Northern Ireland poll

[Alf Landon]

Following on from the UK general election poll I created, viewtopic.php?f=20&t=279864, I said there that I didn't include the Northern Ireland parties because the list would get a little too long then, to say nothing that there wasn't enough space for all of them anyway. To boot, Northern Ireland politics is a very different ballgame to UK politics in anycase. For those who know their history, the Troubles in Northern Ireland has rather left a unique political situation there. Politics is often not about the left or the right, but about whether you're a nationalist or a unionist, or even more simply what kind of community you live in - is it a Catholic nationalist one or a Protestant unionist? For too many people in N.I. still, it's still a question about whether you're on 'their' side or 'our' side.

A fair few people on the other thread wanted to talk Northern Ireland in my poll, so I've decided it's best just to create a separate one. So the question is, if there was UK general election being held today in Northern Ireland, who would you be voting for? To make matters more complicated, few of the national major parties compete in N.I. Labour and the Liberal Democrats don't, though they do have a sister party link with the SDLP and the Alliance respectively. The Conservatives sometimes tiptoe into N.I. politics, but it's very tepid and before they've only worked through an alliance with the UUP. Interestingly, UKIP are active, and indeed through a defection hold a seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

This thread is open to non-Northern Ireland residents. Not like I could stop you anyway. Be interesting to see how NSG overall thinks.

[Hetalian Indie Rio de Janeiro]

British National Party *nods*

[Old Tyrannia]

I like the Ulster Unionist Party, but I'd like them more if they broke their alliance with the Conservative Party.

[Alf Landon]

I like the Ulster Unionist Party, but I'd like them more if they broke their alliance with the Conservative Party.

The alliance was already broken. It dissolved back in 2012.

[Old Tyrannia]

I like the Ulster Unionist Party, but I'd like them more if they broke their alliance with the Conservative Party.

The alliance was already broken. It dissolved back in 2012.

Really? Well, that shows how much I know about Northern Irish politics.

[Vyvland]

I do quite like the SDLP economically, but considering NI being the way it is, I'd have to vote Alliance. Of course it'd depend on the constituency I was in.

[Alf Landon]

I do quite like the SDLP economically, but considering NI being the way it is, I'd have to vote Alliance. Of course it'd depend on the constituency I was in.

My view as well. My more natural fit is the SDLP, but if I lived there I'd be more concerned about bridging the nationalist-unionist divide, and the Alliance is surely the best placed party for that.

[Fionnuala_Saoirse]

Sinn Fein, natch

[The Huskar Social Union]

Its a toss up between Sinn Fein and SDLP, i guess i would lean more towards Sinn Fein so i will vote for them.

[Alf Landon]

I'm almost tempted to switch my vote to the SDLP. Gotta give my sister party a helping hand.

[Risottia]

Is there any "Left-wing Party Against Idiotic Ethno-Religious Divides"?

[The Huskar Social Union]

Is there any "Left-wing Party Against Idiotic Ethno-Religious Divides"?

Not really, the closest thing would be the Irish Republican Socialist Party which is heavily left wing, its less enthusiastic about Republican ideals than the likes of the SDLP or Sinn Fein but still holds some of them as their own, which pushes unionists away from them, and they are pretty small as well. Barely anyone votes for them.

[EUstan]

Why are there no mainstream parties in Northern Ireland?

[The Huskar Social Union]

Why are there no mainstream parties in Northern Ireland?

As the OP explained, Northern Ireland Politics is heavily divided along other lines than the rest of the UK. Whether you are a Conservative, Liberal etc does not matter here, its more about, are you a nationalist or a unionist, a catholic or a protestant and the different issues between them. None of the Parties from Britain have any major support here and the major parties are instead Sinn Fein, SDLP, DUP and UUP, which would be classed as Northern Irelands "Mainstream Parties".

EDIT: Oh and Alliance as well, forgot about them.

[EUstan]

Why are there no mainstream parties in Northern Ireland?

As the OP explained, Northern Ireland Politics is heavily divided along other lines than the rest of the UK. Whether you are a Conservative, Liberal etc does not matter here, its more about, are you a nationalist or a unionist, a catholic or a protestant and the different issues between them. None of the Parties from Britain have any major support here and the major parties are instead Sinn Fein, SDLP, DUP and UUP, which would be classed as Northern Irelands "Mainstream Parties".

Thanks for explanation.

My vote would go to Sinn Fein as they are advocating the liberation of NI.

[The Huskar Social Union]

As the OP explained, Northern Ireland Politics is heavily divided along other lines than the rest of the UK. Whether you are a Conservative, Liberal etc does not matter here, its more about, are you a nationalist or a unionist, a catholic or a protestant and the different issues between them. None of the Parties from Britain have any major support here and the major parties are instead Sinn Fein, SDLP, DUP and UUP, which would be classed as Northern Irelands "Mainstream Parties".

Thanks for explanation.

My vote would go to Sinn Fein as they are advocating the liberation of NI.

Eh, not everyone would say that.

[EUstan]

Yeah, only creepy British nationalits.

[Alf Landon]

Is there any "Left-wing Party Against Idiotic Ethno-Religious Divides"?

I believe the Greens in Northern Ireland do classify themselves as non-sectarian, and they do have a seat in the Assembly.

