Hallelujah, Euro Elections Over!

Vótáil Nicholson 1

My Choosiest Choice of all

Jim Allister is a strong minded, articulate and able politician, a good MEP for Northern Ireland. On domestic (Northern Irish) issues he stuck in a "NO"-unionist time warp, which may be a principled stand on his part, but for the stability and security of Northern Ireland his principles lead to a dead end. If it was his European record alone he'd get my number 1.

Jim Nicholson seems unable to articulate his Ulster Unionist/Conservative agenda, perhaps because of certain media distractions; Lady Hermon, party defections, David Cameron and unionist in-fighting. However he does have a good record as an MEP, his party has put more emphasis on European issues and an alliance with the Tories opens up the possibility of putting Northern Ireland at the centre of mainstream UK politics. It’s the wider European and UK issues, not Jim Nicholson’s charismatic personality that gets the UCUNF my first preference.

Diane Dodd’s is clearly out of her depth, without the aid of her handlers Nigel and Peter, Diane clearly cannot cope especially when surrounded by opponents or sat next to Jim Allister. Her attack dog style of debating and her fantasist anti-Sinn Fein rhetoric are off putting, she's third on my list behind Jim Allister as usual. Peter & Iris certainly don't help the DUP cause (whatever that is). Diane Dodd’s gets my number 3 simply because she's a "unionist".

Sinn Fein won't get any votes from me, much to their disappointment I’m sure, but they're a not trying to build an "Ireland of equals" not with their sectarian reactionary anti-Britishness, or while Bairbre de Brún stands up in the European Parliament to rail against "Unionist death squads". Not to mention the shinners have the worst attendance records in Brussels compared to their opponents. Also de Brun seems to lose all knowledge of English when asking even basic questions, nothing wrong with Gaelic, but using it as a cultural weapon is clearly objectionable.

Jim Allisters Election Leaflet

Having received Jim Allisters euro election leaflet I'm struck by four things:

First, it makes very little mention of any European issues or TUV policy on the EU

Second, it smacks of pre-GFA DUP rhetoric which is outdated and offers nothing positive or inspiring!

Thirdly, it features Jim in a number of Lenin-esque type poses; having no less than 9 pictures of the man himself, is he big headed or is modelling a side line?

Finally, how can an MEP affect change in the Storment set up? It's almost as ridiculous as Diane Dodds claiming she'll smash her parties partners in government?

For those Unionists wanting to punish the DUPers for whatever reasons, the most important way get at the folks on the hill is to vote for Northern Ireland to play a role at the centre of the union; to put Allister number 1 is a waste of opportunity, so to Diane Dodds!

Jim Nicholson and the Unionist/Conservative New Force actually have a opinion on Europe as well as Northern Ireland, plus they want to put us at the centre of the UK government like we were in the 19th century!

For me Jim Nicholson offers an alternative that's refreshing, UK unionist and honest, for British unionists voting for the Unionist/Conservative coalition will secure our position within the union.

Vote DUP: Smash Sinn Féin! Really?

Think DUP topping the Poll will "smash" Sinn Féin

Doesn't look like it, does it?

Anti-Europeanism

Many people who hold euro sceptic beliefs are often considered anti-European or xenophobic, indeed perhaps some are, for me personally I don’t consider myself as anti-European nor do I like the term "Eurosceptic". I call myself a Pan-European anti-federalist, in that I believe in European co-operation and free trade, but am opposed to the centralisation of the anti-democratic EU.

Unlike UKIP or the BNP I'm not suggesting we pull out of Europe full stop. I don't believe in isolationism or narrow ethnic nationalism, I believe that the EU is an unrepresentative pro-federalist neo-soviet style experiment, a Frankenstein monster in need of total remodelling.

I'm not in favour of the Veritas idea of reformism from within, the EU has grown to powerful for that to work, in my opinion mass secession from the EU is the only way to topple the top down European parliament. A co-operative European council, with bottom up democratic structures, a truly representative parliament and a scrapping of the European commission; such a remodelling is possible, but probably unlikely.

Parties Sectarian League Table

Parties should look beyond topping the sectarian league

Patrick Murphy

BY Patrick Murphy

16/05/2009

If we are morally obliged to vote in elections, surely there is an obligation on political parties to give us something to vote for? In the forthcoming European Parliament election, parties in most countries will offer wide-ranging social and economic policies.

If we are not offered the same choice, it would appear reasonable to argue that we may well be morally justified in sitting at home on polling day. [click]

DUP Bogus Campaign

The DUP seem to be living in a different world than the rest of us if they believe their supposed anti-Sinn Fein agenda will wash, Diane Dodd’s declaration to "fight Sinn Féin and republicanism" is a hollow and nonsensical statement considering her party signed up to power-sharing with Sinn Fein with the St. Andrews agreement.

Did they forget that Martin McGuinness was an "ex-PIRA" terrorist? Did they overlook the fact that Peter Robinson's deputy is that same Martin McGuinness? What is the real motive behind the DUPs campaign? Perhaps they are genuinely scared of Jim Allister stealing their support base with his hardliner rhetoric, so by adopting the same sabre rattling war cries they hope to appeal to those they imagine might be swayed by Allisters moral high ground.

If it does happen the DUPs dishonesty with their voters will be mostly to blame, pre-St. Andrews the message was "no Sinn Fein/IRA in government", then suddenly a sea-change and Ian Paisley was the jolly First Minister laughing all the way to Stormont with his DFM Martin McGuinness. Resentment was obviously going to be the result, as was the "chuckle brothers" routine, no wonder many felt shocked and some betrayed; honesty and modesty would have been the better option.

"I would encourage people to think about just what it will mean if for the first time in the history of Northern Ireland, a republican party tops the poll in a Province-wide test of opinion. It would demoralise Unionism and gives Sinn Fein it’s much sought after publicity coup."

Sinn Fein have been top of the polls amongst the nationalist/republican community for a wee while now, have disbanded the army council, signed up to power sharing and gained key positions at Stormont what more publicity coups can they have?

If the DUP want to regain their position in Europe they need to drop the blindingly obvious dishonesty of supposedly fighting Sinn Fein. Cut out the negative bs and sell the idea that Sinn Fein in the open is better than in the shadows, demonstrate to the people the DUP helped bring Sinn Fein away from violence, more or less work within the UK and that in Europe our largest party needs representation.

If Diane Dodd’s really means it, fight on the positive, not on the negative.

Sinn Feins Expensive Principles

Sinn Fein's abstentionism in Westminster is an expensive principle. One wonders why an abstentionist anti-British republican party needs to be in London at all, never mind needing to spend almost "£500,000 in housing expenses since 2001." according to the Daily Mail.

Even if we concede that spending taxpayers money on accommodation is necessary, they don't really need £3,600 a month properties nor do they require flat-screen TVs or stereo systems, but allow Sinn Feiners to abuse a system and they'll do just that.

I wonder will these revelations sicken their community's support base back home? Will the abusing of taxpayers money for frivolous expenses damage their reputation and drive more republicans to hard line movements?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1180234/MPs-EXPENSES-Sinn-Fein-flats.html

Politician Expenses Solution

Sack all the abusers and every shadow cabinet MP, labour minister or backbencher, who acted like a moral vacuum hovering up taxpayers money for horse manure, porno’s or whatever!

Oh wait...we can’t! If we did that the sky would fall down, volcanoes would erupt, meteorites would fall from space and the terrorists would destroy us.