Could the SDLP be done under the Trades Description Act? They present themselves as the moderate nationalist party, but where’s the beef? Take their name – the Social Democratic and Labour Party. Those are all commendable titles but none of them make reference to being an Irish nationalist party. They have declared – and this is significant – that if they get elected to Westminster they will boldly enter the chamber and support Labour. Again, a perfectly valid position to adopt. But not a nationalist one. Were they committed to nationalism, they surely would plan to move and form an alliance with the SNP? Yes, Virginia, I know the SNP have said they’ll prop up Labour too; but that is coincidental to the SDLP. Their concern is a Labour government, not to form links with our Celtic neighbours.
Scene: a Westminster corridor.
Oh hi, Nicola, fancy meeting a nice girl like you here. No, we hadn’t come to have a chinwag with you, we were going to tell Ed Miliband how we will support him, no ifs or buts, no horse-trading so we get something in return. Why didn’t we meet up with you and forge a Celtic nationalist alliance that’d put the squeeze on Labour? Well, you know, without wanting to be insulting, nationalism is such an outmoded approach to politics, people in the twenty-first century have moved away from narrow national borders…What’s that? You’re a nationalist? Are you sure? You look so respectable…And you’re the most popular party leader in the UK? Get outa here – really? That’s amazing. And your party membership has quadrupled since your defeat in the referendum? Crikey. Maybe we’ve been a bit hasty. Here – Alex, get that young guy what’s-his-name, Coyle is it? Get him to write a sentence that every SDLP candidate must use in every speech from now on. Something like “Of course, we in the SDLP have always been in the forefront of the fight – no, don’t say fight – say campaign – in the campaign to bring about a self-governing united Ireland.” That should give us a boost, right Alban?….You don’t think so? You figure there’s nothing much that’s going to give us a boost now. Barring free Red Bulls all round. Right. I see. Well, let’s use a slogan or something. Like maybe “Decent people vote for the SDLP”…What? It’s been used before? By the Ulster Unionists? So how did it work for them? …Oh. Right. Well, chin up. Miracles can happen. Maybe you’d arrange for the bishop to say a Mass or two for a very special intention. No, don’t tell him what it’s for. He’ll know himself…He’s not one of these nationalists, is he? …Well thank God for that.
I listened to Albran’scar crash interview yesterday, I nearly felt sorry for him . The point about labour amused me; Albran is a barrister, Alex a solicitor, Alaistair a doctor, all very labouring professions. I also wonder how they can describe themselves as a party wanting a united Ireland when they happily swear allegiance to the English Monarch, though, perhaps they want a united Ireland under theBritish Crown. halcyon Days.
As far as I can see, Alistair McDonnell isn’t even bothering to campaign for his own seat, let alone the party. What the hell is going on in SDLP hq? For some reason, I can’t help thinking about that movie ‘Downfall’…..
Why is Allister so quiet What has he to hide why has he got court injunctions out against the Media
Mmm. Interesting line you’re sniffing after there, Tomas…
Deep-rooted discontent
Nationalism as symbolised in, The Flower of Scotland, is blooming. Perhaps there are lessons for this part of the island.
If politicians fail to demonstrate that politics can improve standards of living and enhance the quality of life for all, people, especially younger people will avoid the ballot box. Politicians and journalists who attack political parties because they disagree with a particular political hue, are in fact expressing contempt and a lack of respect for electoral mandates.
Ms Sturgeon and the SNP have thrown down a gauntlet. The male dominated tweedledum and tweedledee choice between a Labour candidate or a Conservative candidate is over. The electorate is responding to the dynamic leadership that is currently being provided by the SNP. Ms Sturgeon does not skirt around issues. SNP policies are on display and the imperial masters are not comfortable. Longshanks has been consigned to the past…
Flower of Scotland…These days are passed now/ and in the past they must remain/But we can still rise now/and be the nation again…
The stoops would be dead if they had the wit to stiffen.
can we just take this back a bit not a history lesson jude but a few facts : In the post 1969 period Gerry Fitt described himself as leader of the Irish Republican Labour party in the mold of James Connolly with his colleague the late Paddy Kennedy, we as republican nationalist turned to him to get the british to intervene in Belfast and Derry while others called on the free state to do likewise and as we know the british army came on to the streets and the free state stood idly by. but the negotiations with Jack Lynch continued about how the question of the existence of the northern state could continue in its then current form Paddy Kennedy my brother John and Gerry Fitt where paramount in these talks and the making of plans to defend the catholic areas in belfast and across the north which in turn led to the import of arms and the arms trial.
