Has Mark Durkan any real chance of winning Jonh Hume's old seat? As I'm from the south I am not too familar with reports on what his chances are. Any information appreciated.

mucher, he's odds on with the bookies to hold Hume's seat. Mind you Mitchell McLaughlin is also odds on. There's no such thing as a poor bookie. This is the hardest seat to call on May 6th.

By the way is Northern Ireland going to stick with only counting the votes on Friday or are they finally falling in with the rest of the UK?

Cheers Keith M,

I had heard a news report this morning saying how important this seat was to SDLP and how civil the exchanges are between Durkan and McLoughlin.

I live in Culmore Road in Derry and have been canvassed 3 times by the SDLP and have yet to hear from SF

Cheers Keith M,

I had heard a news report this morning saying how important this seat was to SDLP and how civil the exchanges are between Durkan and McLoughlin.

Cheers Keith M,

I had heard a news report this morning saying how important this seat was to SDLP and how civil the exchanges are between Durkan and McLoughlin.

I live in Culmore Road in Derry and have been canvassed 3 times by the SDLP and have yet to hear from SF. For sheer effort Durkan will be getting my vote!

Cheers Keith M,

I had heard a news report this morning saying how important this seat was to SDLP and how civil the exchanges are between Durkan and McLoughlin.

Cheers Keith M,

I had heard a news report this morning saying how important this seat was to SDLP and how civil the exchanges are between Durkan and McLoughlin.

"mucher, he's odds on with the bookies to hold Hume's seat. Mind you Mitchell McLaughlin is also odds on"

Keith M is incorrect on this.

Mitchel is odds-on.

Durkan is evens

At Eastwoods

Mitchel McLaughlin (SF) 4/6
Mark Durkan (SDLP) Evs
William Hay (DUP) 25
Earl Storey (UUP) 66
Eamonn McCann (SOC) 200
Ben Reel (Rainbow) 1000

Durkan is even worse off at Sean Graham's

Mclaughlin 8-15
Durkan 6-5
Hay 25-1
Storey 50-1

Thank you Jim Bob.

I shall watch with interest, but I don't think I'll put a bet on.

To mucher

If Mitchell was being ridden by Tony McCoy, I'd "fill me boots" as they say...

Jim Bob

To be fair, Durkan at evs with Eastwood's is a gain on yesterday, when he was 11/10.

That one really is too close to call.

Shows how low the SDLP have sank when Humes seat could be a possibility for SF.

Durkan should be rumping home there.The outlook for the SDLP elsewhere is dire. Door to door campaigning is really irrelevant. If you are going to vote for a guy because he comes to your door then that is sad.

Durkan has been a hopelessly inadequate leader. He should have resigned as leader after the trouncing in the Euro elections. The SDLP need someone with a bit of vision. His hopelessness was shown when he published his united Ireland rubbish.

It all depends on McCann's vote. If he does well SF are in

As SEA are left of centre Scarlet surely he's more of a risk to Sinn Féin than the SDLP ?

I saw both Durkan and McLaughlin as odds on on seangraham on Wednesday. Obviously the money has gone on McLaughlin since. I still think Durkan will shade it, although I wish it was otherwise. I'm putting €50 on Durkan.

As for the McCann factor, where did his transfers go in 2002? That will indicate who h is likely to take votes from.

Keith M

McCann didn't stand in 2002. He stood in the Assembly election in November 2003 and his transfers split almost evenly between the SDLP and SF.