implications of the election for the 6 counties

[lawnseed]

social democratic and LABOUR party maguire, if the stoops where anything other than the sickofantic power grabbing crapheads that they truely are they would have been trying to team up with labour in the south, the problem being that labour were not in power at the time. these crowd would join the devil to get in power once you keep that in mind then you understand the mindset of your typical stoop... all backdoors

[Bogball XV]

social democratic and LABOUR party maguire, if the stoops where anything other than the sickofantic power grabbing crapheads that they truely are they would have been trying to team up with labour in the south, the problem being that labour were not in power at the time. these crowd would join the devil to get in power once you keep that in mind then you understand the mindset of your typical stoop... all backdoors

very harsh, but there's definitely some truth there, where did they see the supposed fit with FF?  In fairness, they're probably a good match for each other now, it's hard to believe that the SDLP are so toxic that even the prospect of them forming an alliance with FF would make FF implode in this manner.

[Hardy]

if the stoops where anything other than the sickofantic ...

Christ Almighty

[Big Puff]

i voted sdlp last time out, it will be sf next time.

[Nally Stand]

Didn't realise Sinn Féin was likely to form part of the next Irish government.

For northerners it's not about being part of this government Mayo. We're used to playing the long game. In terms of what will happen up here it's all about momentum. SF making big gains on the national stage while their opposition, the SDLP, sit in the British Parliament across the water, unable to do anything but take home big wages and expenses - while SF mix it up with the big boys in Dáil Éireann.

Maybe the SDLP should come to the Republic!

Or maybe Fine Gael, who you claim to be Republicans, and who carry the tagline of "The United Ireland Party" should follow Sinn Féin's lead and stand in the north?

Maybe that's why the FF'ers and FG'ers of this world don't really give a fcuk about Irish Unity....maybe they realise that when that day comes, their refusal to set up in the six counties throughout partition and their ingrained partitionist attitude in general will come back to bite them in the ass in the when they come knocking on doors in Tyrone, Derry, Belfast, Fermanagh etc looking for votes! 

There is only one All-Ireland Party and down the line, as politics in this country becomes more 32 county orientated, it will be SF who will be best positioned!!

[Bogball XV]

Maybe the main implication will be increased state pensions and welfare benefits in the north?  It's a stated policy in the south to have all such state transfers at 2009 levels, so presumably they'll not want to send out a message that nordies are worth less than mexicans.

So that'd be an increase in state pensions to the equivalent of about €300 per week and dole/income support to circa €200 per week.  All family income supplements etc to be introduced on similar levels I suppose.

[armaghniac]

Students too wil benefit, as SF policy in the South is for no fees. They can select higher ed in the D'Hondt process after the NI elections and eliminate the fees there, instead of the £6000 proposed.

[Bogball XV]

Students too wil benefit, as SF policy in the South is for no fees. They can select higher ed in the D'Hondt process after the NI elections and eliminate the fees there, instead of the £6000 proposed.

It'll be like a socialist utopia, SF keep on raising expenditure and Cameron keeps on footing the bill. I'd say the north could see emmigration from the UK.  Of course the increased numbers of people might put more of a burden on the exchequer, but I'm sure something could be worked out.

[ziggysego]

Students too wil benefit, as SF policy in the South is for no fees. They can select higher ed in the D'Hondt process after the NI elections and eliminate the fees there, instead of the £6000 proposed.

It'll be like a socialist utopia, SF keep on raising expenditure and Cameron keeps on footing the bill. I'd say the north could see emmigration from the UK.  Of course the increased numbers of people might put more of a burden on the exchequer, but I'm sure something could be worked out.

Could do what the Scots did, elimate fees for themselves, but any students coming into Scotland has to pay the fees.

[Ulick]

Could do what the Scots did, elimate fees for themselves, but any students coming into Scotland has to pay the fees.

Wouldn't make much difference here because the vast majority of undergraduate in QUB & UU are local students. The Scottish unis have a much higher proportion of students from outside Scotland. 

[Maguire01]

social democratic and LABOUR party maguire, if the stoops where anything other than the sickofantic power grabbing crapheads that they truely are they would have been trying to team up with labour in the south, the problem being that labour were not in power at the time. these crowd would join the devil to get in power once you keep that in mind then you understand the mindset of your typical stoop... all backdoors

You won't find me defending any moves by the SDLP to get closer to FF. It made little sense. I agree that if the SDLP were to form an alliance, it should naturally be with Labour.

But on your previous comment, who gave who "a kick in the mouth"? Were you bluffing?

To quote Margaret Ritchie last year:
"There has been talk of us joining with Fianna Fáil and there are some in the SDLP who like such a proposition. But let me make our position clear. Merger with Fianna Fáil? Not on my watch.

A very shrewd move in hindsight as it would have been a disaster for the SDLP, given the way things have developed since. I would still have reservations as to whether she was/is the best option for leader, but she definitely scored points on this one.

