As Mrs FJH says I never take her out, I surprised her by taking her to hear SDLP Leader, Colum Eastwood and Senator Mairia Cahill at a SDLP Upper Bann meeting tonight.
SDLP Conference is on Saturday. The Party is very much in election mode. This is one of a series of meetings that have been taking place in the North. It is actually about more than touching base with Party members…it is as much about touching base with core support.
Being visible is important. Westminster-based …Seamus Mallon, Mark Durkan, Margaret Ritchie and Alasdair McDonnell were not really able to do this. Colum has been visiting towns, doing walkabouts, talking to traders and talking to Sixth Formers at local schools. Today…Lurgan, Portadown and St Ronans School.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
David McCann has set out a 5-point set of tasks for Colm Eastwood on Slugger.
Title is “Mr Eastwood; Your task this weekend if you choose to accept it”
Consider this….
I cant imagine anything more laughable than DOCTOR David McCann’s piece on Slugger O’Toole.
Bare-faced cheek of it
DOCTOR McCann has studied politics but DOCTOR McCann does not “do” politics. He has never stood for an election…and so far as I know has never represented any person at a Tribunal for Disability Allowance. I dont suppose he has ever represented an asylum seeker. Pretty sure that he has never represented a victim of such as Gerry Conlon. …nor do I suppose that he has phoned the Housing Executive about bad housing. Nor do I suppose he ever had to put on welly boots and waded into houses that were damaged in flooding.
Nor do I suppose he has ever stood on a picket line with Health Service workers. Has he stood with victims of British Army, IRA or loyalist victims?
Has he ever represented parents of autistic children, a person battling for medication deemed too expensive, ever represented a farming family,
If you believe that Politics is a spectator sport, then by all means quote DOCTOR McCann as a reliable source. You might be one of the 5,007 Twitter followers who value DOCTOR McCanns musings, then fair play.
If you believe that Politics is a something more substantial and affecting the daily lives of people ….then thats a different story.
FJH, you truly are a romantic.
Mrs FJH is one lucky lady.
Yes….yes I am.
Yes….yes she is.
Best wishes for the SDLP conference tomorrow.
Cheers….I appreciate it.
Unfortunately I cant make it to Derry.