Heh. So its just vacant for 4-5 years whenever they win an election? I'd put a placard with their name by the seat anyway. I wonder if they make public announcements about how they WOULD vote on so-and-so bill IF they participated in the British parliament.
On the other hand, the "principled" Brexit Party DOES take their seats in the EU anyway. That's weird that the crazy socialist terrorist loons actually practice what they preach more than the "patriotic, conservative" party does.
You have to take an oath to the Queen, they refuse. They might still not want their seats even if that requirement was removed. People voting for them know that they stand for not participating in the UK parliament. It’s a good thing in that effectively lowers the number of seats needed for a majority. With 7 of them Johnson only needed 323 seats rather than 326. So IRA > SDLP
They took a seat off of the DUP in Belfast but lost one of their own seats to the SDLP, who also took a seat off the DUP in Belfast. IRA stood down in the seat the SDLP gained, but it was a big swing away from the DUP anyway (last time they won it with 30%). IRA beat the DUP’s Westminster Leader in a pretty close race (SDLP stood down in that one).
DUP just held on (VS the Alliance) in their remaining Belfast seat, IRA and SDLP stood down, UUP did not.
But the Alliance beat the DUP for the Unionist Seat of Retiring Indy (Former UUP) bitch who voted with Labour most the time Sylvia Hermon. IRA and SDLP stood down, UUP did not.
Not good at all but the DUP has been a pain in the ass on Brexit so I don’t feel that bad for them.
Another very close race between the UUP and IRA in one of the seats (DUP has stood down the last 4 times). 57 vote win the IRA this time, last time was 875, before that UUP win by 530, before that IRA win by FOUR VOTES.
NI is a problem.
I’d have to favor the Traditional Unionist Voice Party because of their stance against the ridiculous “power sharing” arrangement to form a NI Government (their assembly is suspended anyway). IE a majority of both unionist members and nationalist members is needed.
This provision was put in solely to force the inclusion of the IRA which is more popular than the SDLP and therefore forms the majority of nationalists. TUV stood down at this election so as not to split the vote and never got more than a few votes.