Posts tagged ‘Westminister 2010’
Westminister 2010: Foyle
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010This, as they say, is Mark Durkan’s baby. He has signalled that his political future lies in Westminster and not at Stormont. If he wins here, the former SDLP leader will not stand for re-election to the Assembly next year. In 2005 he enjoyed a 6,000 vote majority ahead of Sinn Féin. Both parties’ vote fell hand in hand in 2007 with the SDLP polling 15,182 and Sinn Féin on 12,649. The constituency is set to decrease in size as well as in electorate. With Derry City Council wards Banagher and Claudy moving from Foyle to East Londonderry, Foyle generally speaking will cover just...[full story]
Westminister 2010: Lagan Valley
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010Switching parties did not loosen Jeffrey Donaldson’s grip on this overwhelmingly unionist seat back in 2005. DUP support also held up well in the Assembly poll (20,098 first preferences) but the party was rattled by the 2008 Dromore by-election, where TUV transfers handed the UUP a win. A Trimble revival is the UCUNF’s hope as Lady Daphne takes to the campaign trail. The party’s support has, though, slipped to 7,777 votes at Assembly level and would need to almost triple that to come near to winning again. Familiarity, no doubt, will help Donaldson as will his friendship with his...[full story]
Westminister 2010: Mid Ulster
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010Despite his Derry roots, Martin McGuinness has never seriously been challenged in this constituency by any local competitors. He runs for re-election with a majority larger than his challenger Ian McCrea’s poll; the younger McCrea is also contesting this time round. Mid Ulster, in its current form, took shape in time for the 1997 general election. It previously took in most of Tyrone under Willie McCrea’s helm. The DUP was dented in 2007 by the UKUP’s Walter Millar, who took 1,210 votes, and Millar this time runs for the TUV. On the far end of the spectrum, Republican Sinn Féin...[full story]
Westminister 2010: Newry and Armagh
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010After advancing to take the seat in 2005, Sinn Féin’s strong hold was confirmed two years later with a similar performance (20,879 first preferences). Davy Hyland, an anti-PSNI republican, gained 2,188 votes in 2007 and 808 of these still put Sinn Féin as their second choice. Support for policing therefore did not seriously dent Conor Murphy’s party in one of its major heartlands. Dominic Bradley, on his second parliamentary outing, has some distance to cover. The fluent Irish speaker and teacher wants to be a “strong voice” for the constituency at Westminster, a prospect which...[full story]
Westminister 2010: North Down
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010One to Watch Sylvia Hermon’s decision to run independently throws the North Down race wide open and also leaves her former party with no MP, for the first time, as this Parliament ends. A comfortable majority of nearly 5,000 saw her first past the post in 2005. Ian Parsley therefore steps forward as the Ulster Conservative and Unionist candidate and given Hermon’s pro- Labour voting record and Alliance’s liberal links, this is the closest Northern Ireland will get to an English-style constituency contest. The lady is certainly not a Tory, for sure. It will not be on party allegiance...[full story]
Westminister 2010: South Down
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010One to Watch The retirement of Eddie McGrady marks the end of a 22-year era for South Down constituents, leaving a more open race than usual. Either his close colleague Margaret Ritchie or erstwhile challenger Caitríona Ruane will take that accolade. Both will be judged on their ministerial records as well as their credibility in the constituency. A long-standing Down councillor by background, Ritchie’s profile has certainly risen since she took office as Social Development Minister. It is further strengthened by her election as SDLP leader. However, she does not have the experience...[full story]
Westminister 2010: Strangford
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010One to Watch The DUP will for the first time since 1997 contest a Strangford general election seat without Iris Robinson as ammunition. Together with Leicestershire North West, Strangford is one of two constituencies in the UK which is without a sitting MP. Jim Shannon will take on the disgraced Robinson’s mantle, not to mention her 13,000 majority, against the former UTV news presenter Mike Nesbitt, who has been controversially selected as the UCUNF candidate for the constituency. Such a newcomer makes the result difficult to call, especially given Nesbitt’s possible individual...[full story]
Westminister 2010: Upper Bann
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010This was the jewel in the crown of 2005’s DUP landslide, the party faithful gathering at the Banbridge count centre after the downfall of David Trimble. That said, Upper Bann has traditionally been safe ground for the Ulster Unionists (they held it for 22 years under McCusker and Trimble) and David Simpson’s lead over the UUP is just over the 5,000 mark. Simpson will run again for the DUP this time round, while Harry Hamilton has the New Force candidacy. Commentators have focused on the fact that both have musical careers, respectively as a gospel singer and Freddy Mercury impersonator....[full story]
Westminister 2010: West Tyrone
Tuesday, April 6th, 2010As part of their campaign to install high profile candidates in predominantly nationalist constituencies, the SDLP has opted for party Chairman Joe Byrne for the West Tyrone seat. With his successor, Strabane man Eugene McMenamin, only gaining 3,949 votes in the last Westminster election the party leadership will hope Byrne, who came close to winning the seat in the 1997 general election, will come back to bridge the gap. The SDLP did experience an increase in votes in the 2007 Assembly elections (6,018). However, Sinn Féin have had a stronghold here, since then vice-president Pat...[full story]
Westminister 2010: The locals in London
Monday, March 8th, 2010Labour’s Newtownabbey-born Kate Hoey and former Inst pupil Glyn Chambers are preparing to stand against each other for the Vauxhall seat in London. Ryan Jennings spoke to both candidates as they prepared to fight it out. Northern Irish people move around the place, that’s no secret. In London, it would not be hard to find a few but in Vauxhall, an inner area of the city, there are two who will be fighting for the same seat. Kate Hoey is well-known. She has sat as an MP for the area for over 20 years and yet still holds onto her accent. Lesser-known Glyn Chambers, the Conservative...[full story]
