Photosales
niJobfinder
niCarfinder
Home Delivery
Propertynews
The joke is on the DUP
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Robin Newton’s assertion that the European election was a bad experience for the unionist family (Writeback, June 17) is laughable.
It certainly was a bad experience for the DUP, which lost one third of its vote to the Traditional Unionist Voice. Diane Dodds fought a totally negative campaign, which backfired on her and the DUP. It is the height of hypocrisy to criticise Jim Allister for splitting the
unionist vote, when his transfers saw the election of both Jim Nicholson and Diane Dodds. Many DUP MLAs will be looking for alternative employment come the next Assembly election.
Tom Neill
Belfast
- Text Size
David - I think you should get your own facts right before criticising another comment. How exactly can any government PROMOTE homosexuality? If you mean promoting tolerance and ensuring that discrimination is outlawed, then good on the government! Think about your words - how can equality measures lead to inequality? Can you name one law that gives homosexuals more rights than heterosexuals? Even one? Come on, give me one way that gay people have more rights than straight people!
Posted by Brian | 29.06.09, 11:04 GMT
stephen 1 ...what is quite funny about your comment about the DUP minister believing the world is 6000 years old? Jim Allister belongs to the same religous denominaton and also believes in a young earth.
It is reasonable to oppose terrorists in govt. But what will you put in its place. You can't bring it down over terrorists in govt when what replaces it will promote homosexuality imo unequally, to a status above other life choices; or introduces abortion, which this assembly stopped.
Posted by david | 26.06.09, 16:56 GMT
Well said RMS.
Posted by M S | 26.06.09, 14:09 GMT
Ulysses, you are correct in saying the DUP have changed but I don't think they saved anyone from anything.
The DUP made a purely political decision to out-manoeuvre the UUP. This they executed perfectly, hence the recent cries of hypocrisy. The TUV are attempting to replicate the DUP move by appealing to the lowest common denominator.
I fail to see how halting cross-border cooperation has helped anyone. I am not interested in hearing the same old tired arguments, they amount to scare-mongering
Posted by M S | 26.06.09, 14:08 GMT
What does Jim Allister propose exactly? That we scrap the assembly and go back to war on the streets? I have no idea what he stands for at all and see him as a dangerous man with nothing to offer anyone. Ironically Ian Paisley was exactly the same for 30 years until his late-life turnaround.
Seriously though: how could anyone want to scrap the assembly and go back to the madness now?
Posted by Ben | 26.06.09, 14:07 GMT
Well stated TJ. Now all that is required is for the parties to work together to benefit all the people of Northern Ireland. People with views like Mr.Allister are part of the reason that political progress has been so slow.
Posted by RMS | 26.06.09, 11:49 GMT
stephen 1 | 26.06.09, 07:51
You make so many points that I hardly know where to start.
'it is most reasonable to oppose terrorists in government.'
People can and often do change for the better. I happen to believe that most in Sinn Fein have made that change. Their words and actions that have, 'put their lives on the line', are evidence.
Posted by T J McClean | 26.06.09, 09:21 GMT
tj, I disagree. it is most reasonable to oppose terrorists in government. that is neither hardline, nor extreme, but simply morally right. I hope the tuv gain conrol over the udemocratic assembly and bring it craching down and get rid of the incompetent fools running the departments. Its a laugh when you have a dup minister who seriously believes the earth is a mere 6000 years old. You couldnt make it up!
Posted by stephen 1 | 26.06.09, 07:51 GMT
What a daft comment M S.
It was the DUP who brought forward proposal to dig us ut the whole the UUP got us into. Unaccountable ministers, NSMC, cross border bodies, daily concessions and erosion of Britishness.
Now what we have we hold. Nothing significant can ever again be foisted on the unionist people. Academic selection saved, irish langauge act blocked, minister accountable to assembly, rates frozen, double water charges blocked.
Jim Allister wants to reverse this? Not in my name.
Posted by david | 25.06.09, 18:51 GMT
On the contrary, MS. The DUP have adapted. It's dinosaurs like Jim Allister who are stuck in the past.
Posted by Ulysses31 | 25.06.09, 16:00 GMT
Alternatively Sinn Fein have plenty to be laughing about as the unionist family spit venom at each other.
Mr Allister is a throw back to the dark days of the seventies that most people have no desire to return to. Life has moved on thankfully. Mrs Dodds was simply a silly candidate choice.
Posted by T J McClean | 25.06.09, 13:51 GMT
I suspect they are well aware of this. The fact they have wheeled Paisley senior out of retirement says it all.
Being a fundamentalist party the DUP are incapable of adapting to new circumstances, which is precisely why they will fail in the long run. I and many others look forward to the next election!
Posted by M S | 25.06.09, 13:19 GMT