusive proof cannot is not found, incompetence on this scale is just as harmful ... and its the DUPs doing .. not SF.

The problem lies with providing proof of corruption.  Surely if there was proof of corruption in Red Sky or NAMA or Planning Decisions then it would have led to prosecutions or the withdrawal from government by the DUP's partners which did not occur within the mandate in which the complaints of corruption allegedly occurred and not until January 2017 when disrespect was cited by SF as the reason for bringing down the government partnership with DUP after they refused to join a motion of no confidence in the FM.

There is a difference between corruption as a legal offence and the corruption of power which can only be prosecuted in the court of the electorate.  However, the Assembly does not provide for this prosecution having any hope of occurring because the electorate cannot vote anyone out of power as it is guaranteed by the system.  The issues of which SF ministers have been accused have already been listed above and in some cases have been found guilty through the legal system.

Well every party except the DUP must have reckoned there was corruption in Red Sky as Im faily sure there was consensus to get that little weasle Nelson McCausland out .. but the DUP POC'd it ...

NAMA was let drop for some reason and now RHI ... but again, whether corruption can be proved or not, surely absolutely inane incompetence should be enough to oust someone shouldn't it ?

Unfortunately we'll wait a long time before the DUP voters will convict the DUP 

[armaghniac]

The DUP come out with the usual shite.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/dup-manifesto-launch-arlene-foster-speech-in-full-35465897.html

[seafoid]

The DUP come out with the usual shite.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/dup-manifesto-launch-arlene-foster-speech-in-full-35465897.html

the DUP are playing a stupid game. It's all tribal. If they were competent they would reach out to catholics to ensure that even when Prods go below 50% they still run things.

And Sinn Fein is far less dangerous than Brexit.

[imtommygunn]

The DUP come out with the usual shite.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/dup-manifesto-launch-arlene-foster-speech-in-full-35465897.html

the DUP are playing a stupid game. It's all tribal. If they were competent they would reach out to catholics to ensure that even when Prods go below 50% they still run things.

And Sinn Fein is far less dangerous than Brexit.

Are they playing a stupid game? We have all thought that for a long time and they still get the same votes. To win over any doubters in their voter base saying they are not sf is probably a winner.

I really hope the joke is finally on them but it never has been before so history would say they will probably be fine?

They will still remain the biggest party i would say and them and their family members will continue to cash in at the rest of our expense.

[seafoid]

Arlene is hilarious

"It would lead to the sort of #sectarian abuse of power# that has been seen wherever Sinn Fein have been able to do so from the removal of the Union Flag at City Hall, to the glorification of convicted terrorists to the Ministerial abuse of office which has been adjudicated upon by the courts."

Meanwhile...

"Winning 38 seats did not just mean there would be a unionist First Minister, it also meant that we would control the most government departments and have the best choice of those departments.
We used that strength to make sure that Northern Ireland had its first unionist Education Minister in almost 50 years, its first Agriculture Minister since the restoration of devolution, held the enormous and diverse Communities portfolio and retained responsibility for the economy."

Surely what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

[No wides]

The DUP come out with the usual shite.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland-assembly-election/dup-manifesto-launch-arlene-foster-speech-in-full-35465897.html

the DUP are playing a stupid game. It's all tribal. If they were competent they would reach out to catholics to ensure that even when Prods go below 50% they still run things.

And Sinn Fein is far less dangerous than Brexit.

You are reaching out well!

[Take Your Points]

Arlene is hilarious

"It would lead to the sort of #sectarian abuse of power# that has been seen wherever Sinn Fein have been able to do so from the removal of the Union Flag at City Hall, to the glorification of convicted terrorists to the Ministerial abuse of office which has been adjudicated upon by the courts."

Meanwhile...

"Winning 38 seats did not just mean there would be a unionist First Minister, it also meant that we would control the most government departments and have the best choice of those departments.
We used that strength to make sure that Northern Ireland had its first unionist Education Minister in almost 50 years, its first Agriculture Minister since the restoration of devolution, held the enormous and diverse Communities portfolio and retained responsibility for the economy."

Surely what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

She forgot that while she chose Education, Agriculture, Economy and Communities ministries she handed Finance to SF which was strange given that, when her ministers were flip flopping in and out of their posts, she had held onto the Finance ministry and previously said:

"If anybody knows me and indeed knows the Democratic Unionist Party they know that I'm not going to put at risk to the people of Northern Ireland the possibility that rogue Sinn Fein or renegade SDLP ministers are going to take decisions that will harm the community in Northern Ireland."

[haveaharp]

Arlene is hilarious

"It would lead to the sort of #sectarian abuse of power# that has been seen wherever Sinn Fein have been able to do so from the removal of the Union Flag at City Hall, to the glorification of convicted terrorists to the Ministerial abuse of office which has been adjudicated upon by the courts."

Meanwhile...

"Winning 38 seats did not just mean there would be a unionist First Minister, it also meant that we would control the most government departments and have the best choice of those departments.
We used that strength to make sure that Northern Ireland had its first unionist Education Minister in almost 50 years, its first Agriculture Minister since the restoration of devolution, held the enormous and diverse Communities portfolio and retained responsibility for the economy."

Surely what is good for the goose is good for the gander.

She forgot that while she chose Education, Agriculture, Economy and Communities ministries she handed Finance to SF which was strange given that, when her ministers were flip flopping in and out of their posts, she had held onto the Finance ministry and previously said:

"If anybody knows me and indeed knows the Democratic Unionist Party they know that I'm not going to put at risk to the people of Northern Ireland the possibility that rogue Sinn Fein or renegade SDLP ministers are going to take decisions that will harm the community in Northern Ireland."

Did she not specifically say the "unionist community" ?