Fresh off the back of Northern Ireland's.........>

UK: Fresh off the back of Northern Ireland's Remain-supporting Social Democratic

and Labour Party (SLDP) announcing that it would not stand in three seats (North

Belfast, East Belfast, North Down), Sinn Fein states that it will also not stand

in South Belfast, East Belfast and North Down to allow better-placed Remain

parties to try to win or retain the seat.

- Northern Ireland parties have history of not standing against a party from

their own side of the Nationalist/Unionist divide if their candidacy would raise

the possibility of the seat going to a party representing the opposing

community.

- The depth of feeling in the Brexit debate is evident in that Sinn Fein, a

republican party with historical links to the IRA, are not standing against Lady

Sylvia Hermon - an independent unionist - in North Down. 

- The collective vote for nationalists (SDLP/Sinn Fein) in North Down is very

low (less than 1000 votes in 2017), but if these supporters shift to Hermon it

could deny the DUP the opportunity to win the seat after falling 1,200 votes

short in 2017.