6 County Assembly Elections - 5th May 2022

[balladmaker]

DUP strategy is firmly hinged on not permitting a nationalist first minister.   Stall for 6 months, claim some facile change to the protocol as a major victory, rally the troops one more time ahead of an autumn election ... 'not a fenian about the place', and hope to become largest party again.  If that came to pass, how is every non-unionist in the north supposed to feel.  I don't think it will work, and would expect SF to come back with 28 or 29 seats the next time, with Alliance chipping away at the Unionist block vote and increasing their share.  DUP are screwed and they pretty much know it.

Had an interesting conversation with someone from a unionist background today, unionist with a small 'u' I would think ... they approached the UI conversation with me where previously it would never have been raised ... it was obvious they are starting to explore what an all Ireland economy might look for them and their children in years to come.  They pointed out a job announcement they heard a couple of weeks ago ... Twitter to create 1000+ new jobs in republic, on the same day a bottle making factory in the north announce they were creating 120 ... the fact that there are no Twitters, Facebooks, Amazons, Intels etc. in the north is not lost on them.

[yellowcard]

I'd love to know what the DUP MLA's really think about Jeff staying in Westminster. All bluster that he was coming back to NI. So he keeps his MP gig whilst the MLA's are left in no mans land for who know how long. Can't imagine this is going down well with absolutely everyone internally.

With respect, Jeffrey Donaldson is not and never will be a leader. Making it up as he goes along.

[From the Bunker]

I'd love to know what the DUP MLA's really think about Jeff staying in Westminster. All bluster that he was coming back to NI. So he keeps his MP gig whilst the MLA's are left in no mans land for who know how long. Can't imagine this is going down well with absolutely everyone internally.

Outside chance Alliance nicks his seat if he does vacate it? He is absolutely pathetic every time I see him interviewed, Unionism is seriously lacking leadership.

Can't help but think that this hasn't been very well thought out. He's now staying in London so likely your man Rankin will be brought in as MLA. But what happens in 6 months time and another election? Jeff gona kick Rankin out, stand again telling everyone that he is going to go into the assembly? Strong chance that would surely backfire

Jeff is running away from the problem.  Jeff has a habit of doing this. When the going got tough with the UUP he legged it as well.

[seafoid]

https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2022/0506/1296543-northern-ireland-protocol-analysis/
Irish officials have pointed out to senior British figures that a majority of MLAs are currently not opposed to the protocol, and that after Thursday's assembly elections that number may well have increased.



Would London recognise that democratic support for the Northern Ireland Protocol?

British officials responded that that does not matter. What matters is that the Northern Ireland institutions need a Deputy First Minister, and they won't get one unless the protocol is renegotiated.


To Dublin this is an elegant way of recreating the unionist veto. To the EU it's another gun on the table. To the UK it is about protecting the Good Friday Agreement.

[Under Lights]

Did you see Jeff and Teresa May yesterday.
Thought it rich of him to go on about protecting the GFA

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which later became the largest unionist party, did not support the Agreement. It walked out of talks when Sinn Féin and loyalist parties joined, because republican and loyalist paramilitary weapons had not been decommissioned.

[imtommygunn]

Absolutely full of shite. Not one f**k could he give about the gfa except maybe for keeping his loyalist paramilitary friends (probably bosses!) out of jail.

[johnnycool]

I'd love to know what the DUP MLA's really think about Jeff staying in Westminster. All bluster that he was coming back to NI. So he keeps his MP gig whilst the MLA's are left in no mans land for who know how long. Can't imagine this is going down well with absolutely everyone internally.

That was as sure as night follows day.

He wants his seat in the HOL, keeping his high profile in London makes that more likely.

He's above that Stormont nonsense.

[seafoid]

It looks as though the DUP etc are planning on manipulating total opposition to the Protocol as a way of distracting from the return of the O'Neill.
They may be assisted in this by the ERG.

[NAG1]

It was the only card they had left to cling onto the notion that they still run this place.

I hope it will back fire spectacularly again and that will completely finish them politically.

On a more technical note, there should be some mechanism in the process to stop this kinda of co-opting BS happening so close to an election. If it happens within a certain time period outside of extreme circumstances there should not be co-opting.

[imtommygunn]

I'd love to know what the DUP MLA's really think about Jeff staying in Westminster. All bluster that he was coming back to NI. So he keeps his MP gig whilst the MLA's are left in no mans land for who know how long. Can't imagine this is going down well with absolutely everyone internally.

That was as sure as night follows day.

He wants his seat in the HOL, keeping his high profile in London makes that more likely.

He's above that Stormont nonsense.

I can't believe how useless he is. I mean I had low expectations of Poots but would he have been any worse than this? I thought he was supposed to be intelligent.

[Milltown Row2]

I've listened to a few Tories lately and the they are throwing out similar lines of the majority in Ireland want rid of the protocol, they aren't saying N.I .. One professor has pulled them on that afterwards in follow up interview saying that wasn't the case on polls conducted. If the UK pull the protocol by themselves without triggering article 16 it will bring in tariffs and more economic pain during what is already high cost of living!!

Hopefully they go down that road and be seen to have caused even more hardship on their voters, though to be fair they are that thick they'll still blame everyone else.. going to be some spin on this before its finished. Hopefully Nolan will pull them on this   

[seafoid]

https://www.ft.com/content/27e4ce93-a0f2-4a22-a857-6b2bdd3dc324

The EU is unlikely to offer any more concessions on the protocol, say diplomats in Brussels, because it believes the UK has largely ignored proposals it made in October to reduce red tape on goods entering Northern Ireland. One EU diplomat said Brussels "has made a far-reaching offer on the Northern Ireland protocol. If the UK refuses to acknowledge this and to engage on this basis, might it then not be the time for the UK to honour its international obligations and simply implement what it has knowingly and wilfully signed up to?"

[imtommygunn]

The protocol is just a stick for the brits to beat the EU with. They couldn't give a f**k about it.

The world of politics is just one lie after another. They should have a poll of MLAs as to who is in favour of the protocol. There is a presumption that being a unionist means you think the protocol is bad - that is not true. Also there is a difference between being against the fundamentals of there being a protocol itself and being against some of it's content and wanted some negotiation / tweaks on it.

[Eire90]

so what happens if the protocol is ditch will there be violence

[Eire90]

Are the tories planning on a trade war with the eu so they can blame the eu for starving the country to the dail mail and express readers when its the tories starving people