@@at: it’s nothing to do with the wishes of the electorate. That’s been proven for generations. Political parties are elected based on what people will percieve they will do as opposed to any actual ability to carry out our wishes. Hence we’ve been electing the same idiots for years with no change. But if you elect someone who you know is going to nothing and not even going to turn up to try and make a change your a bigger fool than those who have some hope

@For Goodness Sake: so no work goes on outside West minster ? Are you for real …

@Paul Murphy: well they must be doing something when they keep getting elected. You won’t be from the Pat Rabbitte school of politics by any chance ? The same pat rabbitte who said “sure isn’t that what you do before an election” when quizzed about breaking promises.

@@at: but how do you carry out the task of an elected official if you’ve never taken that seat ? Surely the primary aim of the elected person is to represent their electorate in the parliament that they gave been elected to?

@@at: but that is a fact ! They lie…and then give the term trying to make you forget they lied and most people will have forgotten they lied in the first place and re elect based on another lie

@Paul Murphy: it’s no wonder they lie when they have the likes of you endorsing it by slagging of politicians that actually keep their promises.

@Paul Murphy: to answer your question please refer to my answer above to the other ‘politician should lie, it is expected of them’ endorser above

@Paul Murphy: So why don’t FF/FG/Lab get their satnavs out and head up north to fight the elections? Coz, not being dependent on lying RTE for their news, the ppl in the north are too well informed and wouldn’t vote for those who collaborated with British terrorism, eg, Ballymurphy, Derry, Springhill, New Lodge, Newry, Miami, Dundalk, Dublin/Monaghan, etc?

@For Goodness Sake: Good. So you have no issue with the SF MPs who abstain from Westminster?

@Paul Murphy: The SF MPs who were elected in the 1918 election [y'know; the one SF won with a mandate to establish a 32 county Republic?] didn’t take seats in Britain.

@@at: you ain’t a politician until you turn up at the table to present your mandate. You have to be willing to debate that mandate you were elected for. Being the elected candidate is not the same as being the representative if you don’t engage.

@Seán Marlow: You’ll need to that one up with the parties involved… but as you seem to have the answers..why bother. Collaboration with terrorism seems to be the common denominator. Sinn Fein being the political wing of the IRA.. remember them ?..was that not terrorism?

@Seán Marlow: kinda didn’t work out how they wanted it..one civil war later and a blighted political system for generations later..but as a whole we kinda moved on from the murder and mayhem..well in the Republic we did…

@Paul Murphy: Oh God Paul, seriously do you know anything about Modern Irish politics. Do you know what FF and FG were borne out of ? Read up about what they did down in Cork and other places many years ago and before you come back and say it was different times. A human life had the same value back then as it has now. In your last post you have let the mask slip. You have issues with SF and you are just using the ‘not taking their seats as a soundbyte to slag them’ . Be a big boy and say it out straight and don’t be making a fool of yourself by endorsing politicians that deliberately lie to the electorate.

@@at: yup got an ‘A’ in leaving cert history 35 years ago! Been screwed over as a public sector worker for years by successive governments. Seen parish pump politics at work first hand.. I endorse none of the above . I don’t believe there has been any cause on this island since independence that was worth one life in what ever generation And I will never vote again as no politician has ever gone away from the table a hungry man. They all manipulate their electorate to their own ends. So if people want to vote for whatever..let them have it. Two things that can’t be taken fro me.. my vote and my opinion and I will do as I chose with both regardless of what others think or say.

@Paul Murphy: well stop beating around the bush then. God knows there is plenty there to slag SF about but to slag them for keeping election promises just makes the person doing the slagging look foolish. Now go and enjoy the rest of the weekend

@@at: it’s Ok..I’m slagging Simon Harris on another thread just to keep the balance. Enjoy the rest of the weekend

@Paul Murphy: what do you think SFcould achieve in westminster. The DUP are using their position of power to control the show. This would not change if seats were taken. That aside from in being foreign government. You little about Northern politics if you think they are taking easy way out. SF sat in some of the most bitter unionist councils in North to argue their corner and try and get level playing field for me and people like me. Things southerners take for granted, road signs in nationalist areas, planning permission approval on a system other than first and last name. A public bus for catholic schools. We have come a long way SF didnt arrive on the home straight.