In november 1970 my father died from a heart attack and of course Gerry duly attended the wake and funeral at the wake a young man called Tony OKean asked Fitt was he a republican or a politician and his answer was without hesitation i am a politician first and a republican second i can tell you, you would have heard a pin drop when he said that the place went into shock and disbelief.
So my contribution to this debate is this Gerry Fitt founded the sdlp out of self interest supported by Curry,Hume,and Paddy Devlin who at Sunningdale and the power sharing executive of Faulkner took money from the people on social welfare for rent and rates which they had told them as an act of civil disobedience and protest against interment.
For a lot off if not all nationalist and republicans that was the end of the sdlp dead before it got started Currie joined the Fine Gael blue shirts in the free state hume sided with the british at every opportunity There priotiery was never the people it was and still is self interest and preservation, but now i am afraid Caesar has no clothes and they are now fully exposed for what they are catholic unionists
They have backed the SNP call to scrap Trident, Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Very admirable. But what about Sellafield the SDLP was very vocal about that place is it still going? Measure of effectiveness there.
I have no objections to civilian nuclear physics research being carried out at Sellafield, it would be irresponsible for them not to given the need to investigate the radioactivity, nor anything that aids the nuclear decommissioning of a lot of the closed down nuclear power plants and reprocessing plant.
As far as I am aware, only one reprocessing plant remains and its mainly due to in-feasibility to deal with nuclear waste from MAGNOX fuels any other way, as dry storage
Tomas, You wonder why Alasdair is so quiet. Also why he is so worried and haggard looking all of a sudden.
There are stories/rumours flying around the internet which may be of interest to you, but of course we cannot mention them.
But it must be great to be able to afford to buy the protection of the courts.
There’s only so many times you can flog a dead horse..that’s what I hear them saying in Fermanagh
I think virtually the whole world and its mother (the forerunners of the dogs in the street) know what Tomas is hinting at there. But there was a hustings last night at Lorag (presumably The Shafttesbury Rec Centre). That’s only 150 yards from his former surgery and the party headquarters AND HE DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER TURNING UP!!!! Neither did anyone else from the SDLP (or the DUP, naturally). Why has nobody in the media seen fit to mention that a party leader and parliamentary candidate has gone to ground? I suppose for fear of catching super-injunctivitus. He’s given Jonathon Bell virtually a clear run to the Sth Belfast seat. Was there ever a worse party leader?
Paul – I’d go along with much of what you say. I’m afraid I’ve spammed a couple of comments on this matter, partly for legal reasons and partly because I hate the way accusations can be accepted as facts. That applies to people I’d have sympathy for and people I’d have little sympathy for. I hope posters can accept that – I don’t like censoring but sometimes it’s necessary if people are to be treated fairly.
Due process has to be respected. Any man accused needs to be presumed innocent.
I guess, for me, the question arises as to whether the electorate should be informed of these accusations prior to polling day. There does seem a democratic deficit in withholding information from voters.
You are clearly unfamiliar with the phrase The Cause of Labour is the Cause of Ireland?
Anton Lembede (considered a future ANC leader). His thoughts on Nationalism were;
“it is the only antidote against foreign rule and imperialism. Foreign powers endeavour to discourage and eradicate nationalistic tendencies among their alien subjects. Propaganda campaigns dismiss nationalism as ‘narrow, barbarous, uncultured, devilish’ etc. Some alien subjects become dupes of this sinister propaganda and subsequently become tools or instruments of imperialism, for which they are highly praised by the imperialistic power and showered with epithets such as ‘cultured, liberal, progressive etc’ etc.
I came across the above extract years ago when I read Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. On first reading it it struck me that this description perfectly applied to the SDLP. They are “dupes” and “tools or instruments of imperialism”.
To be brutally honest I feel nothing but disdain for that particular party and I only hope that their vote continues to shrink. If there are any SDLP supporters following this blog can you perhaps put forward any good reasons why you feel the SDLP would deserve someone’s vote before say SF?
