Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

It feels like banging one's head against a brick wall.  No-one apparently cares.  I suppose in a region which returns five official abstentionist MPs, what's another unofficial abstentionist? Still, it's worth pointing out, just for the record (and for the eccentric few who actually do care about Northern Ireland's voice being heard at Westminster) that the member for North Down has now racked up her century. Drum roll please ..... the 'independently minded' Lady has participated in  0 votes out of 102 during this parliament.  Count 'em!  Even Alasdair McDonnell, a notoriously work-shy member has notched up 24 votes . An extraordinary record anyone would surely agree.  Even at the Spending Review announcement and the subsequent debate, which will surely affect even the prosperous denizens of the Gold Coast, Hermon was conspicuous by her absence. How long will this record continue before it's flagged up outside a handful of blogs?  Have the loc...

Another fortnight has elapsed and the MP for North Down has still not been sighted at Westminster.  Theyworkforyou still records no contribution from Sylvia Hermon since March of this year, during the last parliament. The House of Commons is due to rise for its summer recess on 27 July and will not be recalled until 6 September.  If Hermon fails to make a late appearance, she will have ignored entirely the new parliament's first session. During the election campaign she promised to make 'every vote count' as an independent.  So far more than thirty votes have taken place, with a new activist government she claims to oppose getting into the swing of its first term in office.  Clearly none of these divisions has concerned Hermon or the voters of North Down. It would be interesting to know whether she intends to start representing her constituents in September or continuing to act like quasi-nobility.

A fortnight after Sylvia Hermon's inactivity at Westminster was highlighted she has yet to make a contribution, according to 'TheyWorkForYou.com' . Hermon - last spotted by this teddy bear. In fact, now that the quasi-abstentionist MP for South Belfast, Alasdair McDonnell , has finally broken his silence, the member for North Down is the only Northern Ireland MP who has neither spoken nor tabled a question.  I gather, also, that Hermon was conspicuous by her absence whenever the Columbanus Festival was launched in Bangor. The MP ran her campaign on the basis that she would turn up and, as an independent, make 'every vote count'. It appears that the electorate in North Down has been conned.  Does this woman actually intend to do any represent her constituents at the House of Commons, or did she stand at the last election simply as a gesture of spite towards UCUNF? (H/T Slug)

Interesting stats on They Work for You about Sylvia Hermon.  The MP for North Down's last contribution at the House of Commons was back in March.  In fact, since retaining her seat as an independent she has not taken part in any debate, despite business such as Saville and the budget coming before the house. I hope that Slug can substantiate the information he has posted in the comments section of this thread  about complete non-attendance.  I will post the evidence immediately if he can. In the mean time it's quite clear that North Down is receiving practically no representation at Westminster.  Still, the situation wasn't much better in the previous parliament, and the constituency voted her in regardless.   Frankly, her supporters are getting the representation they deserve. The question remains whether she stood in the 2010 election out of a genuine desire to serve her constituents, or simply out of spite.

The Belfast Telegraph might express its shock at Alan McFarland’s resignation from the Ulster Unionist party, but let’s be honest, it would have been more surprising had he remained a member. The former tank major has long been a patsy for General Sylvia in North Down. Indeed, in 2005, he stood for the party leadership as Hermon’s cipher. The writing was on the wall as soon as McFarland’s commander in chief deserted the UUP to ally herself with the DUP. The North Down MLA, who, like his boss, now styles himself an ‘Independent Unionist’, was elected on an Ulster Unionist ticket. The honourable course of action would be for McFarland to resign in order to allow the UUP to co-opt a representative for its seat. Instead he has decided to retain a seat which he won under the false pretences that he would remain an Ulster Unionist throughout the lifetime of the Assembly. It is an unprincipled action, but a lack of principle is not surprising from an acolyte of Sylvia Herman. Here we ha...

An interesting piece on Ken Reid’s blog , highlighted by Pete Baker, on Slugger O’Toole . Sylvia Hermon, who, for her persistent attacks on her own party, has acquiring something of a reputation for independence, seems to be establishing an alliance with the DUP. The deselected North Down MP has yet to announce her intention to stand in the forthcoming election, but she has clearly begun electioneering anyway. Reid highlights ‘cordiality’ between Hermon and DUP MPs, at the Westminster debate about policing and justice. In fact Reid understands that no Democratic Unionist candidate will stand against Hermon in North Down and practical help ‘on the ground’ is likely to be forthcoming. Of course it is not the first time that a Hermon - DUP axis has appeared. The same protagonists banded together to force Labour’s draconian 40 day pre-trial detention legislation through the Commons. Indeed, O’Neill ably demonstrates , that Hermon, despite her liberal reputation, is even more authorit...

Is the UUP prepared to allow Sylvia Hermon, unhindered, to engage in electioneering at its expense? The North Down MP hit out at Ulster Unionists over policing and justice. taking particular umbrage at remarks levelled at the secretary of state, Shaun Woodward, which she claimed were 'bewildering'. Clearly she believes that the UUP's dalliance with Conservatives entitles her fellow champagne socialist, and Tory turncoat, to exact any punishment he sees fit. The party responded with the following statement: “The Ulster Unionist Assembly Group took its decision to oppose the devolution of policing and justice at this time with the full support of the Ulster Unionist Party Officer team and with the full support of the Party Executive Committee. This is how the UUP make democratic decisions. It is regrettable that Lady Sylvia’s position does not reflect the view of the party and it is disappointing that she failed to voice her concern at the Party Executive meeting rather...

Two Ulster Unionists have swiftly stepped forward in order to fill the breach left by Sylvia Hermon. Bill McKendry and Johnny Andrews are confirmed supporters of the Conservative link-up and strong proponents of pan-UK unionism. North Down, which has proved UCUNF’s problem seat thus far, now has a strong panel of possible candidates vying for selection. It’s just a pity it took so long. Meanwhile members of the Labour party in Northern Ireland are keen to secure Hermon’s services . The honourable thing for the North Down MP to do is to stand under the Labour banner. It would be an exciting development if the two big British parties were to go head to head in a Northern Ireland constituency. That is the type of politics which we must move towards.

Jeff Peel doesn't reveal any sources, but on his (Public) Diary blog he suggests that the Alliance Party is set to 'support' Sylvia Hermon 'rather than' Ian Parsley in the North Down race for Westminster. How this support would manifest itself is not made clear. Conservatives and Unionists have not selected a candidate for North Down, but the former Alliance man, Parsley, has been nominated and it is thought that the Conservative party is unlikely to countenance an endorsement of the current Ulster Unionist MP. Is Alliance set to intervene in another party's selection process or is it prepared not to stand in North Down, should Sylvia Hermon decide to contest the seat as an independent? Perhaps, within the party, there is simply a preference for a figure considered to be left liberal, rather than a recent defector? After all, whether or not, as Jeff contends, Alliance voters are intrinsically sympathetic to the Conservatives, its leadership are a rather diff...