to ask the MN Tory voters, what do you think of the DUP?

[ssd]

and how much do you know about them?

do you know about the cash for ash scandal?

do you think the GFA will be affected?

am curious to know what Tory voters think of this, am wondering how happy they are about this deal that's been done today.

I'm sure SSD would have no problem with a 'progressive' alliance if it kept the nasty Tories out. Pathetic indeed.

I'm Northern Irish, although long time resident in England. Voted Tory (always Unionist at home). I'm neither happy or unhappy with the Conservative/DUP alliance.

I'm getting so pissed off with being effectively characterised as a thick terrorist because of where my politics lie. I voted Unionist to keep out SF, not because I share in the DUP's crazy bollocks on gay marriage, anti-abortion and some edjits views on climate change being a hoax.

I love my country, and having seen the levels of deprivation first hand, the lack of opportunities etc. at home, I'm glad that Arlene has secured the money to help build a better Northern Ireland for the future. I really hope it equally serves both sides of the divide too, as it should rightly do.

I'm of the thank fuck JC didn't get in camp. Fuck knows where the country would have ended up if that feckless utopian pratt got into power.

Could I just ask NI voters how they would feel about the mainstream UK parties putting up candidates? It must feel a bit depressing to be reduced to voting for DUP and their "crazy bollocks" just to keep out Sinn Fein. Would you welcome the opportunity to vote Conservative, Labour etc?

If you're not unhappy with it its as good as supporting it.

If you're getting judged a lot on your politics there must be a good reason.

Hackmum I certainly would . Sadly the opportunities to vote alternative parties are lacking so we are stuck on voting as per our religious persuasion, not because of any manifesto.

As long as you don't discuss politics, you tend to do alright in NI

So if I'm not happy with it either, dies that mean I'm not supporting the alliance? You seem confused.

And the only person who is judging my political stance is you. Judge away.

Don't pretend you are forced to vote the way you do. Total cop out, take some responsibility.

In my ward/constituency, there are no other options.

I'll walk away from you now, you have discourse with crazy irrational people who won't listen to a reasoned discussion. Or who can't read 😂😂😂

PeterGriffinsPenisBeaker. That's interesting. I remember a few years ago saying to fellow Labour Party members that I thought the party ought to put up candidates in NI and they looked at me as if I'd suggested barbecuing babies.

I don't really understand why the mainstream parties don't put up candidates in NI, especially the Conservatives. After all the Conservatives support the union of NI with Great Britain, so logically that ought to extend to allowing the NI population to vote for them. It just seems to me it would make things so much better in terms both of reducing sectarianism and increasing the involvement of NI in the UK as a whole.

At the moment, people on the mainland take very little notice of what happens in NI - just compare the amount of coverage Scotland gets in the national press with what NI gets. It seems ridiculous. And then DUP enters an agreement with the government and suddenly everyone has an opinion.

NI could really do with a Labour Party, I agree.

I'm an outsider in NI but have a vote here. I tell you that so you know I didn't grow up here living and breathing the violence and community divide. I can't understand anyone voting DUP, their actual political stance on many issues is abhorrent and they are the one party that seems to promote the divide. Peter, you say you vote for them to keep SF out, well, I think that's a shameful attitude. You should vote for whoever will do the best for this country. And as an outsider with no influence from the 'old order' here, I can tell you objectively that SF is inclusive and has good politics and intentions cross community, in direct contrast with the DUP. Having said that, I will not vote SF myself until they take their fucking seats in parliament and represent their country properly (childish fuckwittery) and until all members with a direct link to terrorism are dead or gone from the party. Otherwise they have the makings of a good cross community party if they can keep moving in their current direction. They'll never get their 'United Ireland' but that silly pipe dream doesn't get in the way of their relatively decent local politics.

But attitudes like Peters make me shake my head. It's very common and I guess you can blame people here too much for deep running predjudices considering what many have experienced. It is stunting the country's progress without a doubt though.

In my ward/constituency, there are no other options

Really? One person on the ballot, no-one else? Bullshit.

If you're ashamed of your voting choices, own it, don't pretend you had no choice at all.

hackmum very interesting points! I wholeheartedly agree!

youarenotasausage I disagree on its shameful nature. It's no different than anyone in England voting LibDems to keep the Torys out. In my constituency, you have SDLP, SF, UUP or DUP. So one side or the other. He'll would freeze over before I voted SF, their main mandate is for a United Ireland and that is not what I want.

The biggest issue, which I'm sure you garner being an, ahem, non native, is that the political parties boogie to the tune of whether the island is United or not. That tends to follow religious lines. If their were parties which bridged this disparity, we may actually progress as a nation but until then, politics are tribal.

But again, might I draw your attention to the legions of Geordie miners who would vote for years in accordance with who their parents cast their vote for. Northern Irish voting is no different and I take umbrage to you slating me for exercising my democratic right.

And FWIW, I haven't voted in a NI election for almost 20 years.

We have a great little country and something needs to be done about the politics to stymie the generational repetitious voting. I only voted UUP the last time I voted in the province as I thought the DUP were too much too far in the Unionist camp.

Well: who saw this coming?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-40438390

Not quite what we expected, is it?

Bloody fantastic!! I read the piece this am on BBC News about abortion in NI and it's horrific. I'm pro-choice but this is a serious step in the right direction!

And they said that the DUP would export their social policies to GB . . .

The Conservatives DO field candidates in NI. They get a handful of votes.

The Labour Party is allied to the SDLP so won't put up candidates in NI. It drives many of my NI friends crazy as the SDLP is just as ridiculous on abortion. SF's views on abortion are almost as bad, but not quite. The options for liberals in NI are really difficult. While all sides disagree wildly on the national question, they've traditionally seen eye to eye on abortion. Nice.

Very good news. Well done govt

That's good news, and step to the right direction.

And they said that the DUP would export their social policies to GB

No idea if thats a joke, but it should be.

It's not exactly a victory. So women can have free NHS abortions...if they can afford to travel across and stay somewhere. And it comes out of the English NHS budget as well, not the DUP's ill gotten gains.

What a Nasty bitch you are, so you think that women having medical abortions should keep on paying for them because the Dup secured some long needed money for Ni, you need to take a long hard luck at yourself

my mum voted Tory.

I asked her what she thought about this.

her answer was that she's not happy but she's okay with doing anything that stops Corbyn's Labour coming in, because of what she remembers about unions, strikes etc. I can't comment on that as I wasn't born but I'm quite flummoxed by her hating the idea of more union power etc so much that she is okay with this.

however, in her head, she also seems to think that Labour are anti Brexit and when I point out what's happened to certain Labour party members today she is guaranteed to say "oh I didn't know anything about it". She's very much someone who votes on the basis of tabloid headlines and then when I say I've actually read a government paper - on anything - she says "why do you want that much detail".

anyhoo, just sharing that as it's a bugbear of mine. I'm not a committed voter for any party, I make up my mind at the time, but she's got "Tories will slash benefits, this must be good" in her head. Sometimes it's hard to believe we're related.