Just a quick thank you to you Jude. I love your blog. It can’t be easy to keep it up, but I’m sure all the readers of it along with the regular contributors to the comments section appreciate it.
Patrick – you have made my day. Go raibh cead maith agat. PS I’m just a gobby fenian bastard…
Well said Patrick, especially the bit about Jude and the blog. I wonder sometimes myself how he finds the mental energy.
He`s a Professor with a brain the size of a small planet!
Lol
Was there even a mention of Irish Unity in the SDLP’s election broadcast and election material? I haven’t had a leaflet through the letterbox yet from them but I saw the SDLP broadcast and I cant remember even the word “Irish”, let alone “Irish Unity” being mentioned.
The SDLP, like the UUP, is heading towards collapse if their downward spiral continues. Maybe if their party got more in touch with their roots and actually mentioned Irish Unity every now and then and promote it then their downward spiral might ease.
I actually support some of the SDLP’s stances, such as on abortion, etc but the party needs new blood and certainly new leadership. It needs to start sounding more like Sinn Fein when it comes to Ireland because that minority of nationalists that do vote SDLP now are getting fed up with their seemingly “neutral” stance when it comes to the border question here.
I kind of hope that those nationalists in South Belfast who vote for Allister because they can’t stand Sinn fein would hold their noses and give Mairtin a vote. Love him or loathe him Mairtin is so much more capable than the Doctor and did a very good job as Belfast Mayor. The Doctor does a lot of damage to the image of Irish Nationals with his car crash style of politics.
Alisdair was on talkback for an hour todayand came accross as a man with strong moral and family values.He referenced his wife and family several times ,how they accompanied on the canvas and even held a vote on what song he would pick.When asked what differentiated the SDLP and SF,he promptly answered “we’re pro life,they’re not”.He is an upstanding citizen,head and shoulders in moral terms above the SF corner boys and I’m sure that there was no time delay on the phone in or any screening of listeners questions.
‘He is an upstanding citizen’.
That’s a very unambiguous statement Michael, which could come back to bite you on the bum very quickly.
I am sure he is a decent man but his politics are awful. The sooner the stoops are consigned to the dustbin of Irish history the better. Have you witnessed them sitting in the British commons with all the other colonial freaks? Excruciating.
Michael. …….your deluded son.
Michael when the truth outs you’re in for a heck of a shock.
Moral is not a term I would use when talking about the the stoop down low party.
The “spotlight” is on the SDLP as it was on McDonnell during his first leadership speech – I don’t recall a worse leader speech ever! Like the spotlight was blinding him, the party faithful are being blinded by their their lack of direction or realistically their purpose in the politics of the North. A dreadful party of older professional gentlemen who have nothing in common with the electorate, nor seem to try and find common ground! I’ve refused to watch their party political broadcast and binned any of their election material that has come my way. When an SDLP rep is on the radio, I observe a few minutes silence (as a sign of respect) as the radio goes off! Being blunt the SDLP “bore” the tears out of me! I’ve never seen the SDLP as a “nationalist” party – their silence on the national question, their failure to provide any alternative or raise the debate provides enough reason. In relation to policy – they are outdated, conservative and as of late some of their politicians don’t even know what the party stands for, like the rest of us!
I thought a few years ago with the likes of Conal McDevitt coming through the party ranks, the SDLP may have reinvigorated itself! Nope – the Doc took over and instead of “curing” the problems of the party, he “proscribed” them with the kiss of death. I cannot see anyone there now who can save the party – I’ve said before here – the SDLP are on a “political life support machine” – the next few elections shall see their end! Instead of their “post nationalist” thought, we will soon be entering a period of post SDLP.
One of Johann Sebastian Bacharach’s most enduring cantatas, Esteemed Blogmeiser is ‘Trains and Boats and Planes’ and one wonders which of the three listed modes of transport the SDLP MPs prefer to use on their regular, knee-jerk jaunts to Westminster,
One suspects that the gnat-sized party prefer the aerial route as befits the flying intellectual insects of Lord Fitt’s invention. And as they are being X-rayed and scanned on their way out by the mental detectors it would be rivetng to discover if they ever spare one of their rare thoughts for the man after whom their local airport is named.The man whose airport cornered the market once dominated by Nutts if not Nats.
