Stormont Assembly Elections 2017

[Milltown Row2]

Any predictions?? If TV viewing figures are any guide they were well up for the debates this time compared to last May.  A significantly increased turnout throws a few balls in the air.  I think the smaller parties will get a good uplift in votes but that probably won't transfer to seats e.g. Greens are predicted to up their no 1s by 30%-40% but across 18 constituencies that won't get more seats.  I predict Claire Bailey will keep her seat in S Belfast.  Similarly I've a gut feeling that Alliance will have a good election in terms of votes and will probably keep their 8 seats (though the SDLP are bigging up Roisin Lynch in S Antrim so David Ford could be under pressure).  Quite a few 5th seats will be very tight.  So, something like (+ or - 2 for the bigger parties)??

DUP 30
Sinn Fein 25
UUP 12
SDLP 10
Alliance 8
Greens 2
PBP 1 (McCann to miss out)
TUV 1
Claire Sugden maybe to hold on 1

Hope that adds up to 90!

So no significant change then?? One wonders why bother heading round

That's just my best guess MR2.  Could be wrong.  Going down to 5 seats per constituency does add a bit of the unknown and as I said turnout will be key.  Anything over 65% and all bets could be off.

I wouldn't know any DUP voters (well they wouldn't say it out loud) but most prods I know have had a very strong view on how the politics have been fecked up recently and want change.... whether that comes across tomorrow in the moment at the ballot box is another thing...

I've my list sorted as does my wife, hopefully people will cop on and if they don't I'll not bother again, as it proves people are stupid, fearful and happy with the status quo

[trileacman]

If brexit and trump taught us anything it's that people are fearful and stupid.

Expect a turnout heading just north of 50% and a return of the standing order..

[michaelg]

Northern Irish. Thats the facts of life no matter what you wish.

I'm Eastern Irish myself. What would  be the main difference would you say between Northern Irish and Eastern Irish people?

There's no Eastern Ireland football team for you to get behind.

[ashman]

Don't many say the Bann and the Shannon are the real lines of partition on this island ?

[armaghniac]

Northern Irish. Thats the facts of life no matter what you wish.

I'm Eastern Irish myself. What would  be the main difference would you say between Northern Irish and Eastern Irish people?

There's no Eastern Ireland football team for you to get behind.

Regions generally don't have soccer teams.

Don't many say the Bann and the Shannon are the real lines of partition on this island ?

Quite, pure muck savages to the west of those rivers.

[Horse Box]

I wouldn't know any DUP voters (well they wouldn't say it out loud) but most prods I know have had a very strong view on how the politics have been fecked up recently and want change.... whether that comes across tomorrow in the moment at the ballot box is another thing...

I've my list sorted as does my wife, hopefully people will cop on and if they don't I'll not bother again, as it proves people are stupid, fearful and happy with the status quo
[/quote]

Change as in the UUP or change as in the Alliance Party ?

[Horse Box]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

I see your Dublin
So take your westbrit BS somewhere else
Over 40 percent of the population up here have never excepted the Union Jack as their flag
The same as most of the population in the republic didn't except it when it was flying in Dublin castle
Something tells me if your where around you wouldn't have a problem with it
The GFA was to achieve the same means as armed struggle without the violence ( a move endorsed by all nationalist including myself )

I can empathise with unionist to a certain extent but Westbrits make me puke
Stick your nose back in your Indo or find a unionist thread

Well said Hound , not all of us southerners are West Brits !

[seafoid]

Don't many say the Bann and the Shannon are the real lines of partition on this island ?

The Shannon is the border between hell and Connacht

[Milltown Row2]

I wouldn't know any DUP voters (well they wouldn't say it out loud) but most prods I know have had a very strong view on how the politics have been fecked up recently and want change.... whether that comes across tomorrow in the moment at the ballot box is another thing...

