NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/soc/culture/british/19197

Text File | 1993-01-22 | 2.5 KB | 53 lines

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From: [e-mail] (Guy Barry)
Subject: Re: Northen Ireland again (was Re: Britain and HK)
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Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 11:45:39 GMT
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In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Matthew Huntbach) writes:

>Yes, yes, point taken, but look at the Euro-elections, where in
>NI the transferrable vote is used so the "don't split the vote"
>argument doesn't hold. Who tops the poll? Ian Paisley. I don't
>think we should take very seriously a province which puts such
>a buffoon top of the poll every time.

I see you're back on form, Matthew -- insulting the entire population
of Northern Ireland.  Remember that NI only has three MEPs, so it's
hardly surprising that they elect one official Unionist, one DUP and
one SDLP.  Presumably Paisley gains votes merely by being better-known
than the other Unionist candidates.

>As for the point that NI is excluded from the policy making
>process, well firstly by choosing not to vote for
>Tory/Labour/LibDem politicians, they have excluded themselves.

I still see no reason why NI legislation shouldn't be debated
on the floor of the House just like all other legislation.

>Secondly, in fact they are rather firmly at the heart of the
>policy making process when there's a narrow majority or a
>minority government. The NI MPs make all the difference in
>close votes, and they play it for all it's worth. Remember the
>fun at the end of the Callaghan government, when everything
>depended on Frank Maguire actually turning up only to "abstain
>in person"?

You're talking about politics at the UK level now.  Yes, it
does seem that NI politicians have more influence over what
happens nationally than what happens in their own province.
Don't you think this is rather bizarre?

--
Guy Barry, University of Cambridge | Phone: [phone]
Computer Laboratory                | Fax: [phone]
New Museums Site, Pembroke Street  | JANET: [e-mail]
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