More than 800 candidates have been busy on the doorsteps hoping to secure one of the 462 council seats up for grabs,🗳️endamcclafferty reports LE23
Not mentioning the daily drip of doom-and-gloom budget briefings with their predictions of eye-watering cuts.
The first republican first minister, Michelle O'Neill, being blocked from taking up her post by the DUP is sure to mobilise the green vote.Hence the locked out would-be first minister is staring down from almost every lamppost with the message ready to work for all - if only she was allowed.Sinn Féin have had a good campaign and republicans are more energised than ever before
But Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has a harder message to sell than he did in last year's Northern Ireland Assembly election. But the biggest challenge facing Sir Jeffrey is securing transfers from the other unionist parties to get his candidates over the line. Almost 80% of the Alliance power base is in the east and so it's no surprise the party leadership has spent more time canvassing in the west.Another good polling day for Alliance could see it overtake the Ulster Unionists as the third largest party across the 11 councils.
It is likely to pay the price for the DUP's Stormont boycott as more nationalist voters, frustrated Michelle O'Neill has been blocked from becoming first minister, turn to Sinn Féin.Colum Eastwood's SDLP has lost its biggest vote-getter in Belfast, Paul McCusker, who is standing as an independentHe quit the party and is standing as an independent. Given his personal popularity, he is likely to retain his seat.
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