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?

"Did anyone who doesn't see the relevance in the politics of NI regarding voting in the GE think that an understanding of the GFA, the Troubles etc would have been worth knowing about for the EU ref?"

There were loads of posters the day after the result of the referendum claiming to have made informed votes and also finding it completely new information that the possibility of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland was problematic.

I know tabulahrasa, I read them. Until people stop thinking about politics as a subject which stands alone and which either interests you or doesn't rather than the reality which is politics and history are everything that is relevant to our lives then the responses on this thread will continue to be quite normal.

I agree Bananagio

tabu erm nope. The DUP does not affect anywhere other than Northern Ireland, therefore not knowing about them if you live in England is not a problem.

"The DUP does not affect anywhere other than Northern Ireland, therefore not knowing about them if you live in England is not a problem."

In what way?

How do MPs sitting in the UK parliament not affect the whole of the UK?

Are you serious? Have you ever been given the choice to vote for them? If not then they can't make any decisions for England.

Well at least no one has excuse to say the DUP don't matter any more.

Maybe remember this when people from ni are posting in threads, huh?

Remember that our education system is different. Our school holidays are different.

We don't have the right to an abortion and yet we are in the uk.

We have, all of us from here, a shared experience of terrorism that you should be willing and open to learn from.

but you have no excuse now for not knowing what the DUP are like.

Ah lasagna. But it's not just the English parliament is it?

West Lothian question anyone?

I don't think you get it.

No one in England has to really know about them because they don't get to hear from them or vote for them or have anything chosen by them thrust upon them. Therefore they have a pretty good reason to not know about them.

I'm from here and grew up in London I can literally speak for both sides. I never heard about them in London (only from family) and even now that I am over here I still don't know much but I am learning. Unfortunately we can't vote for the English politicians and their policies do affect us, even if it takes longer to travel over here.

That applies for the snp and plaid too though lasagna.

Hence. The wear Lothian question.

*West

Typing and eating pizza.

The DUP does not affect anywhere other than Northern Ireland, therefore not knowing about them if you live in England is not a problem

You might think differently if the Good Friday Agreement breaks down.

Or, miss Kelly. More simply.

They do now.

"Have you ever been given the choice to vote for them? If not then they can't make any decisions for England."

That isn't how it works.

They can and do make decisions for the whole UK and just England as well on matters that are devolved in the other nations.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Lothian_question

Sunny - the West Lothian question has been partly settled by English Votes for English Laws hasn't it? The DUP won't be able to vote on issues that relate to England only.

But those are only on English q that would be devolved in the other 3 jurisdictions?

Prepared to be corrected if I'm wrong.

The DUP kept John Major afloat when he barely had a majority, they helped prop Cameron's government up and now they are the reason Teresa May will probably have a majority.

So yeah, no influence at all.

"The DUP won't be able to vote on issues that relate to England only."

There are some things that need to be the whole parliament to pass, so legislation for e.g. Sunday trading in England was voted on by everyone not just English MPs.

I've been fortunate enough not to have seen the troubles. My partner grew up during them. I do not want my children to have the memories he does. If it comes to it I will do my best to move away. I admit I don't know as much as I should about my country's politics and I need to learn more but I will not stay here if the troubles start up again. Do you think it will?

The DUP doesn't get to make big decisions though. If the DUP were to say all schools have to have a lesson on creationism twice a week, it wouldn't happen and wouldn't be allowed. Surely? England are, I think very proud and wouldn't have someone from over here (where we are normally forgotten until now) dictate to them what changes to make therefore anything he suggests (unless the tories were going to do it anyway) won't stand a chance. Or am I being really thick?

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

I don't think so. There's a lot of things that one can know about nowadays, and not everyone is interested in politics for its own sake.

What is embarrassing is to vote for a party you don't know about. As long as you don't vote for them, there's no need to be embarrassed about not knowing about them.

I consider it everyone's duty to inform themselves about the parties they intend to vote for, but that's it. Knowledge on politics is only a duty insofar as it influences your decisions.

Outside of that, a lack of knowledge is neutral. Yes, someone might be embarrassed about not knowing something, but I wouldn't walk around telling people they ought to be embarrassed.

Telling people they ought to be ashamed is something I only do with ethical failures.

Pansies - I didn't think that sounded right and a Google search confirmed it was the Ulster Unionist Party, not the DUP.

"The last time a minority Conservative government was dependent upon Unionist MPs was in 1996, when John Major’s administration was in jeopardy following a series of by-election defeats. But at that time, the largest Unionist party was David Trimble’s UUP. "

And Trimble and John Hume were the sane and reasonable alternatives to Paisley and Adams.

"The DUP doesn't get to make big decisions though."

Until two years ago they got to vote on everything, as of then they don't vote on some England only matters, but they still do on anything concerning all nations, defence, welfare, things like that...pretty big decisions.

Creationism in schools, probably not, but who knows what they're getting offered in this deal, money very probably, brexit terms that benefit their agenda possibly, there's talk of reviewing abortion laws in England...