As you were in South Down ?
A bit belated this, but I notice that a recent edition of the Mourne Observer quotes SDLP activists in South Down as indicating that Eddie McGrady will defend his seat in the next general election. His logic, allegedly, is that if Ian Paisley can be First Minister at 81 there is no reason he cannot continue at Westminster. If this holds true, it won't bother his party colleague, the Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie but may unsettle the Education Minister Sinn Fein's Catriona Ruane. She must have hoped that a place at the Executive table would boost her chances of taking South Down next time around.
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I live in South Down. Although I am a non Sinn Fein supporter I hope Catriona Ruane or somebody else takes the seat of Eddie McGrady or Margaret Ritchie who ever it may be. For years Eddie McGrady and Margaret Ritchie have done nothing for the people of South Down. Crime is up, vandalism is up, hospital facilites are down, roads are in a mess, economic system is wrong and basically a lack of politcial leadership. People in Lisburn has benefitted from a strong MLA and MP where we in South Down are 30 years behind.
The next general election probably won't be until 2009 or 2010.
Catriona Ruane's chances will depend on whether we are still voting for a party that we think does the best job of stopping the other lot getting what they want; or voting for a party that we think best serves the interests of the country.
If it's the latter Sinn Fein will have to do something about the Marxism that was so disastrous for them down south, and led Ms Ruane to change the curriculum to include 5x2=4.