Who is Catherine Seeley? Why she’s the young woman who had to leave her job in the Boys’ Model School in Belfast when it emerged she was a Sinn Féin member. You couldn’t have the like of that, so you couldn’t. Under threat from loyalists, she had to go.
She’s also the young woman who drove the DUP into a fury when she was elected deputy Mayor of Craigavon. Its leader on Craigavon Concil Carla Lockhart accused the Ulster Unionists of “childish hatred” ( yes, I know, Virginia). “The UUP’s childish hatred for the DUP was manifested when the UUP group chose to vote for a Sinn Fein deputy mayor rather than supporting my DUP colleague. This latest self-serving step by the UUP demonstrates that the UUP is more about opposing the DUP than about opposing republicans.”
Wow. Touched a raw nerve there.
And who is Catherine Seeley now? Why she’s the Sinn Féin candidate in Upper Bann. Not only that, young Ms Seeley is putting the wind up the DUP again. According to the Portadown Times, the constituency is a three-horse race between the UUP’s Jo-Anne Dobson, the DUP’s David Simpson, the sitting MP, and young Miss Seeley. What about the SDLP candidate? Well, it’s the old story: the SDLP have a cat in hell’s chance of taking the seat, but they’re hoping they can block the Shinners from taking it. The bookies and even I suspect the SDLP candidate know that if nationalists are to be in there with a shout, they have to vote for the remarkable Miss Seeley, who, polls show, is now within two percentage points of her rival David Simpson. She believes she can do it – Sinn Féin, she points out, topped the poll in the Assembly elections in 201, 29 votes ahead of the DUP – “and this can happen again” says the remarkable young Miss Seeley. The Irish News even had a cartoon showing her sail past her brawling rivals.
Success tomorrow all depends on those who’d normally vote SDLP. With their own candidate becalmed at the back, will they open the door for David Simpson to sail through? Or will they decide they’d rather have a Sinn Féin MP than a DUP MP? We’ll know on Friday. Anyway, I’m hoping to interview this rising star on Periscope, shortly after one o’clock today. (And no, Virginia, I haven’t forgotten Michelle Gildernew. I’ll be interviewing her on Periscope shortly after 12.00 noon. She won last time out by four votes, you’l remember. So to say that every vote counts is an understatement for both women.)
Well done Catherine, Votail Sinn Fein. the SDLP are a joke.
Jude, you mentioned the SDLP candidate for Upper Bann without mentioning the name, and would you believe, despite the correct name coming to my mind, I had to check that it was the doughty Dolores?
You also mentioned the UUP/DUP catfight, but that has female connotations to me so I immediately thought of JoAnn, Catherine Seeley and Dolores.
But where is Ms Kelly in this year? Normally around election you can’t bate her off the airwaves and TV screens, but not once has she shown her chubby cheeks.
I believe she was also awol for the launch of the party manifesto.
She and the Demon Doctor never got on too well, and he has missed so many occasions when he would have been expected to show up, I find it difficult to believe they’re off together somewhere (on party business of course).
It is also unlikely she is having personal problems as he is rumoured to be having, so why is she not taking advantage of the situation?
Where are you Dolores, and why are you in (presumably voluntary) purdah?
I have a recollection of reading that her husband suffered a stroke or something else of a serious nature.But don’t let the facts get in the way of a good prejudice against the S D L P.
Arg – If Dolores’ husband is seriously ill that is a different matter and something I was totally unaware of.
I have therefore no problem withdrawing any inference I may have implied about her absence from the airwaves.
Jude
Are you also calling for SF supporters to vote Alliance in East Belfast and SDLP in South Belfast where they have no real chance of winning themselves?
I think Sinn Fein would like their voters in East Belfast to vote Alliance this time around Gio but I don’t think they want to say it openly because it would be used by the DUP against Alliance.
