Well the buffoons who slabber about the British Labour Party organising in Norn Iron seem to have a new name. Labour Party Representation Committee or some such nonsense.
To recap, the British Labour Party with the exception of a few weirdos like “our own…our very own Kate Hoey” dont want to organise in Norn Iron. It is simple enough…the Irish Labour Party has the Dublin franchise for European Socialist Parties and SDLP have the Belfast franchise.
Naturally I like to see the Irish Labour Party do well in Republic of Ireland. Naturally I lke to see the English Labour Party do well in England. And I love to see Plaid Cymru do well in Wales and Scottish Nationalist Party do well in Scotland.
Seriously does anyone think that if Ballyclare’s greatest export, Kate Hoey had not ended up in London, she would be bothered being a member of Labour Party in South Antrim. Always struck me as more DUP or UUP material.
Anyway the Norn Iron Labour lot claims to have 1,200 members and 600 supporters in Norn Iron. I have the awful feeling that I might be one. I replied to a British Labour email before the 2015 Westminster Election. And periodically they send me emails. At a conference I attended (Malone House Hotel 10th March 2012), the membership figure was around 170 members.
To avoid any doubt, I have unsubscribed from British Labours mailing list.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Bunch of political colonisers thinking they know better than the natives. Instead of cultural appropiation they are advocating political appropiation.
Yep.
Total wasters. A British Nationalist Party.
I do struggle sometimes with the SDLP not garnering votes from across the cultural spectrum. My head tells me it is too difficult and they should stick to their brand. In saying that if a brand comes along to represent the socialists that won’t vote for an Irish nationalist party then I’d welcome them. As a nationalist if they split the unionist vote a bit more then good. All this is fine as long as the SDLP hold on to their target electorate
I dislike the hypocrisy of NILP in any of its forms. The British Labour Party did not organize in Ireland and that has been the position from 1912/13.
NILP never really confronted Partition. Trade Unions here were instrumental in sectarianism in shipyards, Sirocco, Mackies etc.
They really blew it in the 1960s over the Sunday Swings issue (thats what most people think) but really they distanced themselves from Civil Rights. They were COWARDS. They are COWARDS.
They complain about Nationalism. But they ARE nationalists….BRITISH nationalists.
I think Conall McDevitt tried to argue that SDLP was a socialist party supported by nationalists. I might be unfair on him. But certainly there have been cases of English people resident here that have had no problem joining SDLP …Jonathan Stevenson who died a few years ago was Party Chair.
We have members that are from at least four English speaking countries. And we have members from at least three European countries.
The extent to which anyone can land in Belfast Aldergrove and become Irish nationalists is understandable. They are obviously deciding SDLP is a social democratic party and the most effective available to them. Understandably they dont have the numbers or inclination to change the Party DLA.
Times have certainly changed. SDLP seem to be canvassing areas where I would still fear to go.
We WILL get a few votes …I wont exaggerate the numbers…in surprising places. There are really three attitudes to canvassing. One the householder hates any form of canvassing. A second is that the householder might be downright abusive…especially in sectarian terms.
But there is an attitude that the householder actually likes the contact and is not hostile .
So venturing into new territory and at least giving voters respect can bring a certain (small) reward especially in a PR election.
I will be interested in seeing ballot papers in count centres.