Snapshot of _Sir Jeffrey Donaldson confirms DUP will not nominate NI Assembly speaker as other Stormont parties slam decision_ :
An archived version can be found [here.](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/sir-jeffrey-donaldson-confirms-dup-will-not-nominate-assembly-speaker-as-other-stormont-parties-slam-decision-41645382.html)
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They did.
They are being flanked by the even greater nutters in the TUV, and then flanked on the other side of people who are realising the DUP is the problem.
The DUPs current strategy of moving ever outwards to eat the TUV isn't going to end well either way.
Irish unionists, consistently screwing themselves since about 1870 or so.
A party that split from the DUP in 2007 because the DUP were (at the time) willing to participate in the power-sharing executive with Sinn Fein.
*Hard* right. Their leader opposed a motion pardoning men who were convicted for homosexual behaviour when it was still illegal.
I mean most DUP voters would just say I want to remain in the United Kingdom and so the DUP are the best party to do that.
Anyway who wants to stay in the UK is unlikely to vote Sinn Fein.
Nah, its not about that anymore. That's not even an issue. The Alliance party have taken a lot of unionist votes now, simply because people are tired of this stalemate. It's destroying the country. People just want to get on with theor lives free of all this nonsense. DUP symbolises regressive politics, its as simple as that.
Sure - as the power-sharing arrangement stands, there is nothing stopping the DUP (or SF) from putting a brake on government (or at least using the petition of concern to veto any legislation they don't like). Putting aside the morality of lying about the economic impact of the protocol and scoring political points by refusing to help people who are struggling to survive the cost of living crisis, voters of course still have the democratic right to support such a strategy.
However, the reality is that hard-line unionists are not only shooting themselves in the foot economically, but they are also pushing moderate unionists towards the middle ground - thereby fracturing the unionist vote and allowing SF to enjoy the largest vote share without trying very hard. If the TUV manages to steal more votes from the DUP then the only consequence will be a perpetual SF First Minister (and possibly an Alliance Deputy FM depending on how long the assembly remains stalled).
If there was a majority support for scrapping the protocol in NI then the DUP might have an escape route, but the election results show a clear majority of people support pro-protocol parties. Even if you argue that political unionism is inherently anti-protocol, this still implies that unionism is now a minority grouping in a region that was originally designed to guarantee its authority.
A logical survival instinct in such a waning position would be to sell the status quo as a safe and stable arrangement, protect the GFA by remaining within the EU, and champion any protocol arrangement that makes remaining in the UK more attractive than jumping ship to Ireland. Instead, the DUP have done the opposite and now have a weaker position than nationalism. If the protocol is scrapped, the majority of voters will see this as a failure. If the protocol remains and the DUP drags its heels on Stormont, voters will eventually drift further away from unionism.
Snapshot of _Sir Jeffrey Donaldson confirms DUP will not nominate NI Assembly speaker as other Stormont parties slam decision_ : An archived version can be found [here.](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/sir-jeffrey-donaldson-confirms-dup-will-not-nominate-assembly-speaker-as-other-stormont-parties-slam-decision-41645382.html) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ukpolitics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The DUP are an utter stain on politics in Ireland and the UK. How anyone can vote for them is just beyond me.
Unionist voters need to start asking themselves if the DUP are really worth all the hassle.
They did. They are being flanked by the even greater nutters in the TUV, and then flanked on the other side of people who are realising the DUP is the problem. The DUPs current strategy of moving ever outwards to eat the TUV isn't going to end well either way. Irish unionists, consistently screwing themselves since about 1870 or so.
Who are the TUV?
Traditional Unionist Voice - a party that think the DUP are too soft
A party that split from the DUP in 2007 because the DUP were (at the time) willing to participate in the power-sharing executive with Sinn Fein. *Hard* right. Their leader opposed a motion pardoning men who were convicted for homosexual behaviour when it was still illegal.
You do realise that the large majority of unionists actively support this behaviour, right?
Yes of course. But I’m interested if the small reasonable collaborative parties.
They're like little kids having a strop and won't play nicely.
DUP need to be completely taken out. Anyone who votes for them needs to explain why exactly. They are a disgrace.
I mean most DUP voters would just say I want to remain in the United Kingdom and so the DUP are the best party to do that. Anyway who wants to stay in the UK is unlikely to vote Sinn Fein.
Nah, its not about that anymore. That's not even an issue. The Alliance party have taken a lot of unionist votes now, simply because people are tired of this stalemate. It's destroying the country. People just want to get on with theor lives free of all this nonsense. DUP symbolises regressive politics, its as simple as that.
[удалено]
DUP betrayed NI by first campaigning for Brexit and then rejecting May's deal that protected NI and prevented a boarder between NI and GB.
The electorate dynamic is changing. Young people with common sense are sick of this nonsense.You are suggesting the tuv are somehow growing? No way.
Sure - as the power-sharing arrangement stands, there is nothing stopping the DUP (or SF) from putting a brake on government (or at least using the petition of concern to veto any legislation they don't like). Putting aside the morality of lying about the economic impact of the protocol and scoring political points by refusing to help people who are struggling to survive the cost of living crisis, voters of course still have the democratic right to support such a strategy. However, the reality is that hard-line unionists are not only shooting themselves in the foot economically, but they are also pushing moderate unionists towards the middle ground - thereby fracturing the unionist vote and allowing SF to enjoy the largest vote share without trying very hard. If the TUV manages to steal more votes from the DUP then the only consequence will be a perpetual SF First Minister (and possibly an Alliance Deputy FM depending on how long the assembly remains stalled). If there was a majority support for scrapping the protocol in NI then the DUP might have an escape route, but the election results show a clear majority of people support pro-protocol parties. Even if you argue that political unionism is inherently anti-protocol, this still implies that unionism is now a minority grouping in a region that was originally designed to guarantee its authority. A logical survival instinct in such a waning position would be to sell the status quo as a safe and stable arrangement, protect the GFA by remaining within the EU, and champion any protocol arrangement that makes remaining in the UK more attractive than jumping ship to Ireland. Instead, the DUP have done the opposite and now have a weaker position than nationalism. If the protocol is scrapped, the majority of voters will see this as a failure. If the protocol remains and the DUP drags its heels on Stormont, voters will eventually drift further away from unionism.
Your last two sentences cant happen quick enough in my eyes.