#AE16

UUP Manifesto: Making It Work

| Readers 796

The UUP launched their 43 page manifesto three weeks ago highlighting the party’s plans for mental health, economy, agriculture and whether they will go back into the Executive. The manifesto, unlike others, does not place a huge emphasis on the party leader, Mike Nesbitt, rather it profiles other candidates throughout. Going back into the Executive Like all parties the UUP say they are running for government in this election. However, it places two caveats that the prospective Programme for Government must …

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#SluggerReport: #AE16 is likely to be transitional rather a transformational election…

| Readers 1270

It’s been my view from the very start of this election campaign that it would be of very little consequence. The stop-start first nine years of Stormont have been little more than a throat-clearing exercise which its proudest boast is that it didn’t fall down. In preparing my constituency report on East Londonderry, one of the UUP candidates Aaron Callan suggested that whilst this election would not be transformational, it would prove to be transitional. Indeed whilst tribal politics is …

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“New leader Colum Eastwood has taken pains to say he wants Northern Ireland to work….”

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Newton Emerson, with a great comment on an issue raised rather pointed by President Obama [a man now liberated from the burdens of power, and uncommonly free with his views on many thing] which appears to have eluded several other commenters. [Though not our Pete! – Ed] : Integrated education was the example he praised of progress towards a Northern Ireland identity, though many nationalists see that as precisely integration’s problem. Some of this fear is misplaced ignorance. A common …

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#AE16 #South Belfast: Most competitive and probably the hardest to call…

| Readers 3050

Candidates: [SDLP] Claire Hanna, Fearghal McKinney; [DUP] Emma Little Pengelly, Christopher Stalford; [Alliance] Paula Bradshaw, Duncan Morrow; [] [Sinn Fein] Máirtín Ó Muilleoir; [UUP] Rodney McCune; [Greens] Clare Bailey; [UKIP] Bob Stoker; [TUV] John Andrew Hiddleston; [PUP] Ian Shanks; [Independent] Ruth Patterson; [NI Conservatives] Ben Manton; [Workers Party] Lily Kerr; [South Belfast Unionists] Billy Dickson [NIRC] Brigitte ‘Gitty’ Anton; [Cross-Community Labour Alternative] Sean Burns. NI’s third largest constituency South Belfast sprawls from M1 right out to Carryduff. 44.0% of its …

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#AE16 #SluggerReport: SDLP, too many eggs to make a simple omelette…?

| Readers 1323

This morning’s #SluggerReport was on the SDLP slip-up from yesterday, which shows just how hard it is: one to make a slip against Stephen Nolan; and two, get impact on budget costings where any savings that can be got out of out the block grant are marginal. It was a harsh lesson in the cracking of eggs to make – what was in the end – should have been a simple political omelette in order to highlight the deficit of …

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Sinn Fein Manifesto: Steady as she goes for a third term

| Readers 2140

Sinn Fein went for the minimalist approach towards their 2016 Assembly manifesto with a list of simple pledges that they hope will be enough to secure a third term in office and remain the largest Nationalist party. The party went to Derry to launch their manifesto, with Chris Hazzard, Martin McGuinness and Maeve McLaughlin speaking to the media and party supporters. Some interesting points that grab the reader, the manifesto is equally divided between what Sinn Fein has done in …

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#AE16 North Antrim: DUP to comfortably retain the whip hand…

| Readers 1735

NORTH ANTRIM: The DUP’s strong showing in last year’s Westminster election showed something of a return to dominance. With Allister taking the second non DUP, a fourth is not likely. Ministerial profile for Storey and Frew’s high profile on the Agriculture committee should bring them home top.

‪#‎AE16‬ ‪#‎SluggerReport:‬ Unionist dilemmas around Martin McGuinness as First Minister?

| Readers 3184

On the #SluggerReport this morning I ask three questions about unionist fears over Martin McGuinness becoming First Minister: Firstly, who is it that’s fearful? It’s not primarily those on the extreme edge of Unionism/Loyalism to whom the DUP are making this regular pitch since, these days at least, they are likely to be unmoved by such a pitch (given the DUP already work with Sinn Fein on day by day basis). Secondly, what is it that they are fearful of? …

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Sinn Fein’s oddly lacklustre Ard Fheis a victim of unrealistic poll-driven expectations?

