The Battle for Fermanagh and South Tyrone

[give her dixie]

Wikifox with the answers.....................

Prize in the post for you.

[trileacman]

As for Margaret Richie, you said you wanted the people of F/ST to speak. Well I hope you're listening, they spoke with a very loud voice yesterday.

Yes they did and I'm sure Ritchie will take this on board. Ritchie offered the people of FST a choice, there's nothing wrong with that. Unionists ruled this province for the guts of 60 years because the ideals of democracy were not upheld or provided to the nationalist people, I won't hold anything against Maragret for giving them a choice.

There was/is alot of finger-pointing and gloating being directed at the SDLP and some people would do well to consider one thing. There are people in FST who will never vote SF. They have various reasons which are completely unarguable and sound. These people in a fair, just and democratic society should have the option of voting for the SDLP and the SDLP have an obligation to offer these people an alternative nationalist mandate. Whether the SDLP get the seat or not is irrelevant but thse non-SF nationalists have a right to vote and as long as there exsists people within FST who want to vote for the SDLP then they should be provided the oppurtunity to do so.

[haranguerer]

Loada postal votes rejected I hear, including my own. Wonder if thats across the board...

How do you know that?

Letter landed to home saying it had been rejected, something to do with the signature, heard from someone involved in the constituency that a lot had been rejected. This is just in reference to FST, and predominantly nationalist votes, thats not to say others havent been rejected too, just I havent heard about them. Given that SF are notable for working hard in pursuing postal votes, I'd imagine that they would suffer most from a high number of rejections.

I dont know how significant the figures would be, at the minute its looking like a long trip home this evening. Every vote counts and that. Maybe stick a few quid on MG and hope to recoup costs...

Well, that worked out! MG in, and I put £20 on at 7/4. Fair play to me and my fellow constituents 

[longrunsthefox]

Wikifox with the answers.....................

Prize in the post for you.

You did ask 

[Minder]

As for Margaret Richie, you said you wanted the people of F/ST to speak. Well I hope you're listening, they spoke with a very loud voice yesterday.

Yes they did and I'm sure Ritchie will take this on board. Ritchie offered the people of FST a choice, there's nothing wrong with that. Unionists ruled this province for the guts of 60 years because the ideals of democracy were not upheld or provided to the nationalist people, I won't hold anything against Maragret for giving them a choice.

There was/is alot of finger-pointing and gloating being directed at the SDLP and some people would
do well to consider one thing. There are people in FST who will never vote SF. They have various reasons which are completely unarguable and sound. These people in a fair, just and democratic society should have the option of voting for the SDLP and the SDLP have an obligation to offer these people an alternative nationalist mandate. Whether the SDLP get the seat or not is irrelevant but thse non-SF nationalists have a right to vote and as long as there exsists people within FST who want to vote for the SDLP then they should be provided the oppurtunity to do so.

Fair comments, there should always be an alternative party that nationalists can vote for. Try explaining that to some of the knuckleheads on here though.

[EC Unique]

Will they accept this or can we expect some sort of legal challenge?

[haranguerer]

Will they accept this or can we expect some sort of legal challenge?

Just checked, paddy hasnt paid me yet, so he thinks so 

Hilarious seeing McNarry saying how reassuring it was to see democacy working, when he thought Connors had won...

[trileacman]

Will they accept this or can we expect some sort of legal challenge?

I expect one but everyone knows it will fail including Connor and Foster. I just hope there were no underhand tactics by SF ( i.e. missing/extra votes) that could undermine the result. However SF are far too tuned in to risk such a humilating story over the head of an unimportant seat to them. They wouldn't have been at that craic this weather so FST is safe.

[tyroneboi]

As for Margaret Richie, you said you wanted the people of F/ST to speak. Well I hope you're listening, they spoke with a very loud voice yesterday.

Yes they did and I'm sure Ritchie will take this on board. Ritchie offered the people of FST a choice, there's nothing wrong with that. Unionists ruled this province for the guts of 60 years because the ideals of democracy were not upheld or provided to the nationalist people, I won't hold anything against Maragret for giving them a choice.

There was/is alot of finger-pointing and gloating being directed at the SDLP and some people would do well to consider one thing. There are people in FST who will never vote SF. They have various reasons which are completely unarguable and sound. These people in a fair, just and democratic society should have the option of voting for the SDLP and the SDLP have an obligation to offer these people an alternative nationalist mandate. Whether the SDLP get the seat or not is irrelevant but thse non-SF nationalists have a right to vote and as long as there exsists people within FST who want to vote for the SDLP then they should be provided the oppurtunity to do so.

Well said Trileacman.

[Maguire01]

Yes, well said.

Firstly, well done to Michelle on a very impressive victory.
However, they say there's one thing worse than a bad loser and that's a bad winner. SF should be delighted that they won in FST without a pact. The voters were given a choice and they elected their candidate - that's democracy. I had said all along that the SDLP were not denying anyone, that the electorate would decide - and they did. The voters of FST knew the score and voted accordingly; it's reasonable to assume that SF were not getting those other 3,700 SDLP votes regardless.

Some of the SF supporters on here show a real lack of respect for alternative political opinion. They preach equality, talk about an Ireland for everyone and how to engage with Unionists, yet can't respect an alternative nationalist opinion. It's right that nationalists should have a choice - it's not a one size fits all.

The SDLP's vote held up and their 3 MPs comfortably returned. We've probably reached the levelling out of the SF and SDLP vote now. The dire warnings of the SDLP stance on pacts were unfounded. I think there needs to be a recognition that there is more than one colour of nationalism and that a choice between the two should be respected.

[The Worker]

Great election for nationalism.

unionism is on the ropes

[Myles Na G.]

The only thing that binds nationalists as a group together is the constitutional one. Since the GFA, that issue is now off the table in the short to medium term. The status of the north won't change without the consent of the majority of the people here and in the south - even the Shinners signed up to that - and that's not going to happen for 30 or 40 years. That being the case, voters can now consider other issues and on many of these the Shinners come up short. It is right that the SDLP stand in every constituency to give nationalists a proper choice.

[red hander]

Yeah, and you're such an expert on nationalism

[Myles Na G.]

Yeah, and you're such an expert on nationalism

Intelligent response. 

[Maguire01]

Connor "seeking legal advice" according to Newsline.