SDLP shamelessly sacrifice Derry for unionist votes to fund Durkan's retirement

[Ulick]

City name change issue is 'dead'
Guildhall

9 March 2010

DUP MP Gregory Campbell has said the issue of changing the name of the city from Londonderry to Derry is "dead".

Derry City Council failed to reach agreement at a meeting on Monday. Proposals were put forward by Sinn Fein and the SDLP but both were rejected.

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

"That result is very clear the issue is dead, and it's time to move on."

Mr Campbell criticised Sinn Fein for "engaging in wild goose chases".

"They are still campaigning for a united Ireland, they are not going to get that either

"They have to get used to the fact you campaign for something and you don't always get it, but that's life, you live it and move on."

The SDLP had proposed to defer any action until a working group had been set up and further consultation carried out.

Sinn Fein proposed that the council should go ahead with its original plan to approach the privy council about changing the city's official name to Derry.

Sinn Fein Councillor, Kevin Campbell said it is accepted that the "majority of people when referring to the City call it Derry".

"Even unionist organizations proudly bear the historic name Derry. What is the SDLP's problem with proceeding with a council policy which it has already endorsed," Mr Campbell added.

"This debate has been exhaustive and I believe that it is time that decisive action is taken to restore the rightful and historic name to this city.

"Further prevarication will only add to the confusion when attempting to market the city with a plethora of names."

SDLP councillor Helen Quigley said she was disappointed the party's proposals were voted down.

"The SDLP has always been fully supportive of moves to have Derry officially recognised as the name of our city.

"Unfortunately other parties including Sinn Fein would rather play political games and voted against this idea and a subsequent plan for group leaders to come together to work out a possible way forward," she said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/foyle_and_west/8557181.stm

[Ulick]

DUP calls for name change decision before election

Published Date: 04 March 2010

By Kevin Mullan

THE postponement of a decision on the controversial Londonderry name change bid until after a General Election would allow the SDLP to solicit unionist votes, it has been claimed.

Thus warned DUP Alderman Gregory Campbell following the adjournment of a Special Meeting of Derry City Council to consider whether or not to proceed with the name change bid on Friday.

The meeting was put back until after the funeral of Real IRA murder victim Kieran Doherty, who was shot dead in the city on Wednesday.
Mr Campbell said an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) proposal to park the decision on the divisive application to the Queen's Privy Council will play into the hands of the SDLP which successfully mopped up 1,500 votes from the unionist constituency in Foyle in 2005. Unionists believe these votes went to Mr Durkan to help prevent a Sinn Féin victory.

"I think that would actually be a very dangerous route to take," said Mr Campbell. "What you could get would be a particular nationalist party that would be quite content to park it until after the election in the hope that they might garner a few unionist votes with which to stop Sinn Féin winning the seat."

He added: "And then once they've got the votes in the bag after the election they will lift the baton again afterwards.
"So I think that would be a very dangerous possible outcome and should be avoided. If the Ulster Unionists were prepared to say 'park this until after the election,' I'm sure the SDLP would say 'that's an excellent idea because it assists us'."
Explained Mr Campbell: "The last time - we know from the election result in 2005 that Mark Durkan got 1,500 unionist votes - fifteen hundred people who didn't want to be represented by a Sinn Féin MP.

"So, they would I'm sure be delighted with that. They would be able to get some unionist votes and then the SDLP after the election would say 'alright we're going back to the name change.' So I think it would be a retrograde step."
The East Londonderry MP also tied the name change application to Derry City Council's UK City of Culture 2013 bid. He said adjudicators may be faced with the "nonsensical" situation where one finalist was culturally divided over its name.
"The Council have a number of options and even the list of options that have been itemised by the Council officials is not exhaustive because there are one or two other options to be looked at.

"But the response from the wider community was absolutely clear and I think, for example, in the bid for the City of Culture, I made it clear on behalf of the unionist bloc that if we were going to make an application for the City of Culture we would have to be internally, within the city cognisant of the fact that all of our cultures would have to be accepted.
"So it would make a nonsense to have an application in for a City of Culture bid and at the same time deny the cultural outlook of about a third of the city's citizens."

He said the overwhelming opposition to the name change expressed in the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) leads to the inevitable conclusion that in order to give "respect to the cultural aspirations of a significant number of the people in the city the name Londonderry should be retained."

