Tuesday 10 August 2010

A Tale of Two Leadership Elections

The resignation of Sir Reg Empey as Leader of the UUP offers an opportunity to the next Leader of the Labour Party, to say that he will make himself and his party the mainland voice of mainstream opinion in Northern Ireland, by opposing any significant move there unless it is supported by all three of the SDLP, the UUP (for whom the link-up with Cameron has done absolutely nothing) and the Alliance Party (about which the Lib Dems have pretty much forgotten since they hit the big time).

Looks like the soul of moderation, doesn't it? So it is. Not least, since whichever of the UUP and the DUP is not on top at the given time is always that bit more integrationist and more sceptical about the carve-up with Sinn Féin. For that matter, that carve-up is hardly a cause dear to the heart of the SDLP, either.

2 comments:

  1. Initially, perhaps. Four affiliated supporters' networks with Conference representation and so on, one for SDLP members, one for UUP members, one for Alliance members, and one members of none of them, as much with a view to influencing those parties as anything else. But only as a first step.

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