[Gold state]

Yeah, only creepy British nationalits.

Well until NI makes the choice to leave the U.K, they made the choice to stay under free will to stay with us first time around.


They're stuck with us.

[Alf Landon]

Yeah, only creepy British nationalits.

Well until NI makes the choice to leave the U.K, they made the choice to stay under free will.


They're stuck with us.

They didn't really make a choice to stick with us. The fact is, as outsiders with nationalist and unionist sympathies often don't appreciate, half of Northern Ireland wanted to go with Ireland, and the other half wanted to stay with the United Kingdom. I mean it, too many people don't appreciate that. It's not like Northern Ireland is awaiting liberation, as one poster here said, or in your case the idea Northern Ireland chose to remain with the U.K. It's simply that Northern Ireland itself is very divided on the matter, and that explains why the political situation there is very unusual.

[Gold state]

Well until NI makes the choice to leave the U.K, they made the choice to stay under free will.


They're stuck with us.

They didn't really make a choice to stick with us. The fact is, as outsiders with nationalist and unionist sympathies often don't appreciate, half of Northern Ireland wanted to go with Ireland, and the other half wanted to stay with the United Kingdom. I mean it, too many people don't appreciate that. It's not like Northern Ireland is awaiting liberation, as one poster here said, or in your case the idea Northern Ireland chose to remain with the U.K. It's simply that Northern Ireland itself is very divided on the matter, and that explains why the political situation there is very unusual.

Why don't the British government provide slight autonomy to the Catholic majority areas?

[Alf Landon]

They didn't really make a choice to stick with us. The fact is, as outsiders with nationalist and unionist sympathies often don't appreciate, half of Northern Ireland wanted to go with Ireland, and the other half wanted to stay with the United Kingdom. I mean it, too many people don't appreciate that. It's not like Northern Ireland is awaiting liberation, as one poster here said, or in your case the idea Northern Ireland chose to remain with the U.K. It's simply that Northern Ireland itself is very divided on the matter, and that explains why the political situation there is very unusual.

Why don't the British government provide slight autonomy to the Catholic majority areas?

1) The nationalist hardliners want all of Northern Ireland united with the south. Giving autonomy to Catholic areas would also in effect give more autonomy to the Protestant areas, thus entrenching Protestant control and putting up a new barrier to unification. Thus, nationalist hardliners would oppose.
2) The Protestants would go crazy. Special rights to the Catholics they'd say, and they'd consider it a threat to the existence of an entire Northern Ireland under British rule.
3) The British, seeing this, want to avoid causing these kind of divisions.
4) After years of years of fighting in the Troubles, it's clear that no one side is going to win over the other. The way forward is to bring the two communities together, and not to start entrenching the divide by handing out autonomy.

[Gold state]

Why don't the British government provide slight autonomy to the Catholic majority areas?

1) The nationalist hardliners want all of Northern Ireland united with the south. Giving autonomy to Catholic areas would also in effect give more autonomy to the Protestant areas, thus entrenching Protestant control and putting up a new barrier to unification. Thus, nationalist hardliners would oppose.
2) The Protestants would go crazy. Special rights to the Catholics they'd say, and they'd consider it a threat to the existence of an entire Northern Ireland under British rule.
3) The British, seeing this, want to avoid causing these kind of divisions.
4) After years of years of fighting in the Troubles, it's clear that no one side is going to win over the other. The way forward is to bring the two communities together, and not to start entrenching the divide by handing out autonomy.

I say, we make it law that all people must be a Cathostant!

[The Huskar Social Union]

1) The nationalist hardliners want all of Northern Ireland united with the south. Giving autonomy to Catholic areas would also in effect give more autonomy to the Protestant areas, thus entrenching Protestant control and putting up a new barrier to unification. Thus, nationalist hardliners would oppose.
2) The Protestants would go crazy. Special rights to the Catholics they'd say, and they'd consider it a threat to the existence of an entire Northern Ireland under British rule.
3) The British, seeing this, want to avoid causing these kind of divisions.
4) After years of years of fighting in the Troubles, it's clear that no one side is going to win over the other. The way forward is to bring the two communities together, and not to start entrenching the divide by handing out autonomy.

I say, we make it law that all people must be a Cathostant!

Nay, Protholicism is the only answer.

Is there any "Left-wing Party Against Idiotic Ethno-Religious Divides"?

I believe the Greens in Northern Ireland do classify themselves as non-sectarian, and they do have a seat in the Assembly.

Forgot about them as well.

[Alf Landon]

1) The nationalist hardliners want all of Northern Ireland united with the south. Giving autonomy to Catholic areas would also in effect give more autonomy to the Protestant areas, thus entrenching Protestant control and putting up a new barrier to unification. Thus, nationalist hardliners would oppose.
2) The Protestants would go crazy. Special rights to the Catholics they'd say, and they'd consider it a threat to the existence of an entire Northern Ireland under British rule.
3) The British, seeing this, want to avoid causing these kind of divisions.
4) After years of years of fighting in the Troubles, it's clear that no one side is going to win over the other. The way forward is to bring the two communities together, and not to start entrenching the divide by handing out autonomy.

I say, we make it law that all people must be a Cathostant!

That'd be a unique way of solving it.