The line between Political Reality and Political Fantasy…does it even exist anymore?
For the best part of a year, two UUP MLAs, Basil McCrea and John McCallister …two liberals in a notoriously conservative Party…dithered about leaving the UUP.
Speculation that they might join the Conservative Party. Speculation that they might join Alliance as some minor UUP figures (Bradshaw, Parsley and Hamilton) had already done.
During that year 2012-2013, they got a lot of media attention…mostly favourable…and together created a lot of goodwill as being self-effacing and presenting themselves as a double act.
In June last year, I attended the official launch of their new Party…a sincere attempt to create a version of unionism that was non-sectarian and not toxic to Catholics or indeed any Protestant born after the 18th century.
Certainly the new Party…NI21 seemed a departure from the norm.
And then it started to go wrong.
NI21 is amateurish…and in June 2013, that seemed to be endearing, especially as it brought on board new people who had never been involved in Norn Iron politics…the disenfranchised middle class.
NI21 is of course a rival of the Alliance Party, the market leader in LetsGetAlongerism. And the arrival of NI21 meant that the Alliance, a thoroughly ruthless and professional machine had to deal with the threat to their market share.
The chaotic nature of NI21 and occasional inability to take things seriously and the outsize ego of Basil McCrea made it easy to ridicule the new Party.
In the past few weeks…during the Euro and local Election campaign, they have been making too many mistakes. The amateurism…once attractive…is no longer acceptable.
Yesterday…they excelled themselves in Stupidity.
McCrea called McCallister to a meeting of some (SIX!!) members of the Party Executive (including Euro candidate, Tina McKenzie) and the Executive decided by five votes to one ( McCallister) to change from being a “unionist” Party to being “open” on the issue of the Union with Britain.
From a nationalist perspective this might be good news …another brick in unionism is gone. But it is crazy stuff…less than 48 hours before polls open to fight their first ever election.
The vast majority of NI21 candidates are new to politics. They have knocked doors and distributed leaflets as a moderate unionist Party…their unique selling point.
Not only is it crazy to do this so close to an election, it is downright arrogant to limit the decision to just six people.
McCallister has been left high and dry.
Seemingly this is a whim of McCrea.
The feedback from canvassing was that some people wont vote for them because they are “unionist” but otherwise wish them well. To change core policy …core identity …on a whim is madness.
NI21…a joke.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
I presume the decision to go “Other” reflects the cool reception party reps received on the door-steps from potential “liberal” Unionist voters? With APNI having that demographic sown up NI32 are now going for the fabled Catholic Unionist vote?
So are NI21 eventually going to rebrand themselves as UI32, if you get my meaning? 😉
Its really hard to work out what they are doing.
Here’s a question. If NI21 are now Pro-UK “Others” could the SDLP or some other Nationalist party simply designate themselves as Pro-Ireland “Others”? There is no litmus test for the assembly designation, is there? It’s simply a self-declaration?
Its Self Declaration and open to abuse.
For example two Alliance MLAs designated as unionist for a day, just to keep the Executive in place.
Not their finest hour.
And have been tightened.
I dont think there is such a category as pro union other
Basil is making it up as he goes along. daft.
Pretty much as I thought. Both the APNI and NI21 are “Other” but avowedly Pro-Union so I don’t see why some Nationalist grouping couldn’t play the same trick. Designate as “Other” while making it clear that it is Pro-Unity. The whole term of “Other” is actually meaningless if it simply means “liberal Unionist”.
Above all it shows what a farce the assembly is. Power-sharing bollocksology.
I had similar thoughts but it’s too open to confusion from the south Belfast lot and they’ll forget who they represent before imploding again. You would have to work hard to keep them on message. Often nationalists just aren’t cute enough for politics. Slow learners. I despair at all the talk of the stoop down low party and other insults from people who haven’t the sense to use the SDLP vote to strengthen nationalism. The transfer message isn’t loud enough from either side.
The northern section of the Greens was formerly more “pro-Ireland” than “pro-UK” though these days they seem to be slightly more Unionist by inclination (ex- LPNI etc.). I know that has irritated a few folk in Dublin judging by recent conversations. Neutrality is after all a fig leaf. No one is truly neutral.
I’ve little time for Basil, he is always going to fall over his ego. The party would have done much better to make McCallister leader. The party attracted some talent and some left leaning moderate unionists. Hopefully they can oust Basil and make a decent party.
True enough.
I’m reminded of the old Belfast joke about the atheist being asked if he is a “Catholic atheist” or a “Protestant atheist”. So are NI21 now a Nationalist “Other” or a Unionist “Other”? 😉
http://cimota.com/blog/2014/05/21/on-designation-timing-and-storms-in-tea-cups/
An inside line on the designation vote.
Thanks for this.
I honestly cant feel sorry for them.
Yes they have been let down but there was something very wrong there since Day One.
Thing is……was …
EDITED ON THE ADVICE OF MY LEGAL DEPARTMENT 😉