Everything Ulster - Election 2005

DUP leader Rev. Ian Paisley has written to David Trimble stating that a unionist electoral pact is still possible according to the Newsletter. However, the Reverend insists that the only seats worth discussing are Fermanagh/South Tyrone and South Belfast, both traditionally UU seats, and therein lies the problem.

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Both sides are, typically, too stubborn to entertain the thought that the other side might be able to win the seat. The DUP, with their current public favour among unionists, believe that their candidates are the only ones who can "unite unionism". Ulster Unionists take the view that these have always been UU seats and that their candidates, therefore, have the best chance of taking the seat.

The DUP went on to say, ... it would appear that you came to the discussions with a fixed and inflexible view which was based solely on the selfinterest of your own party, which is, frankly, a bit rich coming from Ian Paisley, the biggest ego within unionism.

I have to wonder if it's not a coincidence that as the DUP vote increases so does Sinn Fein, or to put it another way, as the more extreme party of one community gets more voters, so does the other. You almost wonder if the people of Northern Ireland don't want their own government. People have got to realise that these elections aren't about the border anymore. That issue was settled in 1998 and can only be changed by a referendum. In reality if the candidates accepted this there's no reason why the unionists couldn't agree on a united unionist candidate.

However, they insist on fighting over who's "more unionist" than the other, and the nationalists spend their election time trying to out-Irish each other. Perhaps it's a good idea if we are governed from Westminster if this is how our politicians behave!

These elections are about who will work for Northern Ireland's best interests in the next 5 years. Forget the border, it's there to stay until we say otherwise.

Who will fight for Northern Ireland's interests in Westminster?

Who will fight for Northern Ireland's new stadium? It would appear no-one!

Who will save our grammar schools, which 2/3rds of Northern Ireland support, from being absorbed into a comprehensive style system which has failed the rest of the UK? The DUP and UUP are both in favour of going along with the 62% of people who want to keep academic selection. How any of the rest can call themselves democrats, is beyond me.

Who will fight for the sake of fighting?

These are the issues that need sorting out, not the border. So when someone comes round canvassing for your vote, don't hide and hope they go away. Challenge them on what they're really doing for Northern Ireland.