Thread: Big vote for Northern Irish MEP who has strongly criticised the EU

Originally Posted by Larry08

Which 3 Unionist MPs were elected because of Catholic support. You tell me which ones and we'll look at the figures.

Why should I tell you?

You have already decided to disagree with what I have not yet written.

Why should it annoy you that some Northern Irish Roman Catholics back Unionists?

You give the impression of being angry that Unionists get a minority of the Northern Irish Roman Catholic (RC) vote.

Former Ulster Unionist MP The Late Enoch Powell was pleased to receive a significant number of RC votes and he was popular with many RC people in his marginal Down, South constituency.

Larry08 wrote: The figures I have given so far come from a Govt. website....

Yesterday you were not even aware of the famous 1973 'Border Poll' referendum in Northern Ireland. I had to tell you about this hugely important moment in the history of your part of the UK.

Now you are quoting a Government website - so it appears that you might be one of the few who actually believes any of the information put out by this lot in power at Westminster.

Originally Posted by Britannist

I know already what the size of the Roman Catholic electorate is in Northern Irish Westminster constituencies. I am not preoccupied with it though. I am making a clear and obvious point accepted for many years by political analysts: not all Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland are republicans or 'nationalists'.

Many in Sinn Fein accept that there is a Roman Catholic Unionist vote.

A minority of Roman Catholics vote Unionist in a majority of Northern Irish constituencies/wards.

The Late Enoch Powell, former Ulster Unionist MP for Down South said that a significant number of Roman Catholics voted for him in that marginal seat.

What you fail to do however is name the 3 unionists. Do you not know who they are? You were very adamant earlier that they existed but the figures prove you wrong.
As for South Down, it is the classic example of 1 unionist running against 2 or sometimes more Nationalists and allowing the unionist through absoloutely no evidence to show Catholics got him elected.

Originally Posted by Larry08

What you fail to do however is name the 3 Unionists. Do you not know who they are?

I refer you to the answer I gave in my last posting to this thread. I am not going to keep repeating myself.

Larry08 wrote:........absolutely no evidence to show Catholics got him elected.

You are wrong - and I would prefer to debate with someone who knows their facts.

The Late Enoch Powell MP got the electoral support of a significant number of Roman Catholic voters in the Down, South constituency.

You were not aware until I told you yesterday - of the famous 1973 'Border Poll' referendum in Northern Ireland/UK. I doubt you know much about the politics of the Down, South constituency either.

Originally Posted by Britannist

Why should it annoy you that some Northern Irish Roman Catholics back Unionists?

You give the impression of being angry that Unionists get a minority of the Northern Irish Roman Catholic (RC) vote.

Again I am not angered, intrigued maybe. You made some very direct statements earlier. You claimed 3 current unionist MP's were elected due to Catholic support. This is what I disagree with. In reply to an earlier post I did acknowledge that there were some Catholics that have voted unionist in very small numbers. Generally for a UUP candidate in a close run with a DUP candidate. There are Catholics who vote mainly SDLP and Alliance that would vote to retain the union, I acknowledge this. They may even be as high as 25% of the local Catholic population. However this does not mean that they will vote for Unionists in an election. They will go back to voting SDLP & Alliance.

Originally Posted by arden forester

Gerry Adams, a sort of secular Catholic, is on record as saying he thinks the Methodists are the best and Presbyterianism is a model version of Christianity!


Stafford Carson : Presbyterian Pastor The Methodists are the best

Adams recently described himself as a sort of Protestant Catholic as he felt he needed no priests, set prayers, or rituals.

I wonder if he has any conscience about the deaths and suffering that he caused and cuases amongst his own and protestant communities. ?

Originally Posted by Britannist

You are wrong - and I would prefer to debate with someone who knows their facts.

And I would prefer to debate with someone who can back up their statements.

Originally Posted by Larry08

And I would prefer to debate with someone who can back up their statements.

Larry,

please excuse me if you have covered this, but with so many posts on this thread i may have missed it. Having someone "on the ground" in N Ireland posting here, can i ask for your views on the political outlook in N ireland today. Esp as regards the relationship with European Union. I believe S Ireland is reasonably favourable to EU membership. Is there a particular divide among the nationalist parties in N Ireland on the matter? For the unionists (favouring being a part of britain?) would UKIP have a chance electorally? I note, UKIP itself is not really present in Ireland.

Grateful for a view from Ireland.

The UUP are now aligned with the Conservatives and share a similar Euro sceptic position. The DUP are pretty much anti Europe, but not quite as anti Europe as their former MEP Jim Allister who I believe sat with UKIP in Europe. I'm not sure if Diane Dodds intends to join the same group. The SDLP and Alliance are both strong Europhiles. Sinn Fein are Anti Lisbon and wouldn't support a federal Europe, but I believe would promote close cooperation with fellow socialists.
In the Quagmire that is Northen Irish politics I am not sure that there is any real room for UKIP. I believe that Mr. Allisters TUV would pretty much have that ground covered.
People of a right wing persuassion from a nationalist background don't really have an anti Euro option. Being Nationalist they would be unlikely to vote UUP/Tory, DUP, TUV or for that matter UKIP. They would also be unlikely to vote SF as they are basically communists. This is actually the position I find myself in in a Euro election.

Originally Posted by Britannist

...and I have made clear many times that the Roman Catholic (RC) Unionist vote is higher than that in at least three Westminster Constituencies represented by Unionist MPs.

Many in anti-UK Sinn Fein acknowledge the existence of a significant RC Unionist vote in parts of Northern Ireland (NI).



So? A minority of RC people still vote Unionist to a greater or lesser extent in a majority of the NI Assembly constituencies.

One person who said he got the votes of a noticeable minority of RC voters was the man in the picture next to your avatar - The Late Enoch Powell: former MP for the NI Down, South constituency. You are clearly in disagreement with him on this point.

The Catholics cost Enoch his seat.
If less than 1% or Northern Irish Catholics vote Unionist then it will not affect the result in one single constituency.