Mark

it's 23000 and 4 btw

Posted by Marlowe | 10.05.10, 12:16 GMT

Is 3 jobs Alistair still an MLA? The SDLP, in my opinion, pushed Fearghal into the Fermanagh\Tyrone election in the hope that Sinn Fein would have one seat less than they should have, thus bringing parity(in an SDLP way) to the Nationalist vote. Why do people vote for greedy people and SDLP is full of greedy people, another opinion.

Posted by HC | 10.05.10, 10:53 GMT

Why should we have any faith in the last recount - given that each one produced different results ? I suspect the legal avenues will be looked at yet again in this key constituency!

Posted by Alex | 09.05.10, 00:04 GMT

Arp?
Gildernew people " found " perfectly legal votes in the spoiled votes box. who put them there and why?

Posted by Patrick | 08.05.10, 16:40 GMT

Mark | 07.05.10, 17:35 GMT

Sorry Mark, we don't take lectures from Unionists on what is or is not 'decent'. Unionism discriminated against and humiliated Catholic for decades and had to be dragged towards a more equal society. Do you complain about the lack of decency of McCrea supporters when their candidate shared a platform with Billy Wright?

Posted by Michael | 08.05.10, 14:51 GMT

Arp, i guess they were thrown on the floor during the 1st count.

Posted by Spot_On | 08.05.10, 13:09 GMT

Séamus, abstentionism has been used by Irish republican political movements in the United Kingdom and Ireland since the early 19th century. Arthur Griffith's "Sinn Féin Policy", formulated 1905–07 set the precedent for this. It is interesting that although we exist in a whole new situation, abstentionism is still around. Of course the spirit of abstentionism is dead. Sinn Féin works hand in glove with the British administration, but would prefer to avoid the public acknowledgement of that fact.

Posted by Hector | 08.05.10, 10:39 GMT

well done mo chara

Posted by eamonn | 08.05.10, 10:16 GMT

Arlene, Arlene, Arleeeene,

I beg you, please don't jump the gun'....

Posted by they think it's all over | 08.05.10, 09:42 GMT

I don't know why people are bemoaning a lack of representation at w'mster. It is hardly a paragon of political virtue and not an effective place from which to have our affairs run. The only use w'mster is useful for is the annual handout to the obese public sector of the north and that has fostered complacency and a culture of brain drain. If its your public sector job you are worried about, try working harder, because the rest of us see very little value for it. FST has the correct representation and is ready to take advantage of the recovery and see stable economic growth in peacetime, as long as people learn what a days work is and stop suckling the nipple of w'smster, which is dry in any event. Get on with it and stop whinging.

Posted by Bapman | 08.05.10, 09:08 GMT

As one who has lived in the Republic for a number of years I can say that the southern Irish have more interest in what happens in Britain than in the north. After all, that is their export market. Perhaps that is the reason why Sinn Fein flounders in the Republic and is a sideline party.

Posted by Seamus M | 08.05.10, 08:21 GMT

"In very tight races like this small numbers of votes can change according to the interpretation placed on the voters intentions by the election count officials."

Really? And where did you get that nonsense from Allwyn?

Posted by Gracey | 08.05.10, 02:19 GMT

I'm 26 and haven't a clue about previous voting. Thursday morning came and for the first time in my life I put an x beside the person I felt deserve to win. Catholic r not my vote was not made by wanting to get 1 over on the other people standing for Election. I made it because it felt right, this Country needs sorting out and Michelle is the one to do it.

Posted by louise | 08.05.10, 01:03 GMT

Feel sorry for the 5 sf seat constituencies as they will have nobody to fight their corner when there are going to be some huge decisions for NI made very very soon.

Posted by Who Knows? | 07.05.10, 22:57 GMT

Daithi says "
dis is a nationalist seat and it nearly went to a right wing tory unionist, Bobby Sands would be turning in his grave."

Daithi, I think Bobby Sands would have been turning in his grave a long time ago, at the thought that he foolishly sacrificed his life for the republican cause to now see his colleagues sitting in Stormont, which was available more than 20 years ago. A United Ireland remains as far away today as it was 20 years ago. And that isn`t going to change no matter how many times Gerry wishes for it, and especially by electing abstentionist MP`s like Michelle.

Posted by Cliff | 07.05.10, 22:17 GMT

With Sinn Fein not taking their seats at Westminster this result amounts to little more than defecating on the Unionist voters Sinn Fein say they are trying to reach out to. "neither in us, nor on us, but we got one over on the other side" Another great victory.

Posted by Stephen Blacker | 07.05.10, 22:16 GMT

Séamus, everyone knows that S.F. is a true epublican party and refuses to take an oath to the English morarch, yet its vote continuesto ncrease. The other 'Nationalist' party, the SDLP, gladly swears allegiance to the Queen, but does very little for its voters in Westminister. It is probable that many of the voters who support Sinn Féin do so, not because they
like its politics, but because they see it as the L.O.P., the least objectionable party.

Posted by Seán Mac Curtáin | 07.05.10, 22:15 GMT

Sinn Fein voters do not want our people in Britain that includes our politicians, when will you learn it is quite simple we are heading for Dial Eireann. Unlike the SDLP we will not swear an oath to a foreign queen.

Posted by sean from co down Ireland | 07.05.10, 22:07 GMT

Séamus, you ask for answers, then you don't want a history lesson. If you knew so much you wouldn't need to ask. They run to demonstrate the strength of republicanism, and they do help their constituents locally. They are obviously doing a lot better by not going to Westminster than those who do, and their high vote tallies back them up. Sinn Féin never has and never will sit in a foreign parliament and swear allegiance to a monarch. The British parties neither care about or need any of the Irish parties, including the unionists, who are only lackeys they come to for a few votes when needed. The unionists would be better off and have more of a say if they were in a 32-county Dáil, and the sooner they come to that obvious realization, the better.

Posted by Diarmuid | 07.05.10, 21:57 GMT

"After the first count, Mr Connor was 10 votes ahead before his Sinn Fein rival took the lead in the subsequent recount."

Incorrect. 1st count Connor was 8 votes in front. 1st recount, Gildernew was 10 votes in front. 2nd recount Gildernew was 2 votes in front.
Then the 3rd she won by 4.

Posted by aldousduke | 07.05.10, 21:23 GMT