To not get the hysteria over the DUP?

[dingit]

Cropping up on Facebook statuses today, photos with rainbows to stand against them.
I admit until last week I knew nothing about them. A quick look at their website does not show them to be homophobic, racist etc. And surely Teresa May has bigger worries than LGBT rights? They have 10 seats!
I'm not posting to be goady, I genuinely don't get it?

m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/former-dup-council-candidate-sentenced-to-eight-years-for-pipebomb-attack-on-polish-neighbours-29206287.html There you go. The sort of people may is cozing up to

This dispute at Holy Cross Primary school was just 15 years ago. Terrified little children being abused, stoned and even bombed while trying to walk to school.

Every day. For months. In Britain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/37247025

Theresa May and her party are utterly reckless to risk the fragile peace in NI.

tanith I hadn't realized it has so recent.
That is truly horrendous.

Sunny - plenty of activity on both sides,

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-10866072

look at the timeline for February this year, 3 teenagers, 1 who was 16 years old, shot in West Belfast this doesn't make the national news at all.

For those not in NI, those shootings will be related to republican activity and a way of 'controlling' the community - which is mainly catholic - they don't say the injuries , but knee cappings are common.

One of the impacts is that Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rate in the UK particularly for teenagers in low income areas.

to quote research:

“High levels of deprivation, the legacy of conflict and high levels of mental ill-health create a very challenging set of circumstances for many people in the north of Ireland,” she said.

I'm frustrated by the numbers of people objecting to the DUP when it potentially impacts then, but the whole situation has been impacting lives of those who live in Northern Ireland for 30+ years without much attention, support or interest.

Totally agree eve.

Some good things that might come out of this DUP alliance:

1. People become more aware of what is happening in Northern Ireland. Events in NI are very under-reported in the UK press, and I guess a lot of us on here would admit to being woefully ignorant of the state of affairs there.

1. DUP put pressure on UK government for a soft Brexit to avoid having a hard border between ROI and NI.

1. DUP persuades UK government to give more money to NI, which sounds as if it is very much needed - though obviously it depends on how it then gets spent.

There are clear downsides too, which I probably don't need to go into.

That's what I am hoping hackmum, NI desperately needs it, and hopefully with the eyes of the rest of the country on them BOTH main political parties can get on with improving things for everyone in NI.

www.jrf.org.uk/press/northern-ireland-risks-falling-behind-great-britain-economic-recovery

I hope the OP has come back to this thread and can understand the "hysteria" now

I don't think it works like this Boop. If pp start hurling insults and denigrating someone asking a question, they are not really going to hang around to learn anything, are they?

The conservatives worked hard to improve their image but the DUP link has now deeply damaged all that hard work. Damaged through association with DUP

I'm frustrated by the numbers of people objecting to the DUP when it potentially impacts then, but the whole situation has been impacting lives of those who live in Northern Ireland for 30+ years without much attention, support or interest

They only have power because people vote for them. There is a choice - the UUP is less extreme, and there are smaller parties too. Tell people not to vote on tribal lines and things will change in NI. Until then, forget it. The rest of the people in the UK cannot control how people vote in NI. And indeed, if Brexit was such an issue for Ireland, why did so many people in NI vote for it? The Remain majority was tiny compared with Scotland.

There is some tribal voting in the rest of the UK (those who will always vote Tory regardless of their policies, because they're Tory - same for Labour) but it's nowhere near as ingrained or emotional.

mulledwine - I think you probably don't understand a lot about NI politics.

... Mulled wine -

Tell people not to vote on tribal lines and things will change in NI.

good luck with that!

This thread is utterly depressing, I'm heading back to the discussion on sausage roll baps and tayto crisps after this comment.

As a NI unionist, I voted UUP as they are about the most moderate unionist party, Alliance look fantastic on paper, but actually rarely cast their votes on major issues within the assembly.

In the assembly elections I actually voted UUP, SDLP as I hoped a pact could be formed between them, as I could never vote SF as they're murdering scum. Even last night on the radio Connor Murphy was being interviewed and he muttered the lines "they haven't gone away you know", not in the same context, he was talking about something else, but you knew he thought he was being smart.

If anything this deal between DUP and TM at least shines a spotlight on NI and hopefully will make the rest of the UK take notice of what's going on in our little country.

MrWriter - a voice of reason in an otherwise thoroughly depressing thread.

When I was at university in Scotland my grandmother used to post me a packet of tayto every week.They arrived in some rare shapes, but love is.

Tayto crisps are sometimes in the "speciality food" bit of our local English Morrisons. And they are very special.

nothing finer in life than a Tayto cheese and onion crisp sandwich!

I discovered Tayto crisps on holiday last year. They are amazing.

My god! A crisp sandwich. So near to lunch time; so few opportunities to get Tayto crisps here.
I've heard tell of a Taytoland? Is it true?

Salt and vinegar for me.

@Mulledwine1 I'm afraid you don't quite get it (which is fair enough, I think unless you live here it IS hard to understand why people vote for such dinosaurs). Until the Troubles are a distant memory, most people here will always vote against who they see as the enemy. Because that "enemy" killed their auntie, or their grandad, or bombed the local shop, or harassed them on their way to school, etc etc. It's not academic for people in NI, it's very real and very recent.

Same with Brexit. The DUP said that if we voted Remain, we'd risk our place as part of the UK. So Unionists voted Leave.

tis true

www.taytopark.ie/

..and in the North you can tour Tayto Castle.

www.tayto.com/about/

..just to point out , Walkers only have Gary L... Tayto have a theme park , a castle, tours and Mr Tayto

Thanks, Eve. Let's hope it stays a soft border for Tayto Park .
Wonder what the gift shop is like ....

Tayto Castle!! I'm overwhelmed by crispy wonderfulness now.
I feel a road trip coming on .