Sinn Fein's Chrissie McAuley and Marie Moore have also been deselected, although that could be overturned by the leadership. Same with Carmel Hanna (SDLP).

SF's Alex Maskey and Fra McCann might leave the Dome of Delight to become full time folks on the hill if the Assembly gets back. Ditto the SDLP's Alban Maginnis, Alex Attwood and the DUP's Sammy Wilson and Nigel Dodds, who could both be MPs this time next summer.

SF's Eoin O Broin is already gone to concentrate on EU matters, while Rev Eric Smyth of the DUP could go, depending on when God makes up his mind.

Source: http://www.irishnews.com/access/daily/current.asp?SID=473844

Is Eric Smyth ill , or was that a jest ?

whoops, was supposed to be
" Is Eric Smyth ill , or was that a jest ? ;) "

Didn't Eric Smyth quit politics for a while, saying that God told him to??

I think this is what is being referred to, rather than his (not so) iminent death.

Nigel Dodds is already an MP.

Dodds is already an MP

It stretches credulity when Joe O'Donnell says he was vindicated. When, and by whom? He first defended the idea of building town houses in his garden as his contribution to the housing problem; he claimed to be planning to give a site to an unidentified housing association; when the Housing Executive took action he withdrew his planning application without explanation. There is no reason to believe he did anything improper, but he certainly did something politically stupid, and Sinn Fein doesn't forgive stupid. Imagine Joe canvassing next time out and answering questions on the doorstep about housing.

The SDLP are making big inroads into the Short Strand

Renegade.

``The SDLP are making big inroads into the Short Strand.''

Interesting. Go on.

Renegade

I would also be interested to know what inroads the SDLP are making in the Short Strand

Ricardo

Re: Eric Smyth - correct. My wee joke was about when God would make his mind up about when Eric should stand down. He's already changed his mind one, so I'm having doubts about his infallability even as I write.

carlosblancos

That's why I said 'both'.

I wonder if the Council gets a few changes, maybe some younger councillors, will it improve the climate in City Hall?

Gonzo

While the bringing in 'new blood' will be repeated ad nauseam as changes, voluntary or not, occur.. it doesn't exactly square for SF with Eoin O Broin stepping out of the elected representative role as well.

And did you hear Joe O'Donnell saying on the radio that his decision was part of SF's plan of "building for the future".. ouch!

Interesting that the SF website carries a Mitchell McLaughlin special on Cllr Joe. Was he pushed ?

as a 14 - just tried one of the new kit Kats -
editions, Orange - 10/10!

Davros

The last time Mitchel was wheeled out to commemorate a councillor, or other elected rep, who had fallen on his sword for the 'sake of the party' was when John Kelly 'stepped down'.... hmmm.

Exactly Pete :)

"The SDLP are making big inroads into the Short Strand"

Surely you are indulging in satire, Renegade. 'Inroads' for the SDLP to that area would constitute finding it on a map.

Were an SDLP figure to publicly state this would be up there with Attwood's claim the day before the 2001 westminster election that west Belfast was up for grabs- he lost by 20,000!

The SDLP are not making any inroads in the Shortstrand. Infact I think you will find come next May that O'Donnells IRA seat will go to the DUP thus giving Unionists again control of our capital city.

The Shortstrand and Lower Ormeau have been decimated by new developments. A lot of Unionists now live there. The papists cannot afford the new housing so those commnities thankfully are being broken up.

Next May the Papist flag will be kicked out of the City Hall.

God Save The Queen.

"While the bringing in 'new blood' will be repeated ad nauseam as changes, voluntary or not, occur.. it doesn't exactly square for SF with Eoin O Broin stepping out of the elected representative role as well."

O Broin swapped the backwater of City Hall to co ordinate the work of the two SF Euro MP's. Perfectly understandable to want one of their most able people to undertake such a job.

Yes, Pat, taking an internal party promotion can be seen as one of the voluntary methods.. but still doesn't work as 'bringing in new blood' - he was the new blood.

Anyway, tell us, did Joe O'Donnell fall on his sword.. or was he pushed?

Peteb

I'd guess he was pushed.

I'd say he was'nt pushed peteb.
I'd say it came as a shock to many in Sinn Fein.

But this would be a chance for new blood, wouldn't it?

It's good that SF will have young fresh new faces.
They have a lot of able people in the lower and mid range of the party - and few of them will provoke the same antagonism as some of their current people.
And I don't mean that unpleasantly. The same will apply to the DUP when Paisley and some other DUP figures (who are also 'contaminated'with events in the past ) aren't there.

"The same will apply to the DUP when Paisley and some other DUP figures (who are also 'contaminated'with events in the past ) aren't there."

Dont count on it Davros
Chris Stalford still brands republicians of my generation as terrorists and IRA men.

Don't ruin my evening cg ;) The thought of future generations of the DUP being like this one is too hard to bear!

