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Election 07

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On the Privy

  • Mark Devenport
  • 27 Feb 07, 06:01 PM

Ian Paisley was as pleased as punch when he joined politicians like JIm Molyneaux on the Privy Council back in October 2005. Now there's another Privy Council member for him to chat to. Arise the Right Honourable David Hanson, Political Development Minister.

Davy Tweed rumours

  • Mark Devenport
  • 27 Feb 07, 05:04 PM

There are rumours that the Ballymena DUP councillor Davy Tweed is to quit the party. One of the Magnificent Ballymena Seven who announced they would not work for the DUP during this campaign, Tweed is well known both for his hardline views and his prowess as an Ireland rugby international. A few weeks ago he was photographed in the Ballymena Guardian alongside the UK Unionist leader Bob McCartney.

It's thought Councillor Tweed could be on the verge of an announcement either tonight or tomorrow.


Ouch 2

  • Mark Devenport
  • 27 Feb 07, 04:02 PM

The blog has already documented the danger that voter's dogs can pose to canvassers. But what about the risk candidates' posters can pose to voters?

My colleague Yvette Shapiro had a close shave whilst driving down the Lower Ormeau Road. She was just passing the SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell's surgery, when a gust of wind caught one of his posters and blew it across the road. Yvette swerved to avoid it but didn't hit anyone else. If there had been an accident she might have had to call on Dr McDonnell's professional services.

Yvette is not alone. The Talkback programme had a number of calls from motorists warning about the hazard posed by election posters swirling around the carriageway on the M2. Another caller said some posters were obscuring traffic lights in the city centre.

On the topic of posters, the SDLP's Strangford candidate Joe Boyle has complained vociferously about loyalists taking down or defacing his posters in Killyleagh, Comber and Newtownards. As PA's Dan McGinn has already pointed out, the Ulster Unionist Derek Hussey has (suitably ironically) offered to sign his posters for those who admire him so much that they have been taking them home. And at today's Alliance launch, Sean Neeson appeared genuinely amused about the graffiti artists in East Antrim who, on Ash Wednesday, added a cross to his forehead.

Living at the edge

  • Mark Devenport
  • 27 Feb 07, 03:18 PM

Not everyone can see the point of this election, but the management of the Edge Bar on the River Lagan would beg to differ. They have hosted a number of SDLP events, culminating in the party's manifesto launch yesterday. Then today it was the same bar, same collection of tired hacks, but a different bunch of politicians gathered together for the Alliance launch.

David Ford once again argued that only his party provides an alternative to "tribal" politics. Amongst the ideas in the manifesto are proposals for fewer MLAs, a local income tax to replace the rates, scrapping tuition fees, enabling the hot pursuit by the police of crime suspects across the border and making savings by closing segregated schools and other facilities.

On the margins I got a chat with the South Belfast candidate Anna Lo. Like most candidates, she reports a warm response on the doorsteps, although she says she has taken two racist abusive telephone calls at home. She is sending out a Cantonese election leaflet, but even though South Belfast is the most ethnically diverse of all the local constituencies it seems unlikely that the Chinese voters on the register would be that decisive in any vote. Anna Lo reckons there are 167 households which might translate into 300 plus votes.

Ms Lo was the first ethnic minority candidate to stand in a Northern Ireland election. But since her campaign was launched the Green party has added another in the shape of Stephanie Sim, who is from Singapore and is standing in Strangford. She has drafted her parents in for assistance, not least because she's just had a baby, seven week old Amhairghin.

The Green Party leader in Dublin, Trevor Sargent, was up here today in his bio fuelled bus. But I think the politician who is getting around the most must be the Conservative Neil Johnston, who is standing in Lagan Valley. After interviewing him at his own manifesto launch yesterday I spotted him at the Alliance's launch today, and he readily admitted to attending the DUP's manifesto event last week. It's not that Neil is keeping all his political options open, but that he wants to stay informed for his day job as a lobbyist.

STV for Schools

  • Mark Devenport
  • 27 Feb 07, 10:33 AM

Just off to Alliance's manifesto launch. Presuming that like the Tories yesterday they will have plenty of criticism of the designation system at Stormont. Also expecting more on saving costs by cutting segregation and abolishing tuition fees at university.

On the topic of education, I've just got an e-mail from the Untangled Web which has prepared a guide to teh Assembly elections targeted at 15 - 18 years olds. It's well worth a look on this link

On the topic of internet based resources, I must also say that Sammy Morse's constituency guides have been extremely impressive.

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