Why should unionists vote for a man who emails Mark Durkan telling him how he wants to be an SDLP MLA and an SDLP MP!

He is attempting to fraudulently get unionist votes before using those votes to join a nationalist party.

WTV, he got negliable Unionist votes in the assembly elections, I doubt very seriously he's going to get many more here.

Deeney has made a mess of this - his political career isn't going to last very long if he tries to be all things to all people. Since his election, his career has smacked of self-promotion, and his strategy so far in this election has confirmed this. Looks like Doherty is home and dry already.

Sam
He didnt get a massive amount of unionist votes, what he did get were mainly at the expense of the UUP. However, there were a few unionists on the ground giving the unionist parties a wee bit of a hard time for not stepping down in favour of him - there was the possibility that he could have got more unionist votes this time.

It also annoys me how he tries to play himself as a wonderful cross community candidate yet talks about wanting to see "a resurgance" of the SDLP and how he'd like to join them.

Also, I know quite a few of his canvassers/workers are unionists.

The single issue Deeney was elected as an MLA on is lost but he just can't let go of the spotlight. A shameless self-promoter.

I know WTV, but currently unionists in West Tyrone are not likely to vote en-bloc to the tune of 31% for any candidate, let alone a Catholic doctor living in Carrickmore. And lets be fair 700 transfers from Deeny to unionists are a drop in the ocean as to what he'll need. I'll be very surprised if picks up as many votes as he did in '03, I'll also be surprised if anyone get within 10,000 votes of Doherty.

I know WTV, but currently unionists in West Tyrone are not likely to vote en-bloc to the tune of 31% for any candidate, let alone a Catholic doctor living in Carrickmore. And lets be fair 700 transfers from Deeny to unionists are a drop in the ocean as to what he'll need. I'll be very surprised if picks up as many votes as he did in '03, I'll also be surprised if anyone get within 10,000 votes of Doherty.

Just because he wants to see a resurgance in the SDLP doesn't mean he isn't cross-community. I'm a unionist and I'd like to see a resurgance in the SDLP (and UUP) just because I want to see that the reasonable people in this country are not extinct!

Beano
I would like to see a resurgance of the SDLP also - however, I dont think that the way to do that is to fool unionists into voting for a candidate who has recently u-turned on his single issue status by saying the he wouldn't speat at Westminster on things like flags, policing, the constitution etc.

While saying that he is courting the SDLP and blatently seeking a future career with them. It is downright deceit from a man who at the start said he would speak only on health ever.

If the man wants to climb the greasy poll with all the rest then fine - but at least be honest about it and not through secret emails to party leaders.

Beano

You seem quite reasoable to me. Why (without recourse to rhetoric, please) do you think SF voters are unreasonble?

Were the people who were SDLP voters but now vote SF previously reasonable, but have become unreasonable, or was there an unreasonable faction within the otherwise reasonable SDLP?

Are all SF voters unreasonable, or are some of them reasonable?

Deeny is Sinn Féin's ace card! Pat Doherty is sitting pretty

Eamo is spot on when he says that Deeney is SF's trump card - if you need evidence (beyond PD taking the seat with increased margin) have a look at Really Direland over the last week. There have been no fewer than THREE front pages dedicated to the 'fall-out' between SDLP and Deeney.

It's interesting enough ok, but front page news on three days? The strategy has been clear as a bell and has worked well. Just a shame that the SDLP has allowed Doherty to laugh at the whole debacle unchallenged, without a word about the SF Minister who made the decision on the hospital.

Did anybody notice that the hospital campaign itself has disappeared in the middle of all of this?? The Doctor himself is now the issue. Has he nominated yet??

alexanderite,
The unkind might suggest that the Hospital was only ever a means to an end for Dr Deeny. It may also be suggested that while he was very sincere at the start, he quickly realised that possibly neither he, nor anyone else could stop what was happening and in the mean time he got a taste for the political life and is now desperately seeking out a way of continuing that .

The hospital has been a means to the Doctor's end. Will it be the SDLP's end too?

"I'd like to see a resurgance in the SDLP (and UUP) just because I want to see that the reasonable people in this country are not extinct!"

DUP and SF supporters are decent people too! And who decides what is 'decent' Beano??