I actually quite like Christopher. Queens is much quietier without him this year.

not another student!!!!!

Whats wrong with students davros?

Do I have to tell you ? ;)

p.s. I'm one as well.

What are you studying Davros. You seem like a fenian double kind of guy.

Just in case anyone believes i'm being bigoted in my last post fenian double means history and politics.

Fenian double ? That sounds interesting:)
What are you in for ?

At the moment Cultural Jargonography as I like to call it. Museums, monuments etc . Spent last night reading about , among other things, gendering of space and the Robben Island Museum , which is why I'm interested in developments at the Maze and the remembrance debate.

The RIM site is fantastic. One of the best sites I have seen. I dipped into this and dipped out sharpish!

and now I'm off to watch Spotlight!
Cheers.

"I dipped into this and dipped out sharpish!"
I dont blame you. I'm doing law and politics.
It has it's uses.
As my granda used to say "How can you expect to buck the system if you dont know how it works"

"law and politics"
DUP double ? ;)

Theology, surely?

That's a 'Paisley' ? ;)

Lawyers should be banned from Parliament on grounds of conflict of interest!

“Law and politics"
DUP double? ;)

Actually a sizeable majority at Queens are of the Nationalist/Republican persuasion.

Actually a sizeable majority at Queens are of the Nationalist/Republican persuasion.

Even worse cg, I understand they even allow women to study there these days. The rot started when we gave them the vote - No wonder the world has gone to the dogs ;)

Davros,now On The Run.

Davros

for a comment like that you deserve to be on the run.

"Actually a sizeable majority at Queens are of the Nationalist/Republican persuasion."

I Actually ment those studying law but your assertion is also correct.

The devil made me do it cg!

and speaking of which...

Bell on Colin Powell's resignation

Oh, and I meant giving women the vote, not nationalists and republicans ...does that help ? ;)

" Actually a sizeable majority at Queens are of the Nationalist/Republican persuasion.

I Actually ment those studying law but your assertion is also correct"

Conclude entirely

Did the course myself and found it to be a shitter
of blood, sweat and tears but got through it by sheer perseverance.

What year are ye?

" Actually a sizeable majority at Queens are of the Nationalist/Republican persuasion.

I Actually ment those studying law but your assertion is also correct"

Conclude entirely

Did the course myself and found it to be a shitter
of blood, sweat and tears but got through it by sheer perseverance.

What year are ye?

Oops, humble apologies

2nd Year

"and speaking of which...

Bell on Colin Powell's resignation"

So much for the moderating influence of Tony Blair.

When this is over he may wish he was found in the same hole with Saddam.

Admittedly it’s been a few years and I’m not sure if the course is structured differently now but we did crim law in the first semester of 2nd yr.

Have you done the intricacies of Caldwell and Cunningham recklessness yet?.

It's back in the news .....

Executive poised to take house plan battle to court
By David Gordon
14 February 2005
The Housing Executive was poised to take a court injunction against Belfast's Deputy Lord Mayor over his bid for a property development in his back garden, it can be revealed today.
Sinn Fein councillor Joe O'Donnell landed himself in controversy last year, with a plan for three new townhouses on land he bought from the Executive on condition it became part of his garden.
Internal Housing Executive papers, released under freedom of information legislation, have now revealed the body's determination to halt Mr O'Donnell's proposal.
One of the disclosed documents states that the Executive wrote to the councillor's solicitors "and put them on notice that, if development was commenced, we would issue an injunction to have development stopped".
Mr O'Donnell bought the small stretch of land behind his home from the Executive for £1,000.
The deal included a covenant restricting the use of the plot to a garden extension.
Permission for three new homes would have dramatically increased the value of the site.
But the Sinn Fein councillor denied trying to profit from his scheme.
He said he would have donated the land to a housing association if planning permission had been granted.
The Department of the Environment issued a preliminary refusal for the application and it was withdrawn by Mr O'Donnell.
The Deputy Lord Mayor was heavily criticised in a Belfast City Council debate, at which all parties but Sinn Fein backed a DUP resolution calling for a Government investigation.
The Executive papers on the case were issued to the Belfast Telegraph after a request was made under the Freedom of Information Act, which took effect at the beginning of this year.
Mr O'Donnell's chief critic in the saga, DUP councillor Sammy Wilson, today welcomed the content of the documentation.
"I'm glad to see that the Executive was prepared to take this degree of action and go for a court injunction," he said.
"It shows how serious this matter was, despite Sinn Fein's attempts to play it down."
But Mr O'Donnell said: "The situation is over and closed. The application is withdrawn and it's not going in again, so end of story."
It was revealed some months after the controversy that the veteran Sinn Fein councillor would not be standing in this year's forthcoming local government elections.
He denied that the decision was in any way linked to the row over his planning application.

Link fixed A.U.