Posted by David Russell on May 9, 2010 at 11:36pm:

Naomi Long's fantastic result in a working class Unionist/Protestant area surely shows that Northern Ireland can step away from voting along tribal lines.

If the right dynamic candidate who identifies with their constituents is put in place by non tribal parties i.e. The Alliance Party a win is much more likely.  This fantastic win didn’t happen in a predominantly middle class area but a protestant working class heart land away from Alliances’ archetypal voter or as Liam Clarke outlined in today’s Sunday Times the “middle class do-gooder...comprising wine snobs who live in better off areas”- time for Alliance to get the spin doctors in?

However would such a win have been possible in a Republican area with a strong desire for a United Ireland?  Alliance stand for non-sectarian politics however are they not by default standing for a policy of retaining the Union by agreed consent?

In fact is Naomi’s win not an indication to the other parties in NI that people are beginning to become more interested in actual policies, activity and results rather than whether you are a Green or Orange party.   Politics in Northern Ireland could be become much more effective if we spent less time on the National Question or as Alliance say ‘bigotry costs’.

Whether you’re Green or Orange it is clear neither jurisdiction wants us, we’re a drain.  It won’t be until NI as an entity can hold its own head above water that either London or Dublin will show any interest in us.

Until this point London don’t want us and Dublin cannot afford us!  Therefore surely now is the time begin to step away from the Tribal lines, put the national question on the back burner and work towards an economy based on private sector employment?

Reply by Andrew Gallagher on May 17, 2010 at 4:40pm:

Alliance stand for non-sectarian politics however are they not by default standing for a policy of retaining the Union by agreed consent?

If they are, then every party that signed up to the principles of consent are also "by default" standing for the same policy. What needs to happen now is for people to understand that there is nothing that elected politicians can do about the national question - the Agreements clearly state that the only way NI's status can be changed is by a referendum, the SoS is the only person with the power to call that referendum, and the circumstances under which he may do so are restricted. The constitutional issue has thus been completely separated from politics, but the politicians haven't yet caught on. Talk of "who speaks for Unionists" or "who speaks for Nationalists" betrays narrow thinking - it is the politician who can speak for everyone that will succeed in the future.

Reply by Will Glendinning on May 18, 2010 at 5:32pm:

Agree this is not the first time this happened Oliver Napier in 1979 only missed by a few hundred votes in the same constituency. In 1982 Alliance won two Assembly seats there. May I also point to the elections in West Belfast of myself and Pip Glendinning for Belfast City Council in 1985. Also winning Assembly set in 1982 in West Belfast It can be done and it requires hard work and a high profile.