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Tuesday 20 April 2010

Sinn Fein backs McDonnell in South Belfast

It's been reported that Sinn Fein have withdrawn Alex Maskey in South Belfast. How does McDonnell feel about this Shinner endorsement? With Sir Reg Empey not responding to yesterday's call to agree a Unionist Unity candidate, for South Belfast to return to Unionism we are looking at the second option outlined yesterday at the DUP manifesto launch:

"If no arrangements are made by the close of nominations tomorrow then it will be for the voters to decide...In South Belfast I call on those voters who believe in unionist unity to recognise the DUP’s substantial, sincere and repeated efforts to achieve an agreed candidate and to vote for Jimmy Spratt who is the only unionist who can win."

Today's announcement crystallises that situation.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually today's announcement crystalises the situation that Orange-based "unionist unity" is a zero-sum game to which the nationalists will simply respond in kind.

If we actually want pro-Union representation expanded, we need to do it on a cross-community basis. Since Spratt got a small section of the Orange to do his bidding (on a Sunday), he's hardly the man to do it.

Lee said...

"small section"

Hmmm. Senior members who were willing to take a public stance for a unionist unity candidate in keeping with the Grand Master's attempts at achieving Unionist Unity and did not endorse an individual party. While all the UUP could muster was one member who demanded anonymity.