[Ulick]

Jude Collins

Will February matter in May?

I've got in-laws who live south of the border, most of them in Dublin. Over the last forty years we've visited them regularly, had a meal, checked out the shops and the sights. They've come north of the border to Belfast too; but the visit ratio is around 30: 1. Over the last twenty years they've come a little more frequently – say 25:1 -  but nothing you would notice.

Why? Their main reason, especially in the early years, was that they didn't want to be shot or blown up.  That's understandable. When you watch TV and see only reports of violence coming from an area, you tend to associate danger with that place. But it's more than that. Although they've never articulated it, my in-laws exude a sense of uneasiness, of not being at home (yes I know, I KNOW they're literally not) when  they're here.

Contrast that with our appetite for visits south. Dublin has a grace and charm that Belfast can never aspire to. The accent is easier on the ear, the people more relaxed, the atmosphere more...cheerful. Even, in the midst of their economic nightmare, optimistic. When I was a child, my father used to take us on a summer Sunday from Omagh to Bundoran and the seaside. As soon as we'd crossed the border into Donegal, we always gave a spontaneous cheer.  I don't actually punch the air any more but I still feel my spirits lift as I move south.

I say all this because the BBC's Mark Devenport has been busy spinning a theory about the impact of Sinn Féin's electoral success south of the border on the north's upcoming elections.  Consider, Mark says, Sinn Féin's movement into ministerial office in the north and how that was supposed to impact on their electoral fortunes in the south in 2007. It didn't happen.  Far from electoral success, Mark notes, the party's Dail representation dropped from five to four TDs.   His suggestion is that in the coming election in the north,  Shinner success  south of the border could well have little resonance.

But then as a lad, Mark never crossed the border between Belleek and Ballyshannon and gave a yelp of delight or felt his spirits lift, yes totally illogically,  at the sight of a green post-box. The truth is, we in the north are more impressed by the south than they are by us.  Even now the violent conflict is largely over, they'd rather watch from a safe distance; and  they quite like the way the southern media paints Gerry Adams as in need of a sat-nav to find his way to the Dail. In point of fact,  it's the other way round – southerners need a northern map.  Being less provincial and less partitionist, nationalists in the north are more aware of what's going on in the south, respond to it, argue over it, visit it.

So while there are commentators who'll tell you that Sinn Féin success over the weekend may well prove irrelevant to what happens north of the border in May,  I don't buy it.  Check Facebook, check Twitter, check your own experience. Thousands of nationalist homes in the north followed every twist of the south's election campaign,  thousands more did a good deal of yelping and air-punching when Adams and Doherty featured in the top-five vote-getters in the south, and regardless of what Tony O'Reilly's  Sindo  may say, even the dullest northern dog noted that Sinn Féin near-quadrupled its numbers in the Dail last Friday.

When it comes to elections yes,  it's the economy, stupid.  But it's also momentum.  And while it may stick in some craws,  SF have the big M  now.

[Bogball XV]

social democratic and LABOUR party maguire, if the stoops where anything other than the sickofantic power grabbing crapheads that they truely are they would have been trying to team up with labour in the south, the problem being that labour were not in power at the time. these crowd would join the devil to get in power once you keep that in mind then you understand the mindset of your typical stoop... all backdoors

You won't find me defending any moves by the SDLP to get closer to FF. It made little sense. I agree that if the SDLP were to form an alliance, it should naturally be with Labour.

But on your previous comment, who gave who "a kick in the mouth"? Were you bluffing?

To quote Margaret Ritchie last year:
"There has been talk of us joining with Fianna Fáil and there are some in the SDLP who like such a proposition. But let me make our position clear. Merger with Fianna Fáil? Not on my watch.

A very shrewd move in hindsight as it would have been a disaster for the SDLP, given the way things have developed since. I would still have reservations as to whether she was/is the best option for leader, but she definitely scored points on this one.

In fairness anyone with half a brain could see last year that FF were toxic, that wasn't the case in 2007 when this was first mooted and I don't know for sure, but I think I recall that it was the SDLP who were doing most of the pursuing then, albeit it was under Durkan's watch.

[Orangemac]

I would always have voted SDLP but it is hard to know what they stand for anymore. At least with Mallon, Hume etc there were men of principles.

On the other hand I don't know if I can bring myselef to vote for SF. It's easy to promise the earth in the South and Doherty is a good talker and all but the hypocrisy involved is hard to swallow.

The cosy set up with the DUP is effectively a coalition and both parties are more concerned with keeping SDLP and Ulster Unionists underfoot than fighting each other ( i.e agreeiing on reduction of council numbers before this was overturned).

You will see the nationalist/unionist agenda wheeled out in the next few months with elections coming up but the partiton subject is not an issue until there is a chance of a nationalist majority ( which is at least 20 years away).

Will there ever be a party in the North focusing on real issues that affect peoples lives ( I don't mean Alliance) and ignoring the constitutional issue.