Three Thousand Versts of Loneliness

I'm delighted to hear that the Conservatives and Unionists have not yielded to the ceaseless Ulster nationalist campaign to have one little Ulsterman stand in South Belfast. This news has taken a while to come but Paula Bradshaw has confirmed on Facebook that she will offer voters, including me, a chance to participate in proper UK politics. She has issued a plea for other candidates to focus on issues. I doubt she'll get her wish. In a startling development, it also appears that Jimmy Spratt offered Bradshaw his Assembly seat in order to bribe her to step down from the Westminster race! What utter contempt for democracy. Paula's statement below. "The voters I have spoken to across the constituency have become more and more weary of the DUP trying to engineer a divide based along sectarian lines rather than on the issues at stake in this election. This election is far too important for DUP stunts. "The fact is Jimmy Spratt has already admitted he cannot wi...

Something of a 'Three Thousand Versts' exclusive I believe. It is my understanding that last night's UUP executive meeting may have thrown open the possibility of the three 'withdrawn' Conservative hopefuls re-entering the race for Westminster. Peter McCann, Sheila Davidson and Deirdre Nelson offered their resignations after 'unionist unity' talks came to light, but their respective Conservative associations have not accepted them. Officially the triumvirate are still Conservative nominees, due to be considered by the Joint Committee of Tories and Ulster Unionists as UCUNF candidates. I spoke to McCann yesterday afternoon and he made it clear that the UUP has now dealt, to his satisfaction, with two of the main objections which led to his withdrawal. There are, he intimated, still matters to be resolved, but the Ulster Unionists' commitment to a definite time-frame for selection, and the executive's repudiation of 'bogus' unity talks, are ...

I was a little perturbed to read Mick Fealty’s post on Slugger this morning indicating that only Bob Stoker and Michael McGimpsey would seek an Ulster Unionist nomination for South Belfast. Presumably Mick is writing on the basis of information which he has been given. However, I’m pleased to say that I’m led to believe that he has rather jumped the gun. It is my understanding that nominations for the constituency do not close until Friday. Back in September, on Open Unionism , I expressed the hope that a fresh list of UUP candidates would emerge, not drawn in main from the Assembly party. I stand by that analysis and I believe that, for the most part, candidates will not already be MLAs. South Belfast in particular is sorely in need of a new, vital contender who can articulate with enthusiasm the advantages of the New Force. Despite Michael McGimpsey’s creditable performance as Health Minister at Stormont, or more accurately because of it, I believe that he should concentrate ...