The most interesting aspect in West Tyrone now is not whether PD will get elected, but can Sinn Fein take control of Strabane and Omagh District Councils? While they need to take an addition 3 seats in Omagh District council this is a tall order, they will take an extra seat in Omagh, and possibly Mid Tyrone, an extra seat in 'West' Tyrone may illude them this time out. In Strabane, an extra seat will leave (which will be taken in Derg at the SDLP's expense) SF with half the seats on the council, the possibilty of an extra seat in Mourne still exists to leave SF with 9 out of 16 seats. It may be an election too soon but it should be well placed for 2009

Well it would have left them well placed if it wasn't for the councils being re-jigged before that

Should Deeney be associating himself with thesecriminals.

There is no room for criminals in govt Dec!!

George

Must look up 'decency' in the dictionary tonight when I get home. After I've finished laughing, of course.

"While saying that he is courting the SDLP and blatently seeking a future career with them. It is downright deceit from a man who at the start said he would speak only on health ever."

Dr. Deeney is using the people of West Tyrone and the hospital issue for his ego driven agenda. He has changed his language from Save the Hospital to Save acute services in recent days. The Hospital decision was finalised weeks ago- but it has been a long time coming. It goes right back to the Single European Act and the following years when member states signed on to privatisation of hospitals, school services etc etc. 1986 or thereabouts. Deeney is not responsible for the hospital closure, nor is Sinn Fein nor any of the parties. Centralisation and privatisation have been on the cards since the SEA.
Deeney is a wanton egomaniac- Durkan has accused him of further emails in which Deeney outined his joining the SDLP strategy. Even some PD voters who may have considered giving him a vote( and there are a few I know) will not take to Deeney's treachery too well.

"Must look up 'decency' in the dictionary tonight when I get home. After I've finished laughing, of course."

This only gets funnier and funnier.

Kitty
The decision on the Tyrone County Hospital was set in motion by Bairbre deBrun and the direct rule minister was simply putting into effect the plans laid by her.

Why else do you think Sinn Fein are so quiet that we are deafened by their silence on the hospital issue in West Tyrone.

Lets say it like it is: There is a bigger republican vote in West Tyrone and it was a safer bet for them in the 2001 Election. Michelle Gildernew needed the boost and therefore got it from the Sinn Fein Minister for health.

Given his ineptitude and all round arrogance in demanding others to stand down to ensure his election he should already be in the SDLP.

Kitty
The decision on the Tyrone County Hospital was set in motion by Bairbre deBrun and the direct rule minister was simply putting into effect the plans laid by her.

Why else do you think Sinn Fein are so quiet that we are deafened by their silence on the hospital issue in West Tyrone.

Lets say it like it is: There is a bigger republican vote in West Tyrone and it was a safer bet for them in the 2001 Election. Michelle Gildernew needed the boost and therefore got it from the Sinn Fein Minister for health.

WTV, there is a wee bit of truth to what you are saying but there is a much bigger picture. If you go and check out the details of the SEA, this centralisation and privitisation policy has been in the works since then. There is even Thatcher policy on the issue, and hospitals in Northern Ireland were slated for the chop since then.
The problem for Sinn fein began when they went to Carrickmore and promised to deliver on the hospital issue- created a lot of anger ( even in Carmen) and resulted in Deeney getting the vote he got( AND even in Carmen).Sinn Fein made a big mistake promising on something they probably knew they couldn't deliver on- as the policy as I have stated before was decided LONG BEFORE even the ceasefires, GFA, etc. etc.
If you look at what has happened to hospitals all over Northern Ireland and across the water in England, and study it from the late 80's onwards you will find that what I am saying is true.

"Michelle Gildernew needed the boost and therefore got it from the Sinn Fein Minister for health. "

In order for this to be completely true, I think, it is Dungannon hospital that SF would have been promising to save ( although it was well and truly gone by then anyway). The only part of Tyrone that matters to Gildernew is South Tyrone, and that is of course where Dungannon hospital comes in.
IN FACT, Gildernew had more to gain by the hospital being located, or newly planned in Enniskillen , as this of course is part of her constituency.

kitty:
The Doctor seems to have the active support of 3 of the SDLP candidates for Omagh DC: see photos in local press where they nominated separately from the party. How long has this been going on? Since Deeny won Joe Byrne's seat in the assembly elections in 2003, he must be pondering now about the enemy within...

Should Deeney be associating himself withthesecriminals ?
One could ask the same of a certain man from Donegal who wants to be elected in tyrone , the party he represents has quite a chequered past and more links with criminals than they would care to admit.

Dr Deeny's email to the SDLP was a bad mistake politically, although I understand where he was coming from.

