"As the Westminster election approaches, TUV is stepping up its preparations and signalling that among its key targets will be the seat of the First Minister in East Belfast. ... TUV is indicating that in both North Antrim and East Belfast it will be going toe to toe with the DUP in its former heartlands."That does not exclude the possibility of the TUV fighting other seats, but it is unlikely that they would fight any seat where a split unionist vote would almost certainly return a nationalist.
The TUV is thus trying to decapitate the DUP by defeating its present and past leaders. If Ian Paisley senior stands again in North Antrim he would probably win, but the size of the TUV bite into his majority may humiliate him. If he does not stand, then the seat is unpredictable.
East Belfast is likely to be a three horse race. No-one seriously expects the TUV to win it, or even to come close, but by eating into the DUP's majority the TUV could bring the seat into play – if UCUNF ever get their act together and field a reasonable candidate they have a good chance. Even Alliance are talking up their chances – small though they are; coming second in a multi-seat STV election in 2007 does not translate into a similar feat in a single-member FPTP election.
6 comments:
Hi Horseman / fellow regulars,
I thought you may be interested or care to comment on below comment on Andy's regular website, "A Tangled Web" in light of recent steps taken on this blog, Enjoy!
"David please allow me to explain.
This follows the 'Throwing Down the Gauntlet' thread when I and a number of others were making comments regarding Andrew McCann's posts.
He made a comment which I proved to be absolutely untrue by providing factual evidence he then referred to comments being off topic to which I replied that due to his comments being disproven this had now put a spotlight on his integrity as a blogger and his honesty as a person. He then deleted all my comments along with some others, [I suspect in an attempt to cover his tracks at being caught out],
I then went to the thread I had previously enquired about comments disablement on and asked was there another 'glitch' in the machine as a whole page of comments had disappeared from "The Gauntlet" he followed me there, hacked my post, and told me what he had done. I explained that I had saved the original post in the expectation that he would delete it and would he like me to post it again? In response he deleted that thread and when I re-posted accused me of character assassination.
Thankfully I've saved my contributions. There is nothing ad hom in the original thread. It;s just a case of deletion because he dug a hole for himself.
David, I extremely enjoy ATW and the characters on it. The debate is robust and there are some who refuse to engage with me, [which I respect], but I always try to adhere to the principle of treating others as you would like to be treated yourself.
I feel that disabling comments on a blog to be against the whole spirit of debate. I feel that deletion and hacking of comments on another persons blog is both a sign of intellectual security and supreme arrogance
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 04:49PM | Registered CommenterPaul Mc Mahon"
Horseman,
My usually impeccable North Down sources assure me that Sylvia is not standing as a UCUNFer under any circumstances but is awaiting developments! An hour or so is a long time in politics lately.........
Only one question I think. Did DC know about and approve of the famous meeting?
If so his whole non sectarian thing is out of the water
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/the-english-cant-be-trusted-to-take-over-the-north-again-2035736.html
Bangordub, if you're a regular on ATW you'll probably know he has form.
He rarely enables comments on his own posts, and deletes other threads when he doesn't like the content of those either.
Anyone here unfamiliar with his posts on ATW should really give them a look. As well as his rants about us bog hoppers/peat diggers/"potatoe" munchers, he likes to rant about, inter alia: "young and unquestionably arrogant black men, ...[oozing] hepatitis B", "scrounging gippos", "Chinese, Africans, Polish, Muzzas…you name it." (Muzzas=Muslims), "vomit inducing" lesbians, young girls who get pregnant (and should be given "a bloody good hiding", apparently)... The list goes on.
Truly, a vile specimen.
'Truly, a vile specimen.'
Whereas at the last Euro election there were 126,184 vile specimens in Northern Ireland.
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