The same man who caused the old leprechaun proverb to be rejigged from ‘Is e Dia an fear is fearr’ to ‘Is e Seoirse an fear is fearr;. From ‘God is the best man’ to ‘George is the best man’. Though not,one hastens to add, in the marital sense, least of all the similar gender sense.
George Best (for it is he !) crossed over to the Mainland to bewitch the world with his sorcery in a game that was then known as soccer and was a once a week wonder in Tellyland. And only the most introverted of Linfield begrudgers would boo the Bishop baptized Bob for tipping off Man U about you know who.
Does your average (very) SDLP MP’s inner notice box actually fancy he/she is following in the dancing feet of the man Pele called the greatest? Mind you, the idea must not be summarily dismissed.
Creid e no na creid/ believe it or not It’s an idea which has legs, even if Georgie tended to keep his feet where his ankles were while the gnationalists of the SDLP invariably tend to put them where their motor mouths are. While politics is a whole different, erm ball game, from the one, Cregagh’s Finest adorned nonetheless there are episodes of his career which the slow-learning dough-earning Stoops might ponder with profit.
When Seoirse Og first went over to Old Trafford one of the menial tasks he was assigned was to clean up the terraces after games. Which the genial one did as it meant pocketing all the loose change which had dropped out of the spectators’ pockets during the game. The more exciting the game the better the harvesf ot haflpence, pence and the odd sixpence..
It made the inherent insult of the boring chore which involved a deal of, erm, stooping just about bearable for the Boy Wonder compelled to knuckle under.
And here’s where’s the idea grows legs. Rather than just travel over to Westminster to take the Queen’s shilling,and attend the wine receptions the SDLP MPs might consider double jobbing as cleaners of the House of Commons at the end of the day, going forward.
Consider the benefits; it would involve two physical manoevres which the SDLP MPs: have attained black belts in, bending the knee and stooping. Skill sets can be seamlessly applied to the picking up of unconsidered loose change under the benches.
Lowly though this option might appear, it can be argued that it is a deal preferable to their current subterranean status at Westminister: where they are not EVEN ignored.
Failing that, the nuclear option is always there, even if it has become rather old and decidedly murky by now.. The SDLP might start by remembering their old Patron Tip-head O’Neill’s famous dictum about how all politics rhymes with yokel.
Which would logically lead them to do a smart about turn and start to face west rather than east towards the Mainland. In fact, while they are at it they might even do what Ivan, ooops, Gary Cooper did in Hadleyville and head of into the setting sun of Cnoc Fola/ Bloody Foreland.See that red hand move along.
The High Noon of a Section 31 county Ireland, when Fat Pat’s posse where the only hogs at the trough is now, despite appearances, toast. Time, boys, to SDLP up and move along,
Feel free to forsake us.
Sherdy and Angela, you both obviously did’nt get the fact that my comments on McDonnell were somewhat tongue in cheek !
Michael, you obviously don’t get the fact that on this subject its very difficult to keep one’s tongue in cheek!
Legal restraints, you know.
If the United Ireland project is going to happen then nationalism needs at least 2 parties and even better if the likes of FG and FF organise here. Look how the likes of UKIP and TUV have helped the Unionist turnout in recent elections which is now much higher than the nationalist turnout, contrast those figures to say the late nineties early noughties and it was very much the reverse situation. Those people above who think that SF on their own can represent all the shades of nationalism are deluded. The SF vote is already stalling and not rising to 30% and beyond which we had all expected. If the SDLP collapse then kiss goodbye to any nationalist majority in stormont anytime soon.
AS for the SNP great if they can help split up the UK but careful what you wish for. It wasnt that long ago they were called the orange and kilt party sure even George Galloway joined the yes campaign in the referendum mainly because he is worried that an independent Scotland could potentially become a cold house for the large Irish catholic community.
Some really good points there Boondock and you are completely right!
I can see the good doctor winning South Belfast fairly easily in fact jude I am so confident I will wager you ten pounds that he will win the seat!
Thank you for the offer, neill – but I don’t remember saying he wouldn’t, so you’ll understand my reluctance to enhance your family vault. Whether he SHOULD win the S Belfast seat…
Ah Jude and I thought you were a betting man!
I am from time to time, neill. But knowing what I do of the Good Doctor, I’ll forego either adding to your bank account (or who knows, my own??)
Why shouldn’t he or do you know a non secret scandal?