SDLP and Sinn Fein. Surely an electoral pact would make sense

[T Fearon]

I know there were huge differences etc when the military campaign was in progress but surely since that has been abandoned there is no good reason  for the two parties not to co operate politically for the sake of maximising the power of the nationalist vote, keeping the West of the Bann green and ensuring three of the four Belfast seats at Westminister are occupied by nationalists.

In fact I would argue that it is an imperative given the likelihood of a hung parliament in the forthcoming Westminster Election, where unionists are likely to hold sway and ring concessions not to the benefit of nationalists.

[Ulick]

Who gives a fcuk about returning people to Westminster? It''s nothing but a soft retirement plan for career politicians like Mark Durkan and Eddie McGrady. At least let them fight for their pension plans. 

[T Fearon]

I hear what you are saying, but if its a hung parliament, I would be of the opinion that the less Unionist votes the majority party (whoever that may be) has to rely on to retain power, the better, and that can only be achieved if there are more seats occupied by nationalists.

Remember when the UUP held Major to ransom for years as he relied on their votes and it meant that the peace process never really got underway until Blair became PM with a huge majority of his own

[ziggysego]

Electoral pacts are wrong in my eyes. Doesn't matter who's doing it.

[Trevor Hill]

Electoral pacts are wrong in my eyes. Doesn't matter who's doing it.

Why? Surely in a sectarian headcount it is better to have more of us than them?

[ziggysego]

Electoral pacts are wrong in my eyes. Doesn't matter who's doing it.

Why? Surely in a sectarian headcount it is better to have more of us than them?

I'd for one would like to move away from sectarian politics. Sinn Fein are moving away from that and so are the UUP. DUP are still scared of the TUV and the SDLP are going nowhere.

[Orior]

The only 3 things that keeps the two parties separate is stubborness, pride and policies.

If you can get rid of the first two and agree on the third then Bob's your uncle.

Simples.

[T Fearon]

I too would like to move away from sectarian politics, but we live in an artificial statelet founded on an immoral and undemocratic sectarian headcount, therefore the only way to get rid of  sectarian politics is to make sure that the advocates of the maintenance of this state have as little political influence as possible and I would suggest that this can only be achieved via an electoral pact.

The alternative is to have nationalist constituencies misrepresented by the likes of Arlene Foster, for you can be sure, the so called unionist family can set aside its differences and animosities and rally round to keep taigs out.

In any case don't Sinn Fein (eg Billy Leonard) and the  SDLP have protestant membership? So calling for an electoral pact between them is not sectarian

[Trevor Hill]

Electoral pacts are wrong in my eyes. Doesn't matter who's doing it.

Why? Surely in a sectarian headcount it is better to have more of us than them?

I'd for one would like to move away from sectarian politics. Sinn Fein are moving away from that and so are the UUP. DUP are still scared of the TUV and the SDLP are going nowhere.

What planet do you live on? 

[ziggysego]

Earth

It ain't perfect yet, but moving in the right direction.

[Zapatista]

I know there were huge differences etc when the military campaign was in progress but surely since that has been abandoned there is no good reason  for the two parties not to co operate politically for the sake of maximising the power of the nationalist vote, keeping the West of the Bann green and ensuring three of the four Belfast seats at Westminister are occupied by nationalists.

In fact I would argue that it is an imperative given the likelihood of a hung parliament in the forthcoming Westminster Election, where unionists are likely to hold sway and ring concessions not to the benefit of nationalists.

That would commit the good people in the north to Orange and Green politics for another 20 years getting us nowhere. If the Unionists want to do it for cheap nationalistic and electoral success reasons then let them at it but it would be wrong to add to it.

[T Fearon]

Catch 22 situation. The redundant politcial philsophy of unionism (which in itself is sectarian given that its based on a loyalty to the English Crown for as long as that crown remains protestant) needs to be defeated, politcially of course. I would suggest that allowing a unionist pact to succeed at the expense of a nationalist pact, thus increasing unionist influence way beyond its numerical strength, will in fact perpetuate sectarian politics, as it has done for 8o years.

Anyone who lives here or who nows anything about life here, that expects unionist to divest itself of its sectarian nature is living in cloud cuckoo land

[The Worker]

whats that picture you have up Trevor?

[Gabriel_Hurl]

Isn't it a picture of Fearon in Dubai? 

[gallsman]

I too would like to move away from sectarian politics, but we live in an artificial statelet founded on an immoral and undemocratic sectarian headcount, therefore the only way to get rid of  sectarian politics is to make sure that the advocates of the maintenance of this state have as little political influence as possible and I would suggest that this can only be achieved via an electoral pact.

The alternative is to have nationalist constituencies misrepresented by the likes of Arlene Foster, for you can be sure, the so called unionist family can set aside its differences and animosities and rally round to keep taigs out.

In any case don't Sinn Fein (eg Billy Leonard) and the  SDLP have protestant membership? So calling for an electoral pact between them is not sectarian

Wow, Billy Leonard is a Prod. I know a Prod SDLP man. How many prods do you reckon vote for either of them?