Election boost for SF from the DUP!!

[An Fear Dubh]

Now I am not entirely sure but when is the election due in the south? I think speculation has it as 2nd/3rd week in May.

So what does the DUP propose? That the new Assembly Executive starts on the end of the 1st week in May. So the TV in the south will be full of the historical pictures of the new power sharing executive with leading members of SF present for photocalls. And no doubt Mary Lou and other southern members might visit to lend support.

Did the DUP not have an election manifesto - Smash Sinn Féin - sometime past? Or is it that now the DUP are in government with SF. They want to increase SF's power base throughout the whole of Ireland.

No wonder Gerry jumped at the DUP offer to delay six weeks. And he probably also got some secret deal maybe 'on the runs' or something else from the DUP, for helping them to secure this delay. Talk about having your cake and eating it, Paisley even offered to bake another one!

[An Fear Dubh]

Now during discussion on the forth coming elections in the south someone wanted to play Harry and Setanta's make belief game, 'What if'.

So the elections are over and Fianna Fáil decides that Sinn Féin would make a good coalition partner to form a government with. So now they decide to make up Senators (something like the House of Lords), and Caitríona Ruane is selected as a Senator. (She is the Minister for Education in the North.) And Senators can like British Lords be in the government cabinet. Caitríona is appointed minister for Education in the south, in other words she is minister for education for the whole of Ireland.

[Jim]

The chances of SF being in a coalition with FF are slim still. I cant see that happening for at least another 2 elections if the assembly up north stays running without any real problems (arguements are not problems! im talking about allegiations of spy rings and the like). Its still taboo in the south to think of Sinn Fein being in government, it makes voters scatter as if they are blind and dont want to know, but support for its growing.


Plus as far as I know, FG Labour and the Greens can still have a 3 way coalition if it means a stronger majority, they were talking about that a while back but I dont know if its fallen through because i havent been paying attention lately.

[An Fear Dubh]

And talking of boosts for Sinn Féin a DUP councillor Elaine McMillen has jumped from the DUP to the UUP, although only in council she will be an independant councillor, she has refused to say why. But DUP people say it was because she was unhappy with the power sharing of Paisley with SF.

But the effect of her moving from DUP to UUP makes Sinn Féin the largest party in Belfast City Council by way of their first preference votes both groupings now have 14 councillors each.

[An Fear Dubh]

Today Ian Paisley scoffed at rumours that he will help Bertie in his election by posing for pics beside the Boyne with him. Paisley said that the Boyne date had been set well before the election was called.
Maybe it is my cynical mind, but yes, so a good time for Bertie to call an election then, as only he knew both dates!!

[Jim]

Its in Paisleys best interests that Fianna fail are back in next election.

[Jim]

Maybe but the DUP have gotten use to Fianna Fail, the same old faces theyve seen for the past 10 odd years (longer, actually). Now the Assembly is working the DUP can expect to co-operate and be co-operated with FF in terms of cash and FG I doubt would really know what to do considering last time they were in government.