UK MPs - 2015 Parliament

[ObserverIE]

Indeed. It's curious though... I mean... they oversold Chuka Umunna a lot as well. Are there senior journalists with a thing for half Nigerian half white men?

Ghanaian.

[ObserverIE]

Indeed. It's curious though... I mean... they oversold Chuka Umunna a lot as well. Are there senior journalists with a thing for half Nigerian half white men?

Ghanaian.

Indeed. I appear to have confused the pair of them with Simfan for a moment there. Embarrassing.

Umunna is half-Nigerian. Isn't Simfan half-Ethiopian or am I assuming incorrectly?

[ObserverIE]

Newry-based, bemulleted former member of the Workers' Party (aka "the Stickies" or, more politely, "the Officials", SF's often deadly rivals in the 70s and 80s within Northern Republicanism). Has never set the electoral world alight at Assembly level, limping home into the last seat in 2011, barely ahead of the SDLP.

Essentially kicked upstairs into the Westminster seat, with his more high-profile predecessor as MP, Conor Murphy, returning to the Assembly in a job-swap. Continues a trend of SF replacing more active figures with reserves on the Westminster team.

[ObserverIE]

Continues a trend of SF replacing more active figures with reserves on the Westminster team.

Very sensible of them.

At least until the Assembly gets put into cold storage, which looks possible at the moment.

[ObserverIE]

Gregory Campbell (DUP - East Londonderry)

Also a member of the NI Assembly for the constituency of the same name. Ugh.

Transplant to Coleraine from his original stomping ground of Derry city. Probably the most personally obnoxious of the remaining DUP MPs now that Boxcar Willie McCrea has been dispatched back to Magherafelt.

[ObserverIE]

Bizarro-Homer Simpson lookalike. Likely to take over at least the nominal leadership of the DUP (with Arlene Foster becoming First Minister) after Peter Robinson retires in the New Year.

[ObserverIE]

Pat Doherty (Sinn Féin - West Tyrone)

Former longtime (1988-2009) Vice President of the party. Represented the constituency of the same name in the NI Assembly.

Elderly, Glasgow-born, Donegal-resident veteran Republican who has been the semi-absentee MP here since taking the seat in 2001 from a UUPer elected in 1997 on a freak split Nationalist vote.

[ObserverIE]

Jeffrey M. Donaldson (DUP - Lagan Valley)

Formerly in the UUP and was leader of the anti-GFA faction. Also represented Lagan Valley in the Assembly.

Nicknamed "Daniel O'Donaldson" for his resemblance to a well-known Irish country & western singer. Seen as a coming man and scourge of David Trimble during his time in the UUP before defecting with much fanfare to the DUP. Has gradually subsided without trace since.

Re: Dodds

Bizarro-Homer Simpson lookalike. Likely to take over at least the nominal leadership of the DUP (with Arlene Foster becoming First Minister) after Peter Robinson retires in the New Year.

Has now disclaimed any leadership ambitions in the DUP with Foster now expected to take over the leadership next week.

[ObserverIE]

Mark Durkan (SDLP - Foyle)

Led the SDLP from 2001 until 2010. Represented the Foyle Assembly constituency from 1998 until 2010 and had a brief stint as Deputy FM (2001-2002).

Former student union leader and SDLP backroom boy who became leader of the party and MP for the party's best-organised constituency in 2001 in succession to his mentor John Hume. Lacked Hume's charisma and stood down as leader in 2009 after what appeared at the time to be a poor performance but which looks good in retrospect when compared with his two successors.

[ObserverIE]

Tom Elliott (UUP - Fermanagh and South Tyrone)

Led the party several years prior to entering the UK Parliament in 2015, amusingly enough. Also, as is common for a NI MP, represented the constituency of the same name in the Assembly.

This seat is quite famous; it is pretty evenly balanced between unionists and nationalists, often springs up tight majorities and it's where hunger striker Bobby Sands was elected in a by-election in 1981. Elliott himself could well fall to tactical voting next time.

Stereotypical UUP type - big farmer from Fermanagh - with reputation for rudeness and ignorance. Famously as UUP leader announced that he would not attend either a gay pride march or a GAA match (Gaelic football and hurling being sports preferred by the Catholic/Nationalist side in Northern Ireland). Expressed delight back in 2004 when the county Gaelic football team's championship run ended with a semi-final defeat because the loss would apparently put manners on local Catholics.