Excellent Win for SDLP Mgt Ritchie

FlutterinBantam

Wow...

Looks like the ornithologists amongst the electorate were marked absent when Mgt. Ritchie was swept in to the South Down seat.

Talk about birds coming home to roost!!:cool:

dlofnep

South Down has always been a SDLP stronghold. What exactly is surprising about her win?

FlutterinBantam

Erm... well the fact that she beat out an incumbent minister for a start.

dlofnep

That doesn't answer my question. South Down has always been a stronghold for SDLP. The last time they lost an election there was 1986.

So what exactly is surprising?

FlutterinBantam

erm.. the fact that an incumbent minister was totally tonked and swept off the boards.


Do you want me to put it any stronger?:rolleyes:

LordSutch

. . . . And the fact that she beat the unpalatable Catriona Ruane

dlofnep

Hm..... nope.

The SDLP haven't lost an election in South Down since 1986.

FTR: Ruane ran in 2005 also, and took a similar level of votes. Infact, she was up 1.7% this time around.

The fact that the SDLP won was not a surprise. At least for those who are educated about the electorate. Nobody was expecting the SDLP to lose their seat there, and as such - it's not a big shock.. hardly breaking news.

FlutterinBantam

No kiddin':eek:

An incumbent Minister who tried to dismantle the Edu system and who has a history of South American travel?

Might not have been a big story for you, but sure as hell was for me!

dlofnep

Also, on a broader scale of things - If anything, Ritchie has done more harm than good to the SDLP. She has continued their trend of moving into obscurity. The party is down from 17.5% to 16.5% from the 2005 elections, while Sinn Féin have moved up from 24.3 to 25.5%.

Great work Ms. Ritchie.

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

An incumbent Minister who tried to dismantle the Edu system and... [irrelevant red herring]

But yet her votes were up 1.7%. Go figure. :rolleyes:

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Might not have been a big story for you, but sure as hell was for me!

Well, it wasn't. The SDLP held a seat they were expected to hold. It's like when Man United win the premiership. You're just like "Yeah.... United won, who cares?"

FlutterinBantam

Cattie would hardly go 3 sets at this stage would she?

dlofnep

Up 1.7% from the last elections, pulling 28.7% of the votes. I don't see why she shouldn't if there is electoral support for her.

To be honest - the only big surprise about the south Down constituency was the drop in 7.6% for the DUP. That was huge.

DoireNod

Who the hell is 'Mgt. Ritchie'? If you're going to praise the woman for what was an expected victory, at least have the decency to write her name correctly.

FlutterinBantam

DoireNod wrote: »

Who the hell is 'Mgt. Ritchie'? If you're going to praise the woman for what was an expected victory, at least have the decency to write her name correctly.

What exactly do you have a problem with.?

snow ghost

As someone with no political allegiance to any party in the North, I have to say that I don't think her victory was anything great. Also she comes across as a very bad communicator and a poor leader.

dlofnep

I can't say I'm as unbiased as snow ghost, but I wasn't all that impressed with her TV debate either. She seemed very scripted - and it cost the SDLP, as evident by their loss in votes.

FlutterinBantam

Ok .. thats an honest comment.

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/south-down-election-results-18852005-14756851.html

That's a log of all the election results for South Down over the years. Might be worth a look over.

Mayo Exile

I think a more accurate gauge of Caitriona Ruane's performance as a minister will be in the next Assembly elections, due next Spring I believe. As dlofnep says the SDLP/SF share of vote has shifted little in South Down in the last number of Westminster elections. Little to be excited about here.........

DoireNod

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

What exactly do you have a problem with.?

I've stated explicitly what I had a problem with.

LordSutch

Admittedly Mrs Richie hasn't got Statesman like qualities, but I admire her for standing up to the Shinners, and refusing to do what they tell her to do! > And who the **ck does Adams think he is anyway? TELLING her that he is furious because she didn't make an electoral pact with SF in Fermanagh South Tyrone :mad: He needs to get a cop on & stop behaving like he owns the SDLP.

FlutterinBantam

I happen to know the dude who got 152 votes for the Commies Marxist Lennonist in 1974'

:eek:

FlutterinBantam

DoireNod wrote: »

I've stated explicitly what I had a problem with.

Did you... sorry, don't understand your problem.

Apologies.

karma_

Mayo Exile wrote: »

I think a more accurate gauge of Caitriona Ruane's performance as a minister will be in the next Assembly elections, due next Spring I believe. As dlofnep says the SDLP/SF share of vote has shifted little in South Down in the last number of Westminster elections. Little to be excited about here.........

Indeed. Well done to the OP for demonstrating his complete ignorance about NI politics ...again.

FlutterinBantam

karma_ wrote: »

Indeed. Well done to the OP for demonstrating his complete ignorance about NI politics ...again.

heh heh.. I hear Cattie is dusting out the auld Maxply.

Entered in the Colombian Open Veterans I hear.:D

snow ghost

Camelot wrote: »

Admittedly Mrs Richie hasn't got stateseman like qualities, but I admire her for standing up to the Shinners, and refusing to do what they tell her to do! > And who the **ck does Adams think he is anyway? TELLING her that he is furious because she didn't make an electoral pact with SF in Fermanagh South Tyrone :mad: He needs to get a cop on & stop behaving like he owns the SDLP.

I think she played right into the shinners' hands. The Unionist parties, and Orange Order, had already set the ground work to make the Fermanagh ST constituency a sectarian head count by putting up a joint candidate, so the SDLP's claim of staying out of making it a sectarian issue came across as not genuine and somewhat contrived. Many SDLP voters there obviously agreed and didn't want to have their constituency manipulated in this way. The SDLP should have considered that, instead they came across as being more interested in outdoing their nationalist rivals above the needs of their voters there.

