Everything Ulster - Election 2005

I came home from work today to find a number of leaflets to add to my now considerable deluge of election information in preparation for next Thursday's poll. I already had received communication from the Ulster Unionists, DUP and Alliance, today I found information from most of the remaining parties (with the notable exception of the Workers' Party, political component of the official IRA). So what did they all have to say for themselves...?

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The DUP's was easily the most comprehensive, providing both a leaflet (about the councillors) and a booklet advertising Jimmy Spratt. Actually I'd already read a PDF of Jimmy Spratt's material from the DUP website, but lets just say the majority of the focus was on how bad the UUP/David Trimble are. Oh and opposing just about everything under the sun (water charges, Ulster Unionists, SFIRA) with a strong message of "If you don't vote for us you may as well vote provo" or words to that effect.

The Ulster Unionist leaflet was actually from Esmond Birnie, a university lecturer running for Belfast City Council. No word from McGimpsey yet, nor a reply to either of the 2 letters I sent him regarding Northern Ireland's new stadium, which he supposedly wants to be built in Belfast. On one side the leaflet lists "10 good reasons to vote Esmond Birnie" basically a "who am I and what have I done/am I doing/will I do?"

The Geraldine Rice (Alliance) booklet was one that impressed me. It was addressed to me personally, possibly because I wrote to Tom Ekin previously, the only councillor of about 6 who had the decency to reply. It talks about sharing resources and public services etc, because segregated ones (having 2 of things like leisure centres - ie "a prod one and a fenian one") apparently costs £1 billion per year (Alliance estimate)! It proposes a voluntary coalition to create an effective form of power-sharing without giving any party a veto on progress and calls the attitude of the SDLP "very disappointing." Before going on to tackle gangsterism with support for the ARA and claiming that the "Alliance lobbied hard for the introduction of" ASBOs. Between their impressive leaflet and Tom Ekin's decency, my X is leaning towards the Alliance at the present moment in time.

The SDLP one seemed decent if wishy-washy. It comes in the horrid puke green that adorns the SDLP website, but other than that didn't seem at all bad - except of course for the obligatory "A better way to a better Ireland" on the back. Tut tut. I'd have considered considering him if it wasn't for that. You will never out-green Sinn Fein boys, don't try. Just focus on being reasonable people and pray that sooner or later the Sinners are ousted for what they are - killers in Armani.
Oh and there was also one for the SDLP councillors. We got two of these, one for the house and one addressed to me, presumably because I wrote to Carmel Hanna too. Needless to say they won't be getting any favours from me, as I didn't get a reply from them either.

As for the Sinn Fein one, well fair to say I'd made my mind up before I read it. The smug mugs of Gerry Adams and Alex Maskey on the front were enough to achieve that. Their leaflet looks much more professional than the SDLP but the only content on it is a personal message from Gerry Adams that looks like it was probably printed on all the candidates' leaflets, with an [insert candidate name here] half way through. Of course there's also the obligatory lipservice to the Irish language, calls for Northern representation in the Oireachtas and an Irish government green paper on preparation for annexing Northern Ireland. Votail Maskey indeed.

Finally, I also received a 'Preferendum' from the Vote For Yourself Rainbow Dream Ticket. Basically it was a list of all the numerous policies each party has which, from the brief look I had, you're supposed to mark which ones you agree with and post it back. Definitely an interesting approach, but the brochure itself does seem a bit complicated. It's printed on newsprint paper, unfortunately. Not unreasonable for a 'party' with an extremely limited budget, but it is definitely less appealing than the nice shiny offerings from the other parties.