The DUP refusing to let Sinn Fein have First Minister means a December Assembly Election. Will the numbers change in a fresh Election?
What parties seats are vulnerable or who might make gains in any constituencies ??
If you can contradict the below with evidence and back-up, please do.
50 years of rule by one party, facilitated by changing the voting system, gerrymandering of constituencies and depriving certain citizens of their vote makes it a controlled one party state where (as John Hume said) they had 'exclusive power'.
If you can't, my point stands.
Conversation is over on this, if you will not address the above facts.
So are you saying the other parties in the elections were not parties? In the Border Poll referendum in 1973, do you not accept the majority of the population - not just electorate - were unionists?
N.B. I will agree with you the unionists should have run the place more fairly before '73, and that N.I was a "cold house for Catholics" as Trimble (I think it was) admitted.
North Korea is another way to run a one party state. There are many ways.
Protestants are not against the Irish language, nor are those 'loyal to their country', belligerent insecure Unionists are opposed to it though. Here's some research that shows that.
Stop aiding in the quest to make this a sectarian issue, it isn't.
No, if you want the perfect way to run a one part state, look at North Korea, the country you likened N. Ireland to in terms of having a one party state.
May I remind you, as I pointed out before, in North Korea, , there is only one name on the ballot paper. Those who want to vote against the sole candidate on the ballot must go to a special booth—in the presence of an electoral official—to cross out the candidate's name before dropping it into the ballot box—an act which, according to many North Korean defectors, is far too risky to even contemplate. All seats are won by the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea. Voting is mandatory and turnout is habitually near 100%. (99.98% in 2019).
In the border Poll referendum in 1973, everyone had the same vote. No gerrymandering, depriving anyone of the vote etc in that referendum. And yet it was a landslide win for those who wanted to remain part of the union. Even if those who did not vote had voted to leave the UK, they would still not have won the referendum, because unionists made up the majority of NI then. Same as nationalists made up the majority in the "free state" or 26 counties or whatever you want to call it. That is a lot better democracy than N.Korea anyway.
Before '73, in Northern Ireland poor protestants ( and there were plenty of those too ) had only the same voting rights as poor catholics. The rest of the world was not perfect in the 20th century either. Women only got the vote in France in the 1940s. Black people (including black women) were effectively denied voting rights in numerous Southern states until 1965. I still think that democracy, freedom of travel etc in these islands is very far ahead of North Korea, and was in the 20th century too. You claim NI was a "one party state" ; but people in the jurisdiction were free to move to other parts of the UK or Ireland is they so wished, and were free to vote for other parties in NI if they so wished. Other parties got double digit votes ( ie more than 10%) in elections in NI. Be thankful you never lived in N. Korea, then you would know what a real one party state was.
50 years of rule by one party, facilitated by changing the voting system, gerrymandering of constituencies and depriving certain citizens of their vote.
'Not perfect'?
I would say that is the perfect way to run a one party state myself.
Can you deny that this was the reality in NI?
Says you who is always peddling the 1960 version of Northern Ireland, as if every other place in the world was perfect then. An exaggerated, very biased version of Northern Ireland. You think (and I quote you ) " NI was a one party state in the opinion of all but a few ouliers who cannot face the facts. Other examples of one party states are North Korea, Erithrea, China etc". Enough said.
Arlene Foster is not a member, you were wrong again Francie. Anyone can edit Wiki, and there are hundreds of edits on her Wiki page. I would say she would not be bothered correcting the wiki page about such a non-matter, as Republicans say worse things to / about her the whole time. For example, not that long ago at a public function, a young woman came up to her and said in her face "UP THE RA" or words to that effect. Charming, considering that when she was a young girl she witnessed a night-time attempt the IRA made to kill her father, who was shot and severely injured at their family farm. Years later, as a teenager, the IRA bombed her school bus. A girl sitting near her was seriously injured.
She left the UUP (which she joined when she was in Uni ) and joined the DUP because she didn't agree with the then leader of the UUP, David Trimble, I seem to remember. People leave one party and join another the whole time Francie, after all Mary Lou was once in Fianna Fail before joining SF I believe.
You are dragging the bottom of the barrel by stating "she has more than adequately shown she has all the qualifications to be a member." Who cares? I would not simply criticise some just because they may have more than adequately shown they have all the qualifications to be a member of Opus Dei or the Ancient Order of Hibernians or Sinn Fein.
She has had the power to edit it and hasn't. She clearly doesn't mind being associated with it.
The OO were vehemently against the GFA and still is, her membership led her to leave the UUP. Seems fairly straightforward.
p.s It's you who doesn't have any evidence by the way. Your conveinient friend doesn;t count.
Plus, I couldn't care less if she is or she isn't a member, she has more than adequately shown she has all the qualifications to be a member.
This is wrong on so many counts.
1) why would anyone need to be a member of the orange order to be invited to lead a parade?
2) why would Arlene bother getting involved in correcting a Wikipedia page about such a non issue?
