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LAST UPDATE | 4 Nov 2019
PRESSURE IS BUILDING on DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds after the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) announced that it would not be fielding a candidate in the Belfast North constituency in the general election.
The decisions leave the race largely between Sinn Féin and the DUP, raising the possibility that a Sinn Féin candidate, Belfast Lord Mayor John Finucane, could take the seat from Dodds.
Sinn Féin also announced that it would not contest South Belfast, East Belfast or North Down.
Voters should “come out and back candidates that have a vision of a positive future”, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said.
In a statement on Twitter, the SDLP said that it had taken a “unilateral decision not to stand candidates in North Down, North Belfast and East Belfast”.
“Our first priority is to elect pro-Remain MPs to vote against Brexit & Boris Johnson but removing pro-Brexit MPs in Belfast is also critical,” the statement said.
Scrutiny had been focused on the constituency, where Nigel Dodds has a slim majority of only a few thousand votes. In the 2017 general election, the SDLP fielded a candidate in the constituency.
The incoming Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken had faced considerable pressure after initially refusing to agree to an election pact with the DUP in North Belfast.
Last Friday, the PSNI said that it was investigating threats made against UUP staff, following Aiken’s announcement.
Aiken announced yesterday that the party would now not be contesting the seat against Dodds.
The Sinn Féin decision means that the SDLP candidate Claire Hanna will be left to take on the DUP in Belfast South, after Emma Little Pengelly secured a surprise victory over the nationalist party in the constituency in 2017.
The Alliance Party’s leader and MEP Naomi Long will be standing again in East Belfast against the DUP MP Gavin Robinson. Sinn Féin’s candidate secured 2.1% of the vote in the constituency in 2017.
The announcement means that Sinn Féin is effectively backing independent unionist Lady Sylvia Hermon – the only non-DUP voice representing Northern Ireland in the House of Commons – who will be attempting to retain her seat in North Down.
So a sectarian headcount instead of an election? Not great.
@Clifford Brennan: it seems like that on the face of it but it’s more a Brexit headcount I think (which of course falls along the traditional sectarian demarcation). Before Brexit, parties were less concerned about splitting sectarian votes and typically didn’t stand aside in constituencies to this degree.
@Clifford Brennan: Is SF stand aside in Belfast South, the SDLP should take that seat from the DUP also. It will mean that the DUP will no longer be the largest party in the North. It will be a clear message that the North wants to remain in the EU. Or it could be a sectarian headcount as you suggest rather grimly.
@Clifford Brennan: Perhaps the threats by loyalists paramilitaries against the UUP certainly contributed to the fact they will not put forward a candidate. I’m sure you will agree if the same threats had been made by Republicans the likes of Leo and Martin and media would have gone into overdrive. Still it will be an interesting contest…I believe S.F. will pick up a good portion of remain voters in loyalist areas..
@Donal Desmond: In an ideal world you would be right but that’s not the type of world people in the North live in. I could never see a Unionist voter voting for S.F. under and circumstances…..Never!
@Clifford Brennan: nothing sectarian about it! It’s Pro V Anti Brexit not Catholic V Prods
@Clifford Brennan: Don’t underestimate the influence of the Alliance Party here. With no SDLP and no UUP, they could pull in 15%-20% of the vote. That’s not going to win them the seat, but whether they take more from anti-Brexit Unionists or Nationalists who can’t stomach Sinn Féin will decide who takes the seat.
@Michael: Hopefully that may change in this election.. just a small percentage could swing it.
@Clifford Brennan: That was the DUP plan in the first place…
@TamuMassif2019: Yes, it’s only bad when SF do it
Fair play. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
@Manbackonboard: SF should now stand in Foyle and in Sth Down and the SDLP should stand aside Fermanagh/ Sth Tyrone.
@Joe Johnson: no point in SF standing down in Foyle or south down as both leading parties in the areas are are pro remain..
@Joe Johnson: they should let the SDLP in so that pro remain has a voice in Westminster
@Joe Johnson: what do you think this voice in Westminster will achieve? People rabbiting on about voice in westminster. DUP are propping up the government strongest position they were ever in and got hung out to dry. They neither listen or care what anyone in this corner has to say. Background noise. Hence why unionist/loyalist community are so angry. It has just hit them that they dont belong in big boy talks in London.
The funny thing is, Fine Gael will probably be hoping for a DUP victory.
