The Battle for Fermanagh and South Tyrone

[Master Yoda]

It shows how important every vote is! What was the turn out % in Fermanagh/South Tyrone

[gallsman]

How does someone win a first-past-the-post election with a minority?

A lot of them do. Most parliamentary candidates, certainly in the North, win a FPTP election with a minority of the votes cast.

Apologies, didn't think that one through. I thought NS was attempting to imply that the SDLP managed to win seats despite not having the largest share of the vote.

[qz]

well done Michelle ,& in particular to the tireless party workers who lobbied the big east european & portugese speaking community in Dungannon to come out & vote Sf.

[EC Unique]

Well done Michelle. Never let anyone say their vote does not count. Today shows that we all count.

[stibhan]

Apologies, didn't think that one through. I thought NS was attempting to imply that the SDLP managed to win seats despite not having the largest share of the vote.

It was poor phrasing on his part.

[gallsman]

Well done to Michelle Gildernew and rightly deserved. The people of Fermanagh South Tyrone are no mugs.
But please could everyone stop referring to the sdlp as a nationalist party - they are not and are a pro union party who take their seats in Westminster and have a 'leader' who constantly refers to the 6 counties as ' northern ireland' . Rant over .
But yee haa time !!!

Intelligent fellow.

Well Gallsman, the SDLP admitted as much themselves. Didn't they call themselves POST-NATIONALIST??? They have shown their true colours as always and the peoplehave, one again, shown them the middle finger in bigger numbers than ever!

They comfortably retained all three seats...Even Ritchie, who anyone with half a brain cell finds difficult to like had no bother winning.

With Reduced minorities. And the strategist brains in the SDLP still did foresee that their refusal to withdraw from Fermanagh/South Tyrone was a suicide attempt. HALVED THEIR VOTE  And they will further rue their decision come the assembly elections!

A reduced minority? How does someone win a first-past-the-post election with a minority?

SDLP vote halved? You think unionists are the only ones who know how to vote tactically?

Ah wud ye cheer up! You'd think you would be happy to see a nationalist take a nationalist seat! Oh wait, your obviously a stoop so maybe not

Cheer up? I'm happy for Gildernew. She fought off to unionist parties and did so deservedly. Why am I clearly as stoop? Because I refuse to believe the sun shine's out of every shinners arse?

[thegael]

Gallsman you don't know what you are !

[funtime frankie]

Nally, you're right. It was 3.00 am Foster and McNarry were very smug engaging in their self congratulations with Foster punching the air and McNarry crowing that the unionist family should, "rejoice" whilst waxing about the benefits of unionist unity.

Don't count yer chickens and all that craic.

[thegael]

Gallsman you probably pre Ruc reform supported the abolition of rule 21 in the gaa!

[AidyMac]

Fair played to Michelle and the team

Folks on the radio saying well done to Conors for getting so close having only entered the race late.

^^^Hardly the progressive opinion that is likely to make our protestant neighbouirs see eye to eye with us. Yes Unionism may be in  a state right now, but petty point scoring will do nothing but alienate them further. We are all on here bestowing our congratulations to Michelle, how about we take a leaf out of her book and extend the hand of friendship to our protestant neighbours.

As we will find out soon enough, there is an oppertunity for green and orange to unite in the same fights, and on two different battlefronts also.

I have no issue with anyone and well done Michelle and her team on a fantastic result.  What really annoyed me was the way that the radio were implying that if everyone came out to vote things might have been different.

[Nally Stand]

Nally, you're right. It was 3.00 am Foster and McNarry were very smug engaging in their self congratulations with Foster punching the air and McNarry crowing that the unionist family should, "rejoice" whilst waxing about the benefits of unionist unity.

Don't count yer chickens and all that craic.

She wasn't long getting from the studio in Belfast to the Leisure Centre in Omagh. I don't know what precise time she arrived at but exactly 1hr 10mins after punching the air in the studio, we were told she was already in the Leisure Centre. I'm sure the speed cameras got her anyway

[armaghniac]

And they will further rue their decision come the assembly elections!

Quite a few people will vote differently in the assembly elections. SDLP voters voted for Long, Hermon and Gildernew, but will vote for SDLP candidates in Assembly and council elections, just as SF voters in South Belfast will vote SF rather than SDLP.

well done Michelle ,& in particular to the tireless party workers who lobbied the big east european & portugese speaking community in Dungannon to come out & vote Sf.

Tireless they may be, but perhaps they should have been aware that EU citizens generally cannot vote in Westminster elections, so unless they got them a local passport they wouldn't be much help.

[gallsman]

Thegael, if I don't know what I am, you certainly don't. However, I'd say I could make a stab at figuring out what you are. I'd be tempted to throw you in with pals of mine on this board like ross4life.

[Final Whistle]

Fair played to Michelle and the team

Folks on the radio saying well done to Conors for getting so close having only entered the race late.

^^^Hardly the progressive opinion that is likely to make our protestant neighbouirs see eye to eye with us. Yes Unionism may be in  a state right now, but petty point scoring will do nothing but alienate them further. We are all on here bestowing our congratulations to Michelle, how about we take a leaf out of her book and extend the hand of friendship to our protestant neighbours.

As we will find out soon enough, there is an oppertunity for green and orange to unite in the same fights, and on two different battlefronts also.

I have no issue with anyone and well done Michelle and her team on a fantastic result.  What really annoyed me was the way that the radio were implying that if everyone came out to vote things might have been different.

Aideymac-you seem to have dropped part of your original post, why?

[Rois]

And they will further rue their decision come the assembly elections!

Quite a few people will vote differently in the assembly elections. SDLP voters voted for Long, Hermon and Gildernew, but will vote for SDLP candidates in Assembly and council elections, just as SF voters in South Belfast will vote SF rather than SDLP.

Agreed - my number 1 in the assembly elections will probably not match where I put my X yesterday.