The leading DUP man effectively rejected as "unwieldy" the suggestion that the Privy Council application be amended to give parity to "Derry," "Londonderry" and "Doire" or that there be no amendment to the name "but that the extent of the 'city of Londonderry' be amended, for example, the area within the walls, while the modern urban city be called 'Derry.'"
"The main and I suppose practical problem with that is the total unwieldy nature of it. What would it end up being called?" he asked.
"Now in my view the name should be Londonderry and if people wish to use Derry they can. That's the current postion and I would have thought that's the position that caused least offense in the EQIA and also in the past so why should it not be the name that should pertain in future?"

http://www.londonderrysentinel.co.uk/news/DUP-calls-for-name-change.6123340.jp

[fer fox ache]

Big fuckin deal, suit them both better they would go about bringing some jobs to the area. This is a complete waste of effort, Catholics will always refer to it as Derry, Prods as Londonderry anyone who loses any sleep over this issue needs to have a look at themselves. With massive unemployment and massive social problems what name is on the road signs is of little consequence

[charlieTully]

nothing new, they have shamelessly sacrificed the needs of nationalists for years.

[delboy]

Storm in a teacup/mug/hot beverage drinking receptacle 

[ziggysego]

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

Who carried out the equality impact assessment? Who asked them to? How did they come to the conclusion that out of 12,000 people, 3/4 wanted to keep the name Londonderry. Who were the 12,000 particpants?

[delboy]

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

Who carried out the equality impact assessment? Who asked them to? How did they come to the conclusion that out of 12,000 people, 3/4 wanted to keep the name Londonderry. Who were the 12,000 particpants?

It would usually be the equality commision and the community relations council and they would have been asked by the council one would have thought.
I would imagine they were inhabitants of londonderry/derry, EQIA are sent to 'stake holders' this would be all the people in the city, you choose to respond or not respond, if you don't respond you lose your voice so to speak, it seems that out of the 12 000 people who bothered to respond a large majority (3/4) were against the name change. Maybe all the garden centres were closed that day 

[ziggysego]

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

Who carried out the equality impact assessment? Who asked them to? How did they come to the conclusion that out of 12,000 people, 3/4 wanted to keep the name Londonderry. Who were the 12,000 particpants?

I would imagine they were inhabitants of londonderry/derry, EQIA are sent to 'stake holders' this would be all the people in the city, you choose to respond or not respond, if you don't respond you lose your voice so to speak, it seems that out of the 12 000 people who bothered to respond a large majority (3/4) were against the name change. Maybe all the garden centres were closed that day 

I find it surprising that only 25% voted in favour of change. How did Sinn Fein slip up there is getting their voters out?

[Bogball XV]

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

Who carried out the equality impact assessment? Who asked them to? How did they come to the conclusion that out of 12,000 people, 3/4 wanted to keep the name Londonderry. Who were the 12,000 particpants?

good to see derry keeping up the ancient tradition of gerrymandering!!

But as ferfoxache says, it's not exactly the biggest issue out there, still, might be better keeping politicians busy with this rather than doing more damage.

[delboy]

Mr Campbell said an equality impact assessment showed 3,000 people in favour of a change, but 9,000 were against it.

Who carried out the equality impact assessment? Who asked them to? How did they come to the conclusion that out of 12,000 people, 3/4 wanted to keep the name Londonderry. Who were the 12,000 particpants?

I would imagine they were inhabitants of londonderry/derry, EQIA are sent to 'stake holders' this would be all the people in the city, you choose to respond or not respond, if you don't respond you lose your voice so to speak, it seems that out of the 12 000 people who bothered to respond a large majority (3/4) were against the name change. Maybe all the garden centres were closed that day 

I find it surprising that only 25% voted in favour of change. How did Sinn Fein slip up there is getting their voters out?

The SF machine must not have expected such a low rate of responding by their core vote, maybe they thought the numbers were on their side and didn't bother, maybe their core vote thought the same.
I wouldn't worry though, SF have a past history of ignoring these sorts of things when it doesn't suit their agenda the transfer test being a prime example.

[Trevor Hill]

Maybe the SDLP are hoping that Derry wins the race to be the City of Culture in 2013.

[Ulick]

Obviously the only thing the SDLP cares about is getting Mark Durkan over to Westminster in time to take his oath of loyalty to a foreign monarch. Although it's pitiful to watch them depend on unionist votes to do it, they're not without form in this area e.g. Joe Hendron in West Belfast and just watch Ritche do the same as she tries to secure herself another income for herself by fending off Ruane in South Down.

[ziggysego]

Is it just me, or has Mark Durkan been on the news a lot more in recent weeks, since he stepped down as SDLP Leader?

[Ulick]

Is it just me, or has Mark Durkan been on the news a lot more in recent weeks, since he stepped down as SDLP Leader?

Did you not know, there's an election coming Ziggy.

[delboy]

fending off Ruane in South Down.

God willing.