@John Fairclough: why?
@lee Jones: because they despise SF
@John Fairclough: Stupid comment.
@John Fairclough: That would be them after all?
@Val Doyle: Agreed
Lazy viewers of this – some with agenda’s of their own, may revert to type and say “here we go again- another sectarian head count between the DUP and SF, but look a bit closer and see whats really going on.
firstly, the UUP already made it known some weeks ago that it was going to stand up for itself and wouldn’t be doing favours for the DUP. this because the UPP was never a true Leave party, in fact it has a foot in both leave and remain camps. Its not fully sure where it really stands on Brexit and was still in the process of trying to judge unionists voters, when the DUP’s military wing stepped in to apply the pressure in north Belfast.
on the other side, there was no such pressures on either the SDLP and SF as they are clearly remain party’s and know exactly what they need to do to take control of the situation that has presented itself.
The DUP were very worried coming into this election as they know they haven’t represented their people around Brexit and this has nothing to do with Orange and Green, but Brexit.
North Belfast could very well be the equivalent of another Brexit referendum for the Northern people and Yes – it might well be that some unionist voters will dispatch the DUP to the naughty step!
Would be brilliant if Finucane ousted that dinosaur bígoted fûckwit
Threats in politics seems to be the norm in the Democratic North
@Tony Henry: And the burning of a TD’s car outside his family home is par the course in the south?
@Brendan Devlin: by the boys over the border no less
@Tony Henry: bring your information to Garda or PSNI there Tony. You seem to be aware where these individuals live it may be a useful start.
@Doire: yeah but people value there life’s your implying to grass on suspicious activities WTF
@Aaron Jones: in english please
@Brendan Devlin: What???
But the SDLP will sit in Westminster, if SF are going to boycott it again surely they should be the ones to stepaside this once to enable the SDLP vote for the good of the North.
I know it will never happen though.
Dodds has nothing to offer anyone,Finucane seems like a breath of fresh air compared to that old dinasaur.
@Paul Mc: It was the British secret service with loyalists that killed his father at the family table after a MP in the British parliament gave his blessing because his father was too good with human right law…
Common sense at long last l hope it continues after the Election
Very democratic…
@Nioe: Alliance should step aside too to make it a Leave versus Remain vote.
@Nioe: All these tactical shenanigans are only happening because of the “first past the post” system. Bigger constituencies with multiple seats are much more democratic.
How can SF vote against Brexit?
@alan: it’s about restricting pro brexit parties gaining seats
@Liam Ó hAodha: but if you have ten seats, five pro,five anti.If two of those anti votes abstain, then pro wins
SDLP VOTERS will not give their vote to either of them parties, so it’s all a bit anti- democratic when you have paramilitaries threatening politicians… SOME PEACE PROCESS.
@Paul O’Sullivan: it is true many FF SDLP would rather see Brexiteers win the seat than having someone whose father (A Human rights activist) murdered by the British state win the seat. Sad reality.
@DaMoons: what? How would you define many? There are probably less than 10 people in the world, nearly exclusively in Dodds house, that want that to happen. Ridiculous comment
Fair play to the SDLP putting the country before the party yet again. History will be very kind to the SDLP.
@MaskOfTruth: Fair play to SF for standing aside in South Belfast. I am guessing these elections will be history making for the Irish in the North.
Nigella and Arlene are engaged now it’s in Belfast Telegraph
Alliance should step aside too to make it a Leave versus Remain vote.
If you don’t take your seat in House of Commons how can you have a vision for the future ? To make a difference you have to vote ..SF stop sitting on the fence .
It is sad low class politics, shame on the UUP for having no guts, and the DUP for playing the old sectarian card again…
A joke really.
@John A. Dixon: sorry mistake I was reading the WaterWhispers news app
@John A. Dixon: If Dodds loose then he can’t be leader of the DUP, Arlene is just the figure head, both will then have to be separated at the hip?
Nigella ha
Just highlights the bull shit in the north.
@Michael Wynne: bullshit in the north. ? That’s some statement considering that politics in the 6 counties is indeed polarised along sectarian lines. Maybe they would suit your taste more if they were divided or polarised along party lines defined by whose side your grandad sided with in a civil war that happened 96 years ago. Then the north would be in line with the South.
@Michael Wynne: have you been living on a rock or just missed the carry on ofFF FG in the Dail
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