As we come to the end of another election cycle, once again we can see republicans outwit unionists. Sinn Fein by softening their rhetoric on a border poll and unification, unlike the DUP who banged on and on and on about the cursed protocol. Again, the parties have fallen into the comforting tribalism that our society has embraced for years, over a protocol that few care about and even few understand. The flaws within the protocol must be addressed and for this, both Coveney the EU need to get off their anti-Brit and absolutists high horse and do what politics has always been about, pragmatism. The mechanisms exist under the Joint Committee process, so please get on with it and save us all from the tedious spouting of Jamie, Jim and for that matter Simon.
Both Sinn Fein and Alliance benefited from the self-harming political strategy of the DUP, now to be renamed, the Death of the Union Party. The softening of the Sinn Fein rhetoric has attracted the softer nationalist vote while softer unionists’ vote pivoted to Alliance and the rabid anti protocol vote went to the TUV, with one consolation, Jim remains as the only sad voice of the TUV.
The consequence of all of this is that the UUP and the SDLP have been squeezed and deserve the kicking they have got. The future for both parties is bleak, in that they have no meaningful political ideology or vision, one does not understand the meaning of union and the other fails to embrace the meaning of being a social democrat. Consequently, both have failed to attract a new younger progressive demographic. They now appeal largely to the old church-going middle class and as much as they spout liberal platitudes both parties are pro-life, de facto against a woman’s right to choose and neither believe in a secular education system. The demise of the SDLP and the UUP was predictable, neither of whom have managed to carve out or got to grips with the post Paisley/ McGuinness political landscape and with two leaders who quite frankly are “yawners”. Both parties are on life-support and pretty damn close to DNR, a tragic end to two parties that built the peace that we all enjoy today.
Michelle who in the past acted like the nice clueless girl in the playground now looks more like a credible leader. Sinn Fein’s strategy to talk about the cost of living was simple and obvious. However, like the rest of the party manifestos, it was at best uninspiring and lacked vision. My only advice to her is, please do not cockup by banging on about unification and border polls. When and if the Assembly is restored, let us try a bit of real governing and discourse with a mission focused on the many important challenges of the future and the progressive and radical public policies that are required to deal with them.
Then I woke up and had my cornflakes.
Despite my misgivings about the “we love everyone and all things to all people” Alliance Party, their predictable bang in the middle, vanilla, the inoffensive ground campaign went down well with voters. Though again, it would be fair to say that their manifesto was a bit of a classic Alliance nothing burger.When in power it will interesting to see how they wield their new political status. On the constitutional position of Northern Ireland, the party will have to come clean and remove itself from its natural state of being impaled on the proverbial fence. This will be a test for a party that includes British, Irish and Northern Irish identities.
Some political commentators have said we will be in political limbo land for the next six months, please, where do you think we have been for the past 15 years. My message to all the electorate whose collective futures and the future of their children are at stake “Our day will come” until then it will be the proverbial rear seat question “Are we there yet.”
Let us know what you think in the comments section👇
The Gob 
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