That's how it appeared down here to me anyway.

karma_

snow ghost wrote: »

As someone with no political allegiance to any party in the North, I have to say that I don't think her victory was anything great. Also she comes across as a very bad communicator and a poor leader.

I have to agree with this. The SDLP have no one to blame but themselves for their slipping in the polls. Ever since John Hume retired it just has not been the same party. I was always an SDLP voter, now I just don't bother as in Ulster Mid there is no way the SDLP could ever overcome the SF votes.

At the very least SF go door to door to every single household. I haven't seen an SDLP canvasser in years.

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

heh heh.. I hear Cattie is dusting out the auld Maxply.

Entered in the Colombian Open Veterans I hear.:D

Make sense, this does not.

?

FlutterinBantam

karma_ wrote: »

I

At the very least SF go door to door to every single household. I haven't seen an SDLP canvasser in years.

They will do that till the cows come home.

FlutterinBantam

dlofnep wrote: »

Make sense, this does not.

?

You need to think outside the box.;)

karma_

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

They will do that till the cows come home.

Seriously, what does this even mean? And what is the point you're trying to make?

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

You need to think outside the box.;)

No, believe me - I was trying.. I genuinely don't understand what you said.

FlutterinBantam

dlofnep wrote: »

No, believe me - I was trying.. I genuinely don't understand what you said.

I'll leave it with you for a few days.... ....

snow ghost

karma_ wrote: »

I have to agree with this. The SDLP have no one to blame but themselves for their slipping in the polls. Ever since John Hume retired it just has not been the same party.

Couldn't agree more, they appear in desperate need of a leader and leadership.

Margarets Rtchie's victory speech was terrible.

A Dub in Glasgo

Looks like the OP was trying to be big and clever when actual fact, the seat was never ever in doubt therefore no surprise at all. The only surprise here is the surprise expressed by the OP in an SDLP win in South Down.

Mayo Exile

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

I'll leave it with you for a few days.... ....

Ruane is a former tennis player who represented Ireland in the Fed Cup. Erm..... I dont see much of a collection for the Col 3 at a tennis match....

Bottle_of_Smoke

Does this site have an ignore poster function?

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

I'll leave it with you for a few days.... ....

Grand so, I'll get back to you on it.

Mayo Exile

dlofnep wrote: »

Grand so, I'll get back to you on it.

See post #36. Its related to post #25. There's your answer me thinks.

Link to Wiki article on Caitriona Ruane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caitr%C3%ADona_Ruane

See history section about her tennis career.

Bottle_of_Smoke wrote: »

Does this site have an ignore poster function?

See post #25.

Nodin

karma_ wrote: »

Seriously, what does this even mean? And what is the point you're trying to make?

I'd like to explain, but as I have no clue either.....

FlutterinBantam

Looks like the auld cotton wool has suddenly risen to the 'brains' of these so called experts!:D

Nodin

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Looks like the auld cotton wool has suddenly risen to the 'brains' of these so called experts!:D

Nobody here has claimed to be an expert in deciphering your vague remarks. I believe the forum charter forbids me to air my view on the intent behind them, or your last post.

FlutterinBantam

Nodin wrote: »

Nobody here has claimed to be an expert in deciphering your vague remarks. I believe the forum charter forbids me to air my view on the intent behind them, or your last post.

Hiding behind the 'Forum Charter' eh?

You can produce all the back ups you like and all the links:D

Ms. Birdwatcher Colombia got roundly whapped and whether you like it or not, proves the electorate in South Down know their doves from their hawks:cool:

dlofnep

Ah - his true intentions come out. This wasn't really a thread to praise Margaret Ritchie's (completely expected) win, now was it? You're as predictable as Saharan weather, and your humour is about as dry.

steelcityblues

Ritchie is going to be their worst ever leader I fear!

and this is from someone who respects the history of SDLP.

snow ghost

steelcityblues wrote: »

Ritchie is going to be their worst ever leader I fear!

and this is from someone who respects the history of SDLP.

They'd be better off with Nicole Ritchie.

Nodin

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Hiding behind the 'Forum Charter' eh?

You can produce all the back ups you like and all the links:D

Ms. Birdwatcher Colombia got roundly whapped and whether you like it or not, proves the electorate in South Down know their doves from their hawks:cool:

So this thread was just a (remarkably bad) attempt to 'wind up the shinners'? Well what a shock.

Mayo Exile

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Ms. Birdwatcher Colombia got roundly whapped and whether you like it or not, proves the electorate in South Down know their doves from their hawks:cool:

Proves?????????

How do you know that there are seemingly higher numbers of ornithologists in South Down than in other areas? Do you have access to the number of RSPB members that live there?

As I've said before, Caitriona Ruane's performance as Education Minister will probably be reflected on in the next Assembly elections. As she is an MLA, and was selected as a minister because of being one, people will probably judge her then.

Jaap

Well done to Margaret Richie indeed...not always easy taking over from someone who has had the post for as long as Eddie McGrady...but she won her seat at a canter!!!
She was up against Caitriona Ruane from Sinn Fein...the worst politician in Northern Ireland...but you still have to have people come out and vote for you!!!

FlutterinBantam

Cattie could run in Bogota Central, she has the residency time there, I would suspect.

Can't understand the level of bitterness in here,well done Mgt..

dlofnep

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Can't understand the level of bitterness in here,well done Mgt..

Who's bitter?

We just pointed out to you that SDLP winning a seat in South-Down isn't surprising. You seem to be under the impression that it is. How this thread has even gone on 4 pages is beyond me.