Sunday, February 07, 2010
Margaret Ritchie elected as new SDLP leader
It’s just been announced that Margaret Ritchie has been elected the new SDLP leader at the party’s annual conference in Newcastle, County Down.
Pete Baker @ 11:14 AM
well, it’s offical, they really are doomed.
Ritchie is a light weight and I’ll be keen to see if she will give up her minister post to focus on the party.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:20 PMSDLP are sending a poodle to battle the pitbulls of SF. I know she’s intelligent and able if this was Denmark, she would be a great leader of a SDP but, is she really the kind of person who can go into Poleglass and Crossmaglen or any housing estate and convince anyone?
Poor old SDLP. what have they done?
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:28 PMwho said turkeys didnt vote for christmas
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:30 PMWell I hope she sets out what the future (if it has one) aims of the SDLP are and how she is going to achieve them.
Personally I believe the SDLP should resign from the executive and become the opposition.
They could do this for many reasons not least the way they have beem circumvented on the Policing and justice ministry.
They certainly could do this up until the next Assembly election making it clear that they are going to do it for this period.
Pretty much everyone agrees that Stormont needs a robust opposition. Be brave and grasp the difficult choice.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:31 PMHow much does this damage the McDonald brand in South Belfast? Double jobbing, not wanted as party leader?
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:33 PMA lightweight certainly and out of her depth.
But to dismiss her as the kind of person who cant go into Poleglass or Crossmaglen is a slight both on her and the people of both areas.
She might even be the sort of person who would go to the place where Marcionite lives….Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:35 PMImpartial Reporter - I think he’s ok, if anything he’s probably been more visible over recent weeks than the last 4 years
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:36 PMI wish her well.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:38 PMSome of the comments here are too negative.
She is a tough and smart person I think and I wish her well.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:42 PMFitzjameshorse : and where do you think I live and can your explain the basis of your comment?
As for insulting the people of Poleglass and Crossmaglen, well they do have a prediliction for supporting a party and giving harbour to murderers. SF are supported by ignorant yokels with cowdung for brains and urban public pyjama wearer and shaved heads. I wish Ms Ritchie well and I hope Im wrong
perhaps I might be, remember Blair was nicknamed Bambi once?
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:43 PMMarcionite,
I have no idea where you live except you seem to dislike Poleglass and Crossmaglen which prolly says more about you than them.
And your most recent comment suggests you feel ever so slightly superior to the people who live there. Personally I have seen no evidence to support your belief.Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:48 PMFitzJH and Marcionite
Handbags away, ladies.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:53 PMAlasdair McDonnell is not a happy bunny.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:53 PMWell Mr F. Horse, would u prefer to live in those places? Have you met people who live in any ghetto? Yes, I admit U am a snob in many ways and I make no apologies. Snobbery is the maintenance and espousal of standards. The cut if a typical Sf voter is uncannily like the demographic and cut if a typical BNP supporter in England
I refer thee to voxpops within SF election ads.
As for Ms Ritchie, I hope she will have the strength to take in SF and not try to be SF in drag
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:56 PMGood luck to her -she’ll need it . I hope she has learnt the lesson that when dealing with some of the more ‘ignorant’ politicians within unionism -turning the other cheek is a no no and the use of a fist and/or a slap across the chops will win her party more votes .
Does anybody know the vote count or is that an SDLP secret ?
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 12:57 PMGood luck to her, even though her voice is like nails down a blackboard. Did McDonnell’s dreadful interview on Hearts and Minds seal his fate?
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:00 PM222 votes to 187 votes
2 female party leaders now, we are really embracing this democracy thing…...
well some are anyway
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:05 PMEnd Game.
She does not have the strategic insights required to undermine the “cutting edge” of Sinn Feinism.
As has been the case for some time, a vote for the SDLP, is a vote undertaken to salve one’s conscience, rather than in the hope of achieving some purposeful political aim.
The greatest hope of those that vote SDLP would be for the party to enter into a merger with the Alliance Party.
It will not happen, however, as even “Good Catholics” it would seem, allow their egos to take hold of their decision making faculties.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:05 PMPosted by iluvni said
” Did McDonnell’s dreadful interview on Hearts and Minds seal his fate? “
His acceptance of defeat address was poor but that should not have effected the voting mind.Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:07 PMMarcionite,
The Nazis also thought they were maintaining standards. Looking forward to seeing you and your polo pony in the Tatler.Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:13 PMMarcionite,
The Nazis also thought they were maintaining standards. Looking forward to seeing you and your polo pony in the TatlerPosted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:14 PMI think we’re seeing the first in a long line of female leaders of the SDLP. It is the party of the woman’s interests rather than the man’s. We may even have see the last male leader of the party.
We must remember that all oppression stems from the oppression of the woman and she knows more than anyone else that when the likes of Sinn Fein talk of ending oppression it is really just male oppression they’re thinking of. Or else they wouldn’t use male methods such as aggression and violence to lift that oppression.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:16 PMThe sooner Fianna fail teams up with the SDLP the better.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:27 PMScaramoosh,
The AP merger thing will never happen. I can see certain individuals going off in that direction in a few years but even then it would be a very loose arrangement.
Just as likely is that SOME SDLP members would turn towards FF or even SF.
Its a mistake to think that SDLP voters are not nationalist. Scratch any SDLP voter hard enough and theres an underlying Republicanism or Nationalist.
In the 1970s MLAs like Paddy Duffy and John Turnley (later murdered by loyalists) were instrumental in forming the IIP and SDLP is not agnostic on the border as Alliance.
And of course much to the chagrin of the Great and The Good, SDLP voters turned out for Bobby Sands in Fermanagh South Tyrone.
My firm belief is that nationalism needs an alternative to SF and the SDLP provides it.
Likewise SF is an alternative to SDLP.
Twenty years ago, unionists were agonising about the Pan Nationalist Front which I then dismissed as paranoia. And while there is no “organisation” behind pan nationalism…...it IS (language GAA, SDLP, SF) a reality.Electing Ritchie is NOT a good sign for SDLP.
Indeed McDonnell was an unimpressive alternative.
She might be able to connect with women and possibly younger people. And I make no apology for hoping she succeeds.
Strong SDLP is good for Nationalism/Republicanism.
Strong SF likewisePosted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:27 PMPosted by iluvn
” Did McDonnell’s dreadful interview on Hearts and Minds seal his fate? “Just watched that interview on the bbc iplayer and you are right his interview was poor. Talk about presumptions that he was going to win and condesending on some issues e.g women councillors and Mla’s.
Ah well he looks silly now. Defeat at elections is the only wayto “humilify” politicians and boy do some of them need humility.
What is it about getting elected that goes to their heads.
Posted by on Feb 07, 2010 @ 01:34 PM