| Readers 1930

On this morning’s SluggerReport I took a glance at Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis in the context of the Assembly elections. There wasn’t much to say. Dolores Kelly’s attack on them last week may have been easily rebuffed, but the impression was of a victory celebration that never came off. It’s not just me either. The circumspect Gerry Moriarty noticed it too: It was a weekend to commemorate the past, celebrate the Dáil successes, prime people for the Assembly elections, plan …

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#AE16 #Foyle: Eamonn McCann’s strong chance likely to slip to a reviving SDLP vote

| Readers 3621

Foyle is really ‘greater Derry’. West bank wise, it grabs everything not in the Republic. On the east, it balloons through rural areas out to the airport, running down through Lettershandoney then hitting the river at Magheramason. SF’s public optimism rests on the Assembly vote in 2011 when, proportionately, Sinn Fein only trailed the SDLP by a few hundred 1st preferences.

DUP Mid Ulster posters take a leaf out of Sinn Fein’s FST playbook…?

| Readers 2040

The burden of incumbency and being at the fullest logistical stretch clearly leads to some awkward solutions. It seems that Sinn Fein is not the only party with what Tony Benn used to call ‘ishoos’ west of the Bann. Belfast’s hardest working pol hack Sam McBride reports… Last month the DUP announced that it was standing two candidates in the constituency – despite the fact that in last year’s general election its vote was less than the quota required for …

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Any SDLP revival must be true to its origins as ‘a broad church’…?

| Readers 1919

Very useful overview of where the SDLP finds itself just now from Suzanne Breen. I’d quibble over the list of places where the SDLP might be endangered, but I think she’s nailed something important here: Those critics who accuse the SDLP of betraying its traditional roots are wrong, because, from the very beginning, the party was a broad church. When founder member Austin Currie moved into southern politics in 1989 it was to join the highly conservative and pro-establishment Fine …

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Soapbox: Crowdsourcing the #ae16 elections … can you help ElectionsNI

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We think it’s important for democracy that everyone is able to find accessible information and data on their elections. What’s more, we think they should have this as soon as possible, so they can follow the results as they happen. Elections NI is a collaborative project led by ODI Belfast at NICVA and the Open Government Network NI. We’re not integrated with the Electoral Office’s work but we aim to report on everything they produce as the results for each …

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Is a two party stitch up the nearest thing to powersharing we’re likely to get?

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HNIW45 from The Detail on Vimeo. Right, so. Great analysis here from both Newton Emerson (and whoever who does his graphics). Under Fresh Start there is now a negotiation period for the new Programme for Government of two weeks, but Arlene Foster admitted in February she’s started working on it already (ie before the election). A two party stitch up. Well, I never? The big fault with all of the Programme for Government negotiations is that they are done in …

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North Down and Ards Cllr Danny Allen leaves the UUP

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No reasons cited, but it is thought that he was close to former North Down Mayor and MLA for the UUP Leslie Cree. It may be related in some way to selection issues in the run up to this election. It’s thought by some that he was originally offered the sweeper role on the UUP team but that he refused it on the grounds that he felt he was being sidelined. Awkward enough in what could be a tight fight …

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So who will take the fall in Sinn Fein’s secret vote management strategy for FST?

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So here’s something to keep an eye on when the votes are counted. Julian Fowler has news of Sinn Fein’s vote management strategy in FST: ie it is to be a total secret between Sinn Fein’s election workers and its voters. As most of you with longish memories will remember, things in Fermanagh South Tyrone SF did not go according to plan in the selection process. So according to Fowler… Sinn Féin won three assembly seats in 2011 and this …

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#AE16 #SluggerReport: Whose election bubble is it anyway?

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Here’s this morning’s first edition of a revived SluggerReport broadcast live on the Slugger Facebook page (so please do give it a “Like” if you want to keep up with them). Three questions: – Who is responsible for what must count as a third boring Assembly election in row? The parties (and if so, in what measure each)? Or a much-depleted press corps who’s attitude is becoming more “entertain us”, a la Kurt Cobain than ‘come on and tell us, …

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#SluggerReport Election Special: How is it for you? #AE16

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So, I’m back with the daily SluggerReport, daily at the slightly later time of 10.30 on the Slugger Facebook Page. Tomorrow, I’ll be asking whether political journalists are taking the Assembly election contest seriously; reviewing some of the Constituency profiles that have been published so far; and wrapping with a quick diary of the day’s lead election news and events. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and …

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