I've my list sorted as does my wife, hopefully people will cop on and if they don't I'll not bother again, as it proves people are stupid, fearful and happy with the status quo

Change as in the UUP or change as in the Alliance Party ?
[/quote]

Who knows, personally I think they won't vote, a lot of dissatisfied prods, they'll never vote for the shinners as no Catholic will vote DUP very understandable, it would require all parties to drop the green and orange shite and go for real politics like I've mentioned before we see proper change

[Avondhu star]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

I see your Dublin
So take your westbrit BS somewhere else
Over 40 percent of the population up here have never excepted the Union Jack as their flag
The same as most of the population in the republic didn't except it when it was flying in Dublin castle
Something tells me if your where around you wouldn't have a problem with it
The GFA was to achieve the same means as armed struggle without the violence ( a move endorsed by all nationalist including myself )

I can empathise with unionist to a certain extent but Westbrits make me puke
Stick your nose back in your Indo or find a unionist thread

A big jump to conclusions because someone had a Dublin Base. Bad enough one crowd living in the 1690s but using West Brit as an insult is so 1970 especially from one whose education (limited as it is) was paid for by Johnny Brit over in Barnsley and is in receipt of welfare from the same source

[seafoid]

Northern Ireland is just a bigger version of Ballaghaderreen . Andy Moran is a Rossie.

[general_lee]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

I see your Dublin
So take your westbrit BS somewhere else
Over 40 percent of the population up here have never excepted the Union Jack as their flag
The same as most of the population in the republic didn't except it when it was flying in Dublin castle
Something tells me if your where around you wouldn't have a problem with it
The GFA was to achieve the same means as armed struggle without the violence ( a move endorsed by all nationalist including myself )

I can empathise with unionist to a certain extent but Westbrits make me puke
Stick your nose back in your Indo or find a unionist thread

A big jump to conclusions because someone had a Dublin Base. Bad enough one crowd living in the 1690s but using West Brit as an insult is so 1970 especially from one whose education (limited as it is) was paid for by Johnny Brit over in Barnsley and is in receipt of welfare from the same source

f**k up westbrit

[Farrandeelin]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

I see your Dublin
So take your westbrit BS somewhere else
Over 40 percent of the population up here have never excepted the Union Jack as their flag
The same as most of the population in the republic didn't except it when it was flying in Dublin castle
Something tells me if your where around you wouldn't have a problem with it
The GFA was to achieve the same means as armed struggle without the violence ( a move endorsed by all nationalist including myself )

I can empathise with unionist to a certain extent but Westbrits make me puke
Stick your nose back in your Indo or find a unionist thread

A big jump to conclusions because someone had a Dublin Base. Bad enough one crowd living in the 1690s but using West Brit as an insult is so 1970 especially from one whose education (limited as it is) was paid for by Johnny Brit over in Barnsley and is in receipt of welfare from the same source

Eh...it's not as if the people in NI had any choice, but carry on...

[Applesisapples]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

NI is an artificial state created by the threat of terrorism and revolution/rebellion/treason. It has never been treated as normal part of the UK, even unionists don't treat it as such. It is not unreasonable for the state to recognise at an official level the ethnicity of 45% of the population. The GFA gives equal status to both nationalities so why not reflect this. The Union fleg now only represents about 48% of the population, give or take.

[Avondhu star]

So what "equality" do nationalists not have at the minute ? Curious and not trolling

Just my opinion but I feel that the DUP and a large cohort of UUP supporters don't regard my Irish identity as equal to their British and don't regard my desire/aspiration for a United Ireland as equal to theirs to remain a part of the UK, my flag doesn't fly over any public building and I live my life almost totally framed in a "Northern Ireland" context because that's the official position.

Remember, you cannot legislate to change someone's opinion.

Northern Ireland is where you live like it or not. Why do you expect the flag of a foreign country to be given the same status as the flag of the UK.
Do the Ukraine government fly the Russian flag because a certain percentage of Ukrainians are of Russian extraction?
Your attraction to another country can be solved by going to live there. Otherwise continue where you are until a majority there believe that they would be better off in a united Ireland. Thats the G.F.A. position Gerry and the boys accepted

I see your Dublin
So take your westbrit BS somewhere else
Over 40 percent of the population up here have never excepted the Union Jack as their flag
The same as most of the population in the republic didn't except it when it was flying in Dublin castle
Something tells me if your where around you wouldn't have a problem with it
The GFA was to achieve the same means as armed struggle without the violence ( a move endorsed by all nationalist including myself )

I can empathise with unionist to a certain extent but Westbrits make me puke
Stick your nose back in your Indo or find a unionist thread

A big jump to conclusions because someone had a Dublin Base. Bad enough one crowd living in the 1690s but using West Brit as an insult is so 1970 especially from one whose education (limited as it is) was paid for by Johnny Brit over in Barnsley and is in receipt of welfare from the same source

f**k up westbrit

That response proves my point re limited education. Of course teachers can only work with what they are given. They're not miracle workers