@Doire: I’m not a southerner for a start..I’m a citizen of the republic of Ireland..there’s no such place,as southern Ireland….what could they achieve….we’ll never know because they’ve never been there…but it would certainly get up the noses of the establishment in the UK to have to acknowledge their presence as equals in that Great British establishment referred to as as Parliament. There are plenty parliamentary games such as obstructing the business of parliament that would give credence to them as politicians as opposed to a forgotten minority among parliamentarians. Abstentionism hasn’t done anything so why not try and use the system against parliament.

@@at: no; only problem is a political party that refuses to accept any responsibility. They walked out and brought down the assembly, they refused to get involved in any negotiations in relation to forming a Government in the Republic. They did not oppose Brexit and didn’t register as an opposition interest to Brexit and didn’t campaign against it prior to the Referendum. They refuse to take seats in the commons where Brexit is been played out despite the fact that many English, Welsh and Scottish Republicans get around the oath by qualifying it when taking it. Can’t understand why people vote for a party that only ever wants to tell others how things should be done, avoids any responsibility and just comes out with soundbite after meaningless soundbite

@Stephen Duffy:did not walk. I think we can all see tgere is no talking to the DUP. They want the north to remain as is or if possible go back to 1970s. Anything that was to be passed by a voted that they disagree with gets stopped with petition of concern. So whats the point. There whole argument is based on ” you’re not getting anything because we say so, now go away”. They did oppose brexit so your statement is just blatant lies. Maybe FF/FG should start stepping up and running candidates in the north if thing they can make that big change. Too much like hard work up here. And there hell of alot of proud unionists and nationalists who view wont change with the smell of a brown envelope.

@Paul Murphy: a southerner is what you are. From the south of the island of Ireland. I’m a northerner from the north of the island of Ireland. Dont let the occupied 6 counties confuse the geography of it all. So sit in a government just to cause trouble waste time and create a mess so nobody gets anything. One of the most idiotic statements I have heard on here. The goal is united ireland not to split the damm Island even more. The unionist people biggest fear is that we will treat them how they treated us. Everyone is trying to move away from that.

@Doire: Go back into Irish history where Isaac Butt and Charles Stewart Parnell did just that to bring about an awareness of Irish issues.

@Doire: My goal is not a united Ireland and certainly not that of the majority of the citizens of this part of the Island. Northern Ireland has proven incapable of self government and participation in central government how the he’ll do expect it to assimilate into a 32 county Ireland wen the Unionist population have fought the very principal since before independence. Get a grip.

@Doire: sorry it is not a blatant lie it’s a fact.. to comply with legislation and to track funding on either side of the debate parties political and otherwise had to register their interest. SF did not register as an anti-Brexit group FACT.. and they didn’t campaign and if your claim is correct, which it isn’t, then they broke the law and the remain side violated funding rules. Also SF and nationalists negotiated the “petition of concern” so that Unionism could not railroad their views and they have used it.. now you’re saying that a mechanism that they insisted on is the reason why they brought down the Assembly.

@Paul Murphy: Unfortunately you didn’t move on from “the murder and mayhem”. FF/FG openly collaborated with British Forces, even after their mass murders of Ballymurphy, Derry, Springhill, New Lodge, Newry, Miami, Dundalk, Dublin/Monaghan, etc, etc. Indeed, they INCREASED the taxpayers’ money wasted on collaboration with British Forces after each atrocity.

@davey boy: There are other parties???

@Orla Smith: There will be no violence with a deal. Referendum next.

@Willy: I didn’t say there would be, I was referring to the scenario of unification of the island in the future.

@Willy: no violence with a deal? Is that from the same crystal ball you used to predict the eu throwing Ireland under the bus? Cause we’re fu€ked if it is

@Orla Smith: Níl sé ag teastáil ó roinnt mhaith sa deisceart ach chómh beag..

@Paul Murphy: £4.5 million since 2010. Who needs the pithy salary? :)

@Brendan Glynn: you don’t for idiots? The shinners should use that as their election slogsn