Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

First count Sinn Féin (Coyle) 1815 SDLP (Flanaghan) 739 DUP (Foster) 1925 UUP (Johnston) 1436 Alliance (Kamble) 231 Independent Republican (McHugh) 158 Quota 3153 SF have asked for a recount. Assuming the results are upheld, Alliance, SDLP and Independent Republican will drop out for the second count. Second Count UUP 1640 DUP 1994 SF 2327 Arlene Foster is likely to win after UUP transfers are distributed. Final count DUP 3165 SF 2383 Nothing more to see here. I will not be a hypocrite and pore over results. There is little surprising or particularly instructive here.

Without wishing either to stretch a metaphor or put literal minded readers off dinner, Northern Ireland’s politics comprise a cramped, crowded, sweaty, incestuous hothouse. This week the hothouse is being strapped to the back of a media lorry and transported down the road to Enniskillen . The council by election which is to take place there will no doubt by minutely dissected and its significance projected endlessly (and speculatively) unto a bigger stage by those parties which feel they have done well. That is the nature of the, frankly vaguely ridiculous, hothouse. The truth is that this by election will be influenced by a series of peculiarities, local or otherwise, and the significance accorded to its result should not be overstated. The News Letter’s Stephen Dempster is correct when he states that this is not Dromore and that extrapolating the state of unionism from the election is not a possibility. This election is of unfortunate provenance, it features a pressurised battl...

Ulster Unionist Fermanagh by election candidate Basil Johnston must be congratulated for swiftly moving to distance himself from unfortunate comments made by former MLA Sam Foster to the effect that DUP candidate Arlene Foster's role as wife and mother would mitigate against her effectively doing her political job. Whether these remarks were sexist, or whether they were merely unfortunately expressed, undoubtedly they represented an unacceptable attack. Arlene Foster's candidature should be questioned, on the grounds that she is already an MLA and a minister. Her status as a mother and a wife is irrelevant. Whether Sam Foster recognises that or not, Basil Johnston certainly does.

Next month’s Fermanagh by election has already been highlighted on Three Thousand Versts alongside the attendant issue of ‘double jobbing’ which Arlene Foster’s candidature invokes. Foster previously resigned her council seat in order to concentrate on her roles as an MLA and a minister. A year later and she is back, contesting a by election in which her main rivals will be Sinn Féin’s Debbie Coyle and UUP candidate Basil Johnston. In addition, Karen McHugh represents the torrid world of dissident republicanism, although a positive aspect is that she may pose a threat to Sinn Féin’s vote. Rosemary Flanagan stands for the SDLP and Alliance’s Dr Kumar Kamble completes the field. Arlene Foster has made a rather belated and tactical appeal to her supporters to transfer their votes to the UUP candidate. Clearly she does not want the DUP to stand accused of losing a seat to Sinn Féin by fostering (pun intended) unionist infighting. In such a situation, given the strength of republic...

Arlene Foster was elected as a councillor for Enniskillen to Fermanagh District Council in 2005. Subsequently she resigned the local government seat in order to concentrate on her role as MLA and minister in the Northern Ireland Executive. Following the death of Councillor Joe Dodds of the DUP, it transpires that Foster will fight the resultant by-election with the intention of retaining the seat and once again taking up office as a local councillor. The DUP’s decision betrays desperation and disregard for both the electorate and the importance of local government. The post of Economy Minister should be sufficient to occupy any politician on a full-time basis. Given that Foster has ambitions to become a Westminster MP, there is a possibility that she may be spread still more thinly in two years time. What level of attention would she be able to afford her council constituents and the business of the council given her current duties, never mind if she wins a subsequent election a...