Hmmm ! - Lets try and be objective here.

If you Click 'Ere you can see the actual recorded voting figures. (O.K. BBC, but I doubt if they would misrepresent the figures)

Now a couple of caveats.

These figures wre compiled fron a preferance voting systems so that straight comparisons have to be taken with caution.

Secondly, Electoral fraud was endemic in Northern Ireland, in fact those, like myself, or cllr who actually help organise in the UK electorial process use the short hand Irish Votes to discuss / indicate the "dead" voting etc. Or to put it another way

"Vote Craig/Murphy,
Vote Early,
Vote Often !"

It is also fair to say that some considerable effort has been made to stop impersonation/"Voting the Dead"

That being said, do some basic mathematics,

Something like 62% by vote and 75 out of 108 members of the NI Assembly belong to parties (and I include Sien Fien ) who, nominally at least, are supporters and participants in the "Power Sharing Ageeement."

It may suit those whose political agenda depends upon the singing of "Partriotic Songs" whilst intoxicated in Boston/Dublin bars to wish the Good Friday Agreement to fail. This view would seem to be a minority of those who took the trouble to vote.

Now 'Catters whose views are besoted by the "Struggle", or a need to try and sell Newspaper Articles attacking British Squaddies may not like what I have said, or am going to say.

Please Note - No referendum has been taken in the rest of the UK as to wether any further effort or money should be poured into to Northern Ireland. This was an implied threat during the campaign for the "Good Friday Agreement"

It does not take a genius with the skills of Alistair Campell to realise that this can be used again. Frankly I would enjoy a campaign on this in South Wales.

"Use the money for Welsh Benefit" - Coupled with pictures of Welsh servicemens funerals. - With any luck we'd take our Nat's out politically as well.

I agree that the history of British involvement in Northern Ireland is not the best example.

30 odd years later, I still believe that the biggest mistake of the Wilson Government in 1968 was not imposing direct rule and the disbanding of the RUC. I am feared that the relaince of the ARMY on RUC intelligence sowed the seeds of the growth of the PIRA

But then, hindsite is very usefull.

An unrepentant.

Gareth