Talk Elections

Other Elections - Analysis and Discussion => International Elections => Topic started by: Filuwaúrdjan on January 16, 2010, 03:40:10 PM



Title: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Filuwaúrdjan on January 16, 2010, 03:40:10 PM
Two facts dawned on me the other day.

1. There is probably more electoral information on the internets relating to Northern Ireland than anywhere else in the world, if we do this on a per capita basis.

2. Most people here do have some interest in the place.

Therefore, a thread for maps and electoral/demographic discussion (for political stuff, please use the existing thread on the International General Discussion board) seemed to make at least a small amount of sense. That, and I've just finished some maps of the '73 Assembly elections and can't work out where to post them.


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Filuwaúrdjan on January 16, 2010, 03:54:22 PM
()

Bigger version here (https://uselectionatlas.org/FORUM/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=2450).

Not quite sure how accurate the boundaries are (I drew the outline map myself based on a not-very-detailed-at-all source, so...). Source for the data is Nicholas Whyte's excellent online archive. Some brief notes are probably needed:

1. The UUP was split for this election. The division was between those who accepted that power sharing between the two communities was necessary and those who didn't want to work with taigs. Pro-White Paper is the former.

2. Vanguard was probably the closest thing Northern Ireland has ever had to a genuine fascist party with mass support. Given their success in Belfast in the '74 elections its surprising to see how poorly they polled there in '73.

3. NILP = Northern Ireland Labour Party. The first proper Socialist party on the island of Ireland (originally established as the Belfast Labour Party) and nonsectarian in politics if not in electoral appeal. Traditionally a party of Protestant skilled workers the NILP had already lost most of its base by this point, but still managed to win a seat in East Belfast.

4. The Independent Unionist in West Belfast was the Loyalist activist Hugh Smyth (still on Belfast City Council representing the Court ED (Shankill) for the PUP). Not sure about South Antrim.

5. Republican Clubs = Stickies.


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Tetro Kornbluth on January 16, 2010, 04:05:06 PM
The pattern for the Stickies and Vanguard is quite interesting. As for the Unionist split, Candidates? (Also The highest bracket in the "UUP - Anti-White paper" map reads like 80 to me, surely 30?)

I would argue this:
Quote
The first proper Socialist party on the island of Ireland (originally established as the Belfast Labour Party) and nonsectarian in politics if not in electoral appeal.

I would argue that the ILP (to keep it simple) was 'socialist' at least from its founding in iirc 1911 to the mid 1920s. Look at its role during the lockout and the Strikes of the early 1910s. It was actually then one of the more left wing parties in Western Europe in its very early period.


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Filuwaúrdjan on January 16, 2010, 04:30:44 PM
The pattern for the Stickies and Vanguard is quite interesting. As for the Unionist split, Candidates? (Also The highest bracket in the "UUP - Anti-White paper" map reads like 80 to me, surely 30?)

Vanguard's was quite a surprise; I'd always assumed they were mostly a Belfast affair. Suppose they did so well in Armagh because all the UUP candidates (yes it was a candidate issue - pro-white paper candidates signed a pledge) were pro-white paper.

Note of hilarity for those that don't know this; most of the current generation of senior UUP figures (from Trimble onwards) were in Vanguard in the early '70s.

Quote
I would argue this:
Quote
The first proper Socialist party on the island of Ireland (originally established as the Belfast Labour Party) and nonsectarian in politics if not in electoral appeal.

I would argue that the ILP (to keep it simple) was 'socialist' at least from its founding in iirc 1911 to the mid 1920s. Look at its role during the lockout and the Strikes of the early 1910s. It was actually then one of the more left wing parties in Western Europe in its very early period.

The BLP (which expanded into the NILP in 1924) was established in 1892, a few years even before Connolly's first effort. Though, yeah, a hell of a lot more moderate than Irish Labour in its first decade. To risk laughable understatement, actually.


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Хahar 🤔 on February 20, 2010, 02:20:24 AM
What are the subdivisions on that map? Constituencies?


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: minionofmidas on February 20, 2010, 04:06:00 AM
That would seem to be the old Northern Irish constituencies, yes. Unchanged from 1922 to the 1970s, and a conscious underrepresentation, btw.


Title: Re: Northern Ireland thread
Post by: Harry Hayfield on February 21, 2010, 12:27:36 PM
When you get to modern times (i.e 1983 onwards) may I be permitted to pick up the baton (as I will be able to post vote tallies as well as seats)?