Sinn Fein, in my opinion, are only running in South Belfast in preparation for the Assembly Elections next year. I still see McDonnell keeping his seat but with fewer votes. Unionist vote will be split 4 ways in South Belfast, so don’t see them being in with chance.
Ryan
Thanks, you may be right.
I guess Jude has to take the party whip on that too:)
Agh gio – you figure I’m a wee push-over, then…I feel diminished…
Jude
Spit it out then! In N Belfast you suggested not voting SDLP in order to get Nigel out, so does your logic hold in other areas, or only where it favours SF?
Wise words from Winston
In Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ Winston Smith scribbled in his secret diary,
“…to a time when thought is free, when men are different from one another and do not live alone…to a time when truth exists and what is done cannot be undone.”
The SNP continues to blaze a path all the way to Westminster. The party articulates policies through the medium of rational debate with a focus on economic recovery, working conditions and improved standards of living.
In the north of Ireland, the hustings continue to bear all the hallmarks of sectarian division, ‘KAT’, bitterness and rancour. We have industrial action, bomb scares, shootings, a recent murder, threats, intimidation, cars destroyed, buildings damaged, a culture of drugs and the need for vehicle checkpoints.
In the context of industrial action, workers have been left with no alternative other than to withdraw their labour. Perhaps it is time for some of the faceless bureaucrats to account for the decisions they make which result in services being withdrawn. It is time to come clean about Tory privatisation of the health service by stealth and a ‘bonus’ culture that is bringing standards crashing down in the health service.
Tory politicians and policies continue to be an impediment to progress in Scotland and on this part of the island. Many in Scotland are now aware that there are alternatives to Tory austerity policies. Time will tell if some people in the north of Ireland wish to maintain a status quo based on sectarianism, racism and economic stagnation.
Silence is Holding (your breath).
Of the probs encountered by Ms.Catherine Seeley
D’Southern F. Chicken media havn’t made a mealy;
Not of the SDLP
Or UUP, you see
So, not a dicky b. from the Tanaiste fluent in Swahili.
Probably a squirrel to encourage the unionist voters to focus.
Let’s see, the ‘inclusive society” according to the DUP does not include, gay or lesbians, does not include ‘republicans”,( probably not “ordinary decent catholics” either) and apparently may not include any Ulster Unionist who is not DUP. They are still longing for the halcyon days when Paisely, Magennis, John Taylor and McCusker kept the croppies in their place. Very sad, while most of the northern part of Ireland has moved on (or is trying to) these misanthropes are mired waste deep in a time that is gone and not coming back
I used to be furious when the stoops put up hopeless candidates, it looked like classic vote splitting, but it dawned on me a while back that if you were going to vote for Sinn Féin, having another candidate would make no difference. I couldn`t care less if there were another ten Nationalist candidates, my vote would still go to Sinn Féin. I hope Ms Seeley beats the troglodyte Simpson, he deserves to be sent back into obscurity, much like the dinosaurs he probably denies ever existed.
We need more women in Politics.after the sterling,work,of Ruth Patterson.Diana Doods,Suan white.Roberta Mc Nally ,kitty ruane …..it proves women do the job with more passion,dedication and pride
In plain English..if you are a SF IN EAST.BELFAST VOTE LONG
Or vote at least for a person who does condemn gay people…
One side of my family were big SDLP voters during the troubles, with the exception that some of them voting for Bobby Sands in Fermanagh/South Tyrone in 1981. SDLP voters in North Belfast and Upper Bann have the perfect opportunity to deliver a MASSIVE blow to the DUP tomorrow by lending their vote to Gerry Kelly and Catherine Seeley. This would stop David Simpson and Nigel Dodds returning to Westminster. Its important to remember that Dodds is also deputy leader of the DUP and leader of the DUP Westminster team. We have the numbers to do this, whats important is NOT splitting the nationalist vote.
Do the right thing SDLP voters, stand up for nationalism and lend your vote to Sinn Fein and lets make history! #Kelly4MP #Seeley4MP