To think that UK voters should be ashamed of their apathetic ignorance?

[MrsDustyBusty]

Never heard of the DUP before today? Really, it's embarrassing.

Yet so many posters don't seem to find it that way. I'm a filthy foreigner and I literally know more about UK politics than many posters here.

AIBU to think that's really shameful?

Possible explanations as to why so few in England have heard of the DUP (I suspect knowledge is higher in Wales/Scotland)

A) Loyalist politicians got less coverage than Nationalists because nationalist terrorists killed the English - loyalists only killed the Irish.

B) Loyalists were on 'our' side and therefore the good guys.

C) The English have never given a fuck about Ireland, or Eire, or Northern Ireland.

D) 'terrorism' now means 'muslim' (and that's another depressing thread for another day). Even the IRA are half forgotten now.

If you are interested in talking about the politics of the UK, then don't be surprised if people don't take your views seriously if you have no idea who the DUP are.

That's what it comes down to.

Be prepared to listen instead of giving your opinion.

Yes, I have a basic knowledge of what Plaid Cymru stand for, why wouldn't I?

I am Scottish. Why wouldn't I be interested in the peace process? It is part of the politics of my country.

But when people who are taking the time to participate in threads about the DUP in government can't even be bothered to get the name of the country right it's soul destroying.

I might as well say I'm going to move to England and vote Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael as say I'll move to Ireland and vote for the DUP

Loyalists didn't only kill the Irish.

Fuck me. Should I just give up now?

Yes, I have a basic knowledge of what Plaid Cymru stand for, why wouldn't I?

Not what i asked. did you search out their current manifesto before This election. If not why not?

I am Scottish. Why wouldn't I be interested in the peace process? It is part of the politics of my country.

You might be, but i highly doubt anything relating to this particular Election has made you intrested in it.
Once again Why would you look up 'the troubles' to vote in this election.

How many of the searched the above terms before this election?

If you already know about it, why would you need to search terms? Growing up in the west of Scotland and spending a lot of time in NI, I don't need to search terms. I did however do some research on Plaid Cymru since I was hoping they'd be able to form some kind of alliance with Labour, possibly with the Lib Dems and the SNP in order to keep the Tories out.

The issue here is that it was a U.K. Election, not an English election. Nobody takes a blind bit of notice of Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish politics unless it affects them directly.

sunny I think that's the problem. People are very happy to voice their opinion, less happy to actually take the time to research the issue.

Apologies for making people weep at not adding Northern in front of Ireland in my post. It's been a very long stressful personal hell week for me and I didn't proof read my post.

If my post has made you weep for not putting Northern Ireland then you would be throwing yourself off the White cliffs of Dover at the week I've had. But go ahead and weep for me and mock me for not being fully wired into the political parties I couldn't vote for unless I move to that country.

I see no reason why in an election where a lot of young voters participated, you expected them to look up the history of NI before voting.

What would make a 19 year old look up the history of a country they don't live in before voting for the parties in their area.

I'm going to need a boat soon, it's going to turn into a flood.

just I have no idea what you're talking about. No one is asking you to read anyone's manifesto. They're asking you to have a knowledge of the world outside England before you comment on things.

Waking up and seeing 'please educate me about the DUP' this morning all over social media was quite disturbing for many people.

badcat your bad week is totally irrelevant. How many times do Northern Irish people have to be insulted by being called Irish? It is deeply offensive.

The Good Friday Agreement was signed the year before I could vote. I'm in my mid-30s.

So my memories from my days as a non voting teenager are being stirred. Rev Ian Paisley (recently deceased) rings big loud bells with an unpleasant clang.

My media experience of Northern Irish politics over recent years has been fairly quiet as Stormant gets suspended from time to time, and currently is because of the wood pellets subsidies scandal which is the only context in which I have really heard of Arlene's name- not really connected to her social values/ moral stance.

I'm married to an Irishman (Republic) which has increased my understanding of the historical Irish position as part of the UK, and its quest for independence. Growing up on the same island as Northern Ireland, his knowledge of the Northern Irish troubles wasn't much more sophisticated than mine, although with a different bias.

So I'm not completely ignorant. But what use is that knowledge when I walk into a polling booth and have a choice between Con (safe seat by large margin), Labour, Lib Dems and Greens. The only practical way that I could apply an influence of the DUP onto my vote is to stand for them, but I'd get two less votes than Elmo because DH certainly wouldn't be voting for me.

I don't get any influence on any agreement that Theresa May makes with the DUP any more than I did when by-elections pushed John Major into a minority government 92-97.

So I have a reasonable (by English standards) headline knowledge of Northern Ireland and its politics. Even if I actively researched the politics of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and any other minority parties of the UK, that still makes no difference on where I place my cross against Cons, Lab, Lib Dem or Green. Is it irrelevant? Certainly not on a national scale, but it is beyond my personal sphere of influence.

I have no idea what you're talking about
Then don't reply to me.

No one is asking you to read anyone's manifesto.
Just to look up 'the troubles' and have an understanding of Irelands history before placing a vote.

Waking up and seeing 'please educate me about the DUP' this morning all over social media was quite disturbing for many people.

Surely that is a big indication of the people they know on social media.

seoul

Alrighty

just it has nothing to do with this election. It has to do with general knowledge.

But I think you know that and are just being obtuse.

Maybe instead of arguing about your right to ignorance, you could go and google the DUP, Sinn Fein, Peter Robinson etc and you'd find yourself in a better position to argue.

So I have a reasonable (by English standards) headline knowledge of Northern Ireland and its politics. Even if I actively researched the politics of Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and any other minority parties of the UK, that still makes no difference on where I place my cross against Cons, Lab, Lib Dem or Green. Is it irrelevant? Certainly not on a national scale, but it is beyond my personal sphere of influence.

^^ THIS!

You didn't fucking care for years. You let 3 elderly ladies have to hand themselves in at strand road police station for the right to abortions. This forum - mumsnet - screams women's rights all over the world and there's threads about all kinds of issues concerning women in other places and a fuckton of threads about trans issues and yet women IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY have no right to an abortion and it barely gets mentioned.

And now you're all terrified about the DUP in govt with the conservatives?

Well, fuck me. Pardon me for being angry. I'm angry as fuck. The DUP and Sinn Fein don't speak for me. Either of them. I voted yellow for the ginger ninja. I don't support terrorism from loyalist or republican. I have condemned them both equally.

I could post what it's like here and you wouldn't believe me.

it has nothing to do with this election.

I think you will find this thread has a lot to do with this election. This is what we are talking about.

I wondered who the DUP
were then realised they're who I've always known as the Unionists or (the late) Ian Paisley's party.

God just The DUP existed before this election. This thread isn't about this election, it's about people's unwillingness to educate themselves.

sunny exactly. Women's rights on the surface, everyone deserves a voice, blah blah, but it's all total shite and if it's not just meaningless white washing, no one actually cares.

Odd that we have a party supporting the government that millions of us cannot vote for

They're asking you to have a knowledge of the world outside England before you comment on things.

It's perfectly clear what Just is saying, you're either missing the point on purpose or completely unable to understand.

This thread isn't about this election

Yes it is.

badcat your bad week is totally irrelevant. How many times do Northern Irish people have to be insulted by being called Irish? It is deeply offensive.

There are a large number of people in Northern Ireland who would be offended at being called anything other than Irish. Maybe you shouldnt be criticising others.