US Open: Rory McIlroy
A dedicated space for your comments as the young man from Holywood faces his 2nd opportunity to win a Major. Blank
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NILT: Does it tell us anything beyond it may still have sampling issues?
20% of nationalists aren’t nationalist 29% of people that support SF/SDLP don’t think of themselves as nationalist 42% of SF/SDLP supporters don’t support Irish unity 55% more people support the SDLP than SF 41% of Catholics support the SDLP. Only 27% support SF. Anyone want to add their spots on survey details that, yet again, seem to clearly conflict with reality? And this bullshit survey is yet again being treated as a serious barometer of political attitudes in the north? …
£145.40 – Former girlfriend of Belfast pub owner gets engaged to sporty divorcee
Further updates on BBC News as your not insignificant licence fee permits. Blank
SpAdS: SF shared cells. Conservatives shared beds
As the rows rages on, lets all remember SpAd controversies are nothing new. We could also look at one SpAd later co-opted to council that was rejected by the electorate when they finally presented themself? Or do we accept the job of the SpAd is to do the politics for a Minister civil servants can’t and as a result free up time for that Minister and public employees? Surely a SpAd has to be trusted not interviewed? The reason we …
Council shenanigans thread
It happens every time. We’ve already had the UUP/DUP power play in Castlereagh and their failed move to weight things toward Unionism in Belfast. What else is going on as other Councils reconvene and divvy up the spoils of war? Niall Ó Donnghaile has become Belfast’s youngest ‘Lord’ Mayor. Though the News Letter tweeted that with an anglicisation of his name: New Belfast Lord Mayor expected to be Niall Donnelly, SF, and deputy Ruth Patterson, DUP Ryan McAleer notes: A …
PSNI: a force with easily demonstrable bias?
British Army supporters pretty much get carte blanche in Belfast it seems: Two years ago we covered the PSNI response to éirígí supporters travelling to their anti-Armed Forces Day protest at Belfast City Hall. That response was riot squad, dogs, blocked streets, jeeps and ensuring the protest never took place. Today a rally was held at Belfast City Hall to protest the MOD decision not to hold a RIR homecoming parade. The main contingent for this protest arrived via …
Irish flag – illegal in Ireland?
An Garda Síochána attempt to confiscate Irish National flag under public order legislation during British Queen’s visit: Blank
Hope for Stoneyford Catholics as main abuser finally revealed as a pederast
It is terrible that the main hope for an end to decades of sectarian abuse in Stoneyford lies in the final conviction of ringleader, criminal, key Orange figure and proven pederast Mark Harbinson. With his long overdue gaoling, hopefully Slugger can close its coverage on the multi-faceted campaign he directed across this small village and further afield for close to 20 years – unless some of his proteges are waiting in the wings to pick up the many crimes he …
Marion Price sentenced to permanent prison isolation – no trial or reason required
After being released on bail Marion Price was immediately rearrested and returned to gaol when a British Secretary of State decided to revoke her licence – this despite her having been granted the royal prerogative of mercy from her original sentence. While Marion has committed no transgression since her detention by the British Government she will now be held in permanent isolation in Magheraberry – a male only prison. A prison under the control of a Minister endorsed by SF, …
A silent mouth is sweet to hear?
While much of the media attention on Republican protest at the British Royal visit to the 26 counties has focused on éirígí, they were not the only group on the streets with the RNU, 32CSM and RSF also calling for mobilisations. The tiny numbers that turned out after these calls demonstrates the irrelevance militant republicanism continues to have in the lives of the majority in 21st Century Ireland. SF could have driven a larger protest but decided to opt for …
Slugger predicts: Executive Ministers
We didn’t do that well in predicting the Ministries each party would choose – three people got 50% of them in order, our best two got 60% right with some in the wrong order. The Slugger hivemind scored much worse! So who do the best of Slugger predict as Ministers? Sammy Wilson Arlene Foster Simon Hamilton John O’Dowd Danny Kennedy Michelle Gildernew Patsy McGlone Edwin Poots Martina Anderson Stephen Farry I think most notable of the not picked – Caitroina …
It’s our House we don’t have to respect it?
With a DUP speaker in the chair at Stormont again, it will be interesting to see how he deals with live tweeting the allocation of Ministries via d’Hondt before anything is presented to the Assembly. In many previously instances he has aped the protocols and expectations of Westminster when it comes to Stormont standards – Government announcing key decisions outside the House has long been a bone of contention at Westminster. Their Speaker previously had this to say: Ministers ought …
EXCLUSIVE: Slugger hivemind wrong-footed by dHondt
The Executive caught almost everyone on the hop by live tweeting the d’Hondt ministerial lottery. It has brought our predictions competition to an early close but we hold off on announcing a winner until it is all official on Monday. I’ll pull out some of the main things predicted, the most obvious one being that very few Slugger readers were close to calling it right. 1st pick DUP – 99% of people correctly predicted Finance 2nd pick SF – 99% …
SF across Ireland
Irish Political Maps is a new one but for the statistics addicted it looks like a must follow. The map of SF percentages (out of date post Assembly election but still way cool) across the island is something special -click for full size. Much thanks to JandK for permission to reproduce. Blank
A lot of spoiled votes, in some places much more than usual
As there aren’t a lot of actual figures out there, I’ve compared the EONI polled vote figures with the BBC valid votes to try and work out the invalid votes per constituency. (The BBC numbers may not be entirely accurate so this should be taken with a health warning – for example I’ve had to exclude Foyle as it was giving a totally improbable 0.05%). On face value this election seems to have resulted in considerably more spoilt votes than …
Vote share 1996 – 2011
Time for a chart: Blank
Nicholas Whyte reviews the Assembly result
As usual Nicholas Whyte provides the most comprehensive review of what actually happened when all the votes were counted. He has kindly given permission for Slugger to carry his thoughts. He also has brief comments on each individual constituency here. Everything below comes from Nicholas: Assembly results – my considered take #ae11 – Nicholas Whyte Twelve seats out of 108 changed hands in terms of party representation, which is actually the same number as in 2007, though the shifts were …
A funnier moment of #ae11
Another of the more commented on moments of the election spawned it’s own Twitter #, #basilsweemate, and even a spoof account (with some ripe language). Is that really a surprise…. hat tip Aldous for the link Blank
DUP dedicate victory to Kerr. Kerr brother rebukes UUP leader
While DUP leader Peter Robinson has dedicated his party victory in the Assembly election to PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr. Constable Kerr’s brother Cathair has rounded on UUP leader Tom Elliott describing his comments on SF as prehistoric, prejudiced and questioning if voters would support them. @EamonnMallie prehistoric comments. Ppl need to move forward. Would his voters still vote for him nw? I would strongly doubt they all think that?? They are prejudiced comments at the end of the day. Blank
Tom Elliott can he lead?
Tom Elliot became a surprising story of the election with his outburst in Omagh and he is destined to be at the centre of things throughout the coming days. With his party achieving 16 seats and Alliance 8 as things stand the UUP will lose a ministry. That is unless he can tempt party reject David McClarty back into the fold. Though as Mark Devenport notes the Alliance party could then try to cook up a counter deal with Steven …