They can kneecap each other.
Why has it taken so long?
Any truth in the rumour that SF Derry is in turmoil, massive in fighting.
I believe the bhoys from the ‘we haven’t gone away you know’ days had to go knocking on houses to calm things down.
So called dissidents rule Derry now alongside the resurgent INLA, and a lot of other areas aswell,it’s what it is, happened before stickies- provos-real ra- new IRA etc,it’s life ,not good for anyone but it is what it is
Ref Derry in turmoil it’s not- provos ruled not now,main men in Derry city are 1- ex Provo and his boss who comes from a long line of Republicans and GAA men,his dad / grandad were on the county board,not from the bog or any working class area,but Marlborough tce
I know the Derry brigade that have the pub in Portugal which is a money spinner and they have no love for SF.
Can never believe what they say as they are so anti SF but thought I’d ask.
If Derry is “ruled by” dissos and the INLA, I think that’s a fair indication of turmoil
I imagine that’s one of several reasons why Colum Eastwood was elected so easily
Provos own half Derry always did, that’ll never change,but they know their place now , remember what they did on Belfast joe Joe o Connor will never be allowed to happen again, Adams nephew was in charge of the crew that took him out,( provos flexing over tobacco smuggling/ sales) O Connor at the time was re ra o/c
Derry City has generally been a Stoop stronghold.
Derry is the dissident hub
As in S.toop D own L.ow P.arty
TBH I don’t care what it is/ was/ will be as long as mine are ok
Whereas SF are Stoop Further
But they didn’t win it last time
They did this time because
i) SF weren’t representing them, especially over Brexit
ii) The SF candidate came across as being as thick as a plank and out of her depth
iii) Eastwood himself was an excellent candidate, young and dynamic, as is Claire Hanna in South Belfast, the SDLP haven’t had candidates like that for a long time
iv) The disso situation especially the Lyra McKee murder, SF are not dissos but they used to be Provos and SF suffered because of that because people want peace above all else
v) The Stormont situation and a general disillusionment with partisan DUP/SF politics in general
Their turn
SF are cracking all over the place at grass roots
Foyleside has always been a Stoop stronghold though, it’s just going back to normality.
I don’t think Eastwood is anywhere near an excellent candidate, he is weak.
He is an excellent candidate
He’s smart, young, articulate and constructive, as is Hanna
That’s what people want
SF won in North Belfast because for once they put up a canididate who was also all of those things, if Finucane hadn’t been those things, he wouldn’t have won
Gildernew is also smart and articulate and that’s why she keeps winning (bar 2015)
NI electorates are moving towards electing the best candidates, and they want representation
SF have increasingly tended to put up poor candidates in recent years and that’s one of the reasons why they had a decline - you can’t keep neglecting the quality of your candidates and not expect a backlash
The DUP are suffering even more as the Unionist community even sicker of a lot of DUP candidates
He’s not, he’s full of shit and hasn’t really done much so far in his time with the Stoops. Care to tell us exactly what Eastwood has achieved?
Derry City has always been a Stoop stronghold. You shouldn’t read too much into the last election results as it was fought on Brexit lines and for once there was some agreement between SF and the stoops not to run candidates in certain areas for fear of letting the unionists win.
What do you expect him to have achieved in a couple years as SDLP leader?
He’s achieved their best election performance for a long time, which is what he’s there to do
He offers actual representation by a quality candidate, which his opponent completely failed to do
What have SF achieved in the last three years up north?
Fuck all is the answer - same sex marriage and abortion, which are the only advances the north has had in any area in that time, are only in because of Westminster rule
During Brexit, the nationalist community of the north have had no representation either in Westminster or Stormont
That isn’t all their fault as regards Stormont because they’re dealing with the DUP, but they are associated with it and they have to share some of that blame
The abstentionism policy from Westminster has run its course
And a lot of even SF voters or people who would consider voting SF are sick of it