At the outset, the SDLP was primarily social democratic and secondarily nationalist. Much like Alliance was primarily liberal and secondarily pro-union. Therefore social-democratic unionists still voted SDLP, and liberal nationalists still voted Alliance.

However the 'tribalization' of NI politics has seen the SDLP become 'green rather than red', and Alliance switch to a position of cross-community no-position-on-the-constitution.

What Dr Deeny meant, I think, was that if the SDLP returned to his roots as primarily social-democratic, he could see himself joining it. I know many SDLP supporters who would like to see that. However, he also clarified that under current leadership that couldn't happen.

This was a bad mistake for three reasons:
- the SDLP is hard-line Nationalist, it is frankly naive to believe it will ever seriously seek votes (other than for tactical reasons) from beyond the 'Catholic community';
- the tribal nature of NI politics simply dictates that you either don't affiliate, or you do, but you can't try both - that's just the reality;
- you just don't write such stuff down!!

I still have no doubt about Dr Deeny's cross-community credentials (in that he is doing his best on an issue that affects everyone equally), nor about his determination to focus on the issue at hand.

The fact is, however, that if we don't get the political process up and running his whole campaign is somewhat pointless.

I wish him and the process well!

And who decides what is 'decent' Beano??

Well, George T, apparently Tim Lemon and the lads at Cunninghame House decide...

It is better off for the North if Alliance is destroyed, I have no time for pro-union parties who haven't the balls to say they are pro-union.

Sinn Féin abu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

Dear Lord, the closer we are to the election the cockier the shinners are getting - what'll they be like after it ? ;) I dread to think LOL

I say Sinn Féin abu and I make no apologies for it Davros ;)

Sinn Féin are confident due to the work that has been done over the last 4 years.

No stoop can touch us!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the helpful contribution there, CG.

You've won me over. I'll join the cause immediately. Where do I sign?

Oh, and do I get a share of December's 'lottery win'?

Confident of electoral success, no doubt.

You'll find political success a little trickier.

Mind, one SF Cllr has wished me well and says she hopes Alliance at least retains all its seats. Your party's totally divided, Mr Gaskin! That boy Adams needs to get a grip...

Oh, and do I get a share of December's 'lottery win'?

now that's being cheeky Ian LOL

IJP

You can join at anytime, no problem ;)

I understand being Alliance is confusing but Sinn Féin is sympathetic ;)

As for a lottery, you don't join Sinn Féin for finicial reasons, come on the revolution!!!!!!!!!!

United Ireland, Here we come!!!!!!!!!!!!1 ;)

A little bit of history from the Irish News :

On This Day/September 25 1934 By Eamon Phoenix

Pensions banned by IRA
THE pension proposed by the Irish government for ex-IRA men is likely to provoke a great deal of dissention.
The Irish Republican Army Council has just issued an order that no members of that organisation should apply for pensions under the new Military Service Pensions Act.
The statement says: "Men did not enrol as members (of the 1919-1921 IRA) for personal gain or that they might be accorded privileges. They enrolled to assert and to defend the unity of the Republic of Ireland."
Meanwhile, the Free State government have received thousands of applications, a good many from the north.
A new split is thus imminent in IRA ranks.

"Your party's totally divided, Mr Gaskin!"

What a load of bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How so?

"United we stand, divided we fall!!"

Say good bye to Ballmoral IJP ;)

Welcome Stiofan Long :)

Davros

You meant to say, A little bit of history from the stoop news ;)

The same "stoop news" that Jim Gibney writes for these days ;)

Oíche mhaith !

"The same "stoop news" that Jim Gibney writes for these days ;)"

We aren't all perfect ;)

Oíche Mhaith

Vótáil Sinn Féin

I am heading home tomorrow and I am in the polling station from 7 am on thursday morning, If I can blog I will, otherwise I will see you lot on Sunday when Sinn Féin has advanced even further ;)

The SDLP like to think of themselves as a nationalist party within the Island of Ireland. However if this is the case then why is their party mandate restricted to within the 6 counties? The answer is that they don't have an All Ireland infrastructure, hence their lack of representation within the 26 counties, with the exception of Heir McDowell, the so called Minister for Justice. The truth is that they are a partionist party and indeed they are very much the authors of their own demise due to this lack of vision regarding the inevidable re-unification of this Island. In their so called blue print for Irish unity they call for Stormont to remain as a form of regional Government within this new Ireland. I put it to them that this is the case because they are only a regional party and not one that speaks for nationalism or indeed republicanism as they would have you believe!