The Northern Ireland elections are once again showing double standards, things changing, progressing but sadly, the flapping of old dinosaur thinking.
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The DUP are still trying to bang-on about the Northern Ireland Protocol with voters. They, in a measure of being out of date and out of touch, are not concentrating what far more concerns people in their own communities. Like civilians in the rest of Ireland, heating, housing and health greatly concerns them.
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The DUP however, in possible last attempts of a dying ideology direction, has decided to mainly stick to an issue that their dying number of supporters are less bothered about. No matter – scare tactics from the DUP continue.
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They try to install fear through tactics that are a reminder of what FF and FG also in the south do, during other Ireland election times. Thankfully, it looks like the Northern Ireland people – including those on the unionist side – are less falling for such blatantly obvious, out of date tactics.
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As far as the DUP was previously concerned, it was fine that the state was led by one of their own as top minister and they were willing to work with SF in second position – but as they fear now, SF will have a top minister to run the state, they taking second place in minister office position, now they are not willing to work with SF.
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The very state they they say they wish to uphold and protect, is the very state they also wish to Stormont abandon by their new refusal to accept the coming changing times.
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Meanwhile, it hasn’t gone unnoticed in the rest of Ireland that while FF, Labour, Social Democrats, Greens and Fine Gael are still saying people should be very fearful of Sinn Fein ever being in Southern government – the same parties are willing to accept Sinn Fein in a Northern Ireland government. In fact, the South political parties encourage other Northern Ireland parties to work with Sinn Fein there, to form a government.
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In short, Sinn Fein is good enough for a North Government – but for the South… Well, that’s different of course! The double standards is there to be seen by non-blinkered.
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In greater truth, while South parties publicly encourage North parties to work with one another, they truthfully also don’t want to see Sinn Fein in top charge up North. This ground breaking possibility could be seen by voters in the South that Sinn Fein has progressed in democratic ways – and this in turn, might further bolster their chances to gain more votes in the South. Cue new FF/FG gerrymandering tactics to increase TD numbers so this can’t easy happen! LINK
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Indeed, the usual South, fear creating, parties can see a day when Sinn Fein in the top party in government in the North and South – at the same time. This would again make Sinn Fein the most dominant party for the whole of Ireland, not just in one part or other at different times!
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Back up North, the UUP is not encouraging unionist voters to also give support to the DUP – and the DUP is not encouraging unionists to also support the UUP. This will lead to a more fractured share of votes placed, with middle parties such as the Alliance picking up the voter pieces scattered around electoral communities. There is even world of unionist people who are more concerned about basic issues such as health and economy, even willing to vote for the likes of Sinn Fein.
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Times are changing up North in some ways – but some aging DUP party Unionists, out of touch with it’s very one people, are still not willing to cop this or then change their ways accordingly. They will lose more votes because of this intransigence. There are lesson there to be learned by parties in the South – if they are only willing to observe and then learn too!
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So far, it looks like the South has people in top parties, not willing to learn such lessons. Old politics and old fear mongering ways continue. …Then they wonder why their polling numbers are down! They more need to look in a mirror for that answer. They need their own wake up call!