What's wrong with a visit from a foreign political dignatory? I'd have thought all you Sinners would welcome a visit from one of your Southern politicos...

putting my own feelings aside for mc dowell, does anyone think that he is anything but a liability for the sdlp??

I'm beginning to think they deserve each other hensons.

The trouble with Dermot Ahern & Mickey McDowell is that they haven't gone away you know!

Which SDLP election genius came up with the idea of inviting McDowell up North? Probably the same guy who decided it would be best to run as 'post-nationalists' in 2001, who organised the 'Stop the DUP' campaign in 2003 and who designed the new website!

McDowell should be natural opponent of the SDLP according to their respective ideologies. This visit just shows the SDLP haven't a clue what they stand for and are currently far removed from their social democrat past.

McDowell couldnt care less about the SDLP - this simply his next move in his battle against SF

Fantastic, McDowell is coming... i can only wonder what his message to the voters wil be

i think the sdlp had mainly ex FFers advising them last time. ASAIK it was Q4 pr people.

anybody know what "genius's" they have employed this time!

ever get the feeling that the sdlp as used by the southern parties as a product test of electoral strategies they want to try out at a later date.

I think the visit of McDowell will finish any chances of Alastair gaining enough extra voters to take south Belfast

Great bit of Unionist tactics

Now a DUP certain gain

Not even the DUP believe that. Quit the inane Dundella Avenue tripe.

Perhaps he should visit Mary King from Short Strand who was intimidated by the mc cartneys while standing at her front door.

Nationalists never mind Republicans should see this for what it really is....
Well you would like to think so.

Does SDLP stupidity know no bounds? Having Mc Dowell in your corner is a liability, not an asset. He is despised.

Lets give the visitor his anti republican rant should he care to provide it. Ineed, if he has a souls mate in the SDLP then it is probably Mc Donnell.
However, should SDLP voters and supporters not be a bit concerned with their alighment to a right wing marketeer who has shamelessly played the race card as well as any blue rinse Tory.
If anything personifies the SDLP raising the white flag it is the visit of Mc Dowell.

As several unionists contributors to this site have pointed out, McDowell is the one politician from the Republic with which they feel any kind of empathy. McDowell was telling us about SF/IRA criminality long before it became fashionable after the Northern Bank raid and the McCartney murder. He is a republican in its truest sense, an advocate of a united Ireland, who believes that SF/IRA are actually putting that further and further away by their policies and criminality.

As someone who doesn't favour a "united Ireland", I would fear the likes of McDowll and McDonnell actually convincing wavering unionists a lot more than I would SF/IRA.

I have said for quite a while that the numbers don't stack up to give the SDLP the seat in SB unless there is an almost 50/50 unionist split and that the SDLP receives tactical SF votes.

Can you explain the "marketeer" reference Pat ?

Pat McL "However, should SDLP voters and supporters not be a bit concerned with their alighment to a right wing marketeer who has shamelessly played the race card as well as any blue rinse Tory."

It's only when you see a rant like this that you realise how out of step SF/IRA supporters are with the majority of people in this country. People in this country have become rich and successful under the policies of the FF/PD government, that's why they were the first govenment to be re-elected in over 30 years and the first coalition to be re-elected ever! If this is the result of "right wing marketeering", them can we please have some more.

As for playing the race card, well then this is simply a repeated of SF/IRA's shameful and vacuous stand against last year's referendum. The people spoke, and 4 out of 5 supported McDowell.

As for beoing a tory, I think the current conservative party could really do with someone as capable and popular as McDowell.

"someone as capable and popular as McDowell"??

You sure about this Keith? Check your figures. And the 4/5 referendum result was supported by many in the south - voting for wasnt necessarily an endorsement of McDowell.

I wonder how much Minister McDowell's trip north is costing the southern tax payer? And how about the security detail he will be provided with by the psni - who's paying for that? As a Free State minister in the north, he has to have, by law, a psni security detail accompanying him.

The same with Dermot Ahern.

Isn't it strange that Labour's Pat Rabitte and the PDs McDowell can be united on this one issue - defeating Sinn Fein - when they should be natural rivals - left winger v right winger - in the Dail? Perhaps the coalition of the future in Dublin will be FF/Lab/FG/PD v SF - what am I talking about, it already exists.

I wonder how much Minister McDowell's trip north is costing the southern tax payer? And how about the security detail he will be provided with by the psni - who's paying for that? As a Free State minister in the north, he has to have, by law, a psni security detail accompanying him.

The same with Dermot Ahern.

Isn't it strange that Labour's Pat Rabitte and the PDs McDowell can be united on this one issue - defeating Sinn Fein - when they should be natural rivals - left winger v right winger - in the Dail? Perhaps the coalition of the future in Dublin will be FF/Lab/FG/PD v SF - what am I talking about, it already exists.

"He is a republican in its truest sense"??

Keith, where are you getting these great lines from?! McDowell couldnt be further from the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation. Cherishing all the children of the nation equally?

Gum; from dictionary.com A republican : "Favouring a republic as the best form of government." republic: "a political order in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who are entitled to vote for officers and representatives responsible to them."
McDowell is a true republican, not for him a private army that defies the wishes of the people or a parallel legal system that does not allow a cold blooded heartless murder to be described as a crime.

As for the referendum not being an endorsement of McDowell, he is the minister for Justice who brought the legislation and the change to the terms of the constitution to government. As such he may not be the only one to get the credit, but he certainly gets more than his share of the kudos for such a huge endorsement.

I don't think we should get to hung up about McDowell visiting the stoops in Belfast on Monday.

The guy only represents 3% of the southern electorate and no doubt will fade back into obscurity when next years elections are over

OC,

Why would MM require a security detail and who would you blame for this?

very interesting to note that the Irish Ministers are campaigning for the SDLP members who publicly seemed to be most in favour of voluntary coalition.

That was my thought exactly Gonzo. Where are the Ministers in Foyle? Perhaps like the DUP, APNI and others including me who think that getting rid of Durkan might be a step in the right direction the Irish government are signalling the way ahead.

Stoops in crisis

PD/SDLP merger being considered!!

JS

it's not that he would be under threat - it's just a matter of what happens when a southern minister comes north. As far as I know it's part of an intergovernment agreement.

JS

it's not that he would be under threat - it's just a matter of what happens when a southern minister comes north. As far as I know it's part of an intergovernment agreement.

I have to smile at the supreme irony of an all-Ireland political party giving off at the interfering southerners...ah, arent those northern grey skies just luverly at this time of year, Gerry?:)

Keith Mill's point about the referendum being an endorsement of Michael McDowell is rather tainted in the light of the pathetic council election results which the PDs faced that day.