O'Loan "on the naughty step"
That's how an SDLP source characterised Margaret Ritchie's decision to remove the party whip from Declan O'Loan over his "single nationalist party" comments. The fact that Mr O'Loan isn't commenting should perhaps be taken as an indication that his exile will be temporary.
It's understandable that the SDLP wants to close down this discussion, given the party's decent performance in the Westminster election. But the further that the memory of the IRA's campaign recedes into the past, the more difficult some young nationalist votesr might find it to understand what the difference is between the two parties.
Incidentally the political reforms now being piloted by Nick Clegg through Westminster could obviate the need for all this talk of unity, at least so far as General Elections are concerned. If under an AV system a voter can transfer his or her choice then there's no need for the SDLP to stand aside in Fermanagh or the UUP to stand aside in South Belfast.
However different considerations will arise in next year's Assembly election, when the squeeze will be on within nationalism to make Sinn Fein the biggest party in order to capture the First Minister's crown and within unionism to bolster the DUP in response. That's unless the Conservatives rush to the assistance of their embattled allies in the UUP by changing the rules at Stormont.
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