3) “As a committed member of the Order, this was a reason behind the original defection from the UUP ten years ago.” This is the silliest. I understand that in the DUPs 50 year history it has only had a current member of the OO leading the party in the last 2 years - that’s 96% of its life it’s leaders were not members of the OO. In contrast I reckon the UUP is approx the opposite - so have a wee think just how silly this post of yours is. (I am always here to learn so if you have evidence to the contrary please share it francie)
It has always said what it says and she has the power to change it. She hasn't.
It trumps 'your friend' in fairness.
In May 2018, she announced she would be leading an Orange Order march in Fife, Scotland. As a committed member of the Order, this was a reason behind the original defection from the UUP ten years ago.
You are not seriously going to try and take the high moral ground on 'territory marking'?
The signage also has English on them, of equal size, in all cases.
It is Unionist strategy to ensure that areas without legal and agreed signage are 'their areas' (See Francis above actually saying this) and 'Protestant villages'.
I have no problem with anyone having an Irish passport, but when Arlene says she doesn’t then i believe her.
obviously some recent posters here don’t think like you and me, and project all sorts of conclusions on unionists who dare to hold an Irish passport
Ordinary moderate Unionists don't vandalise signs or deny cultural rights or the fact that this is Ireland with a culture history and heritage that includes their own.
I thought you had a policy of no condemning.
This is the inevitable escalation of the use of signage to mark territory.
signage is the worst possible way for engendering a respect for Irish. The irony is that very extreme unionists who detest Irish language absolutely love it when Irish signs are imposed. It’s doing their work for them
But whats wrong with any of them having an Irish Passport? If they did I mean.
Plenty of British people have an Irish Passport.
It really doesnt need to be one Passport of the other
Sure you define ordinary moderate unionists for us! I could also say that ordinary moderate republicans wouldn’t vote for convicted terrorists
Seth I think you may be being blinded here by whatever it was you told the other poster was blinding them.
it is no time since numbers on here were saying Arlene was a member of the orange order. I was lambasted for saying nonsense. I made direct contact through a friend and I’m assured Arlene is not and never was a member of the Orange. Here we go again claiming she has an Irish passport. I believe her. Now can some provide evidence of this claim and I will immediately retract.
wikipedia is not enough as the last time I looked it was saying she was in the orange. It’s difficult to debate when an anonymous twitterati is accepted over a respectable public figure. Sure let’s not let facts get in the way of a good story.
How pitiful is the 'two wrongs make a right' response?
My partner and children are Protestants, I condemn that behaviour.
Francie I don’t have to trawl the internet. This is this month a couple of miles from my house. They don’t want a prod about the place
I didnt say represents all. I said inclusive to all. i.e. it excludes no one.
Just read what you wrote again. “Biligual signage is inclusive for all”. It’s a tad arrogant to think that two languages represent ALL
Ordinary moderate Unionists are not attacking bi-lingual signs.
The type of people who burn effigies of Irish people on bonfires, supported by DUP/TUV councillors, are the ones removing/damaging these signs.
You say "As for Irish being mandatory in the Republic - this is because it is the first official language of the country with English being the second official language. I'm not sure if you know this." I know it only too well as it was forced down my neck, and many other necks, for 13 or 14 years of school. And it was the case universities like UCC, UCG, UCD etc would not accept applicants from Ireland who did not pass Irish in the leaving cert, and there was institutional discrimination against non Irish language speakers in government jobs too etc.
ok - so reading through this, are you referring to the past and, if so, why?
For reference, my wife never did Irish but still managed to attend university here.
You claim Adams was correct in that unionism is intolerant towards others (Catholics, gays, etc.) - maybe the leadership of the DUP may be intolerant but any everyday unionists I ever met were not, they were ordinary people getting on with their lives. Perhaps any jewish people in N.I. would say the unionists are more tolerant of them than nationalists. Of course you get extremists on both sides of the sectarian divide in N.I.
Anyone who supports these a party that supports intolerance is supporting intolerance. Is that not obvious?
How many people support the KKK for their prudent fiscal policies?
I'm reading on twitter that various unionists including prominent DUP members have been quietly using their Irish passport while travelling. Based on passenger manifests released by other countries, people have discovered that these unionists have been quietly keeping an Irish identity.
I'm in no way against them holding an Irish passport as it is their right as residents of NI. However, it does seem hypocritical of them to proudly proclaim their Britishness and deny any semblance of Irishness to their followers but at the same quietly using the identity because internationally it is widely welcomed.
Even Arlene was caught lying about hers apparently...
All councils were required to have a 'policy' on dual and multi lingual signage. Here is the relevant section from the Derry/Strabane council's policy document posted earlier.
The Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act 2022 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom providing "official recognition of the status of the Irish language" in Northern Ireland, with Ulster Scots being an officially recognised minority language. Where does this Irish language act say there will be signs with "Failte go..." being the first thing you see entering a predominately Protestant village in Co. Down?
However, the advancement of the Irish language does have a mandate and was signed up to by both governments and parties including the DUP.
Yes, they agreed to legisaltion in the New Decade New Approach agreement.
Annex E: Rights, language and identity
And still we have people condoning and excusing what happened in Tobermore.
