Voters' views: Barra Best

MEET THE PANEL Name: Barra Best Age: 22 Lives: Belfast Works: Software tester Current voting intention: Sinn Fein

For me, one of the big issues for this election is the re-establishment of government at a local level.

It is imperative to get all pro-Agreement parties on board so the people here and their elected representatives can take care of the issues affecting our daily lives.

This would allow us to make our own decisions and to tackle our own issues.

It would also stop ministers being parachuted in from England to make our decisions for us.

A recent example of this is the decision taken by the NI education minister, Barry Gardiner, to cut millions of pounds worth of funding from our education boards.

This has left schools without enough money for necessary equipment and such to educate the children.

VOTERS' PANEL INTRODUCTIONS Karen Jardine Clare Skelton Martin Walker Danny Walker Barra Best John Emerson

The disgust at this move was displayed by protests from education boards and even the resignation of some board members.

It is for this reason I will be voting Sinn Fein in the upcoming election to keep local decisions local.

The people of the north and their elected representatives should be the ones making these decisions.

After all, these decisions are going to be affecting people in the north of Ireland and no one else.

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Send us your comments on Barra's views using the form on the right.

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Despite all of the problems and faults I do believe that out of all the parties currently running Sinn Fein is the only party that truly gets down to doing things at a local level. I used to vote SDLP due to what I saw as extremely fair and very level headed politics. Much of this I still believe, but in todays political climate I think that the DUP needs to be faced with a less wishy washy attitude from nationalism. As regards comments saying that voting for Sinn Fein is voting for terrorism, I would like to see exactly what their views of terrorism are actually about. I personally believe that America and England are perfect examples of state terrorists.
Declan, Miayazaki, Japan

The north of Ireland? Surely he means Northern Ireland. The fact he is voting for terrorists says it all.
Rich, Maidstone, UK

I am glad to read that someone else has issues with the current Direct Rule Ministers. Not only are our Education and Library Board's facing funding crises, but Barry Gardiner is attempting to redress the funding gap in universities here by forcing (and I mean forcing) students to pay for their own education - did Barry Gardiner pay for his? I think not! Well done Barra on calling for local decisions to be kept local
Damien Kavanagh, Belfast

Right on Brother! totally agree. The politicians are being paid for doing no work and our future is in the hands of people who live hundreds of miles away.
Larry, Belfast, Ireland

My concerns are: 1. The ongoing struggle to obtain de-commissioning of illegal weaponry from criminal terror groups. 2. The looming prospect of having my hard earned money stolen from me via the government's artificially inflated regional rates and the deliberate non-implementation of water metering so not to provide a fair and just "pay as you consume" policy in order to steal yet more money from me. Were the private citizen to be so dishonest, he would be tried, convicted and imprisoned.
Chris McBurney, Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland

I believe that Sinn Fein are the only party to vote for as they are the party that are working for the people with the people for the good of the people. They are the voice of young nationalists in Ireland
Bridget, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh

I can't understand someone complaining about 'direct rule' ministers and then voting Sinn Fein. The only reason the Assembly was closed was because Sinn Fein/IRA were intelligence gathering.
Paul Thompson, Edinburgh (via Co Down)

"Keep local decisions local." I think Mr Best left off, "and in the hands of local thugs" here. Until SF renounce violence they will not have any credibility on issues of social justice. Anyone who votes for them at this stage has blood on his/her hands.
Stephen, London

Everyone who votes for Sinn Fein is voting for terrorism and should be ashamed of themselves
Robert Adair, Portavogie

Barra's points are all pretty valid but I am afraid the fact he votes for a party, that, if not actually the IRA is the other half of it, disappoints me. How would he feel if I voted for a loyalist terrorist party that for years thought it was a pretty good idea to butcher catholics, still had enough arms to do so again and was currently making a fortune from being NI's own version of the mafia?
Alistair, Belfast

Worried about direct rule so votes SF. Makes no sense - SF and to a lesser degree the DUP - are the reason why we have direct rule ministers. If you want the assembly and local ministers you must vote SDLP or UUP.
Liam, Belfast

Mr Best is completely right about getting all of the pro-agreement parties into power. A choice of the DUP would be catastrophic. They should be prepared to go into government with other democratically elected parties and support the agreement that the people of Ireland, north and south, voted for.
Christine, Dublin/Oxford

If Barra doesnt want ministers being parachuted in from England to make our decisions then he shouldn't be voting for Sinn Fein. They are the reason we are in the situation we are in because they can't disband their private army and commit 100% to democracy. People in Northern Ireland want to govern themselves however they don't want terrorist representatives to govern them.
Mark, Lancaster, England

Sinn Fein claim to be pro-Agreement, but when will they commit to join the district policing board? They will never have my vote until they publicly support the PSNI. And if the police reforms are unsatisfactory, why can't Sinn Fein join up with the rest and work to reform the system until everyone is happy?
Will, Belfast

The reason Northern Ireland has direct rule ministers is because of the imperialist views of England - not because of the Sinn Fein. The Sinn Fein is the party that knows what the people of Northern Ireland want and fighting for that has always been their sole goal. Furthermore, if it weren't for the state terrorism of England, groups such as the IRA wouldn't exist in the first place.
Jessie , Ontario, Canada

Nothing irks British politicians more than a strong Sinn Fein vote. British politicians have no votes here and have no interest in the place yet they make decisions about our future. We are Irish, not west Britons. I will be voting SF.
John McCullough, Belfast, N.Ireland.

I agree with Barra. Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein are very strong and they are the best party to represent nationalists. The SDLP are very weak. they have never stood up to the British goverment and are too easily pushed aside by unionists. When Sinn Fein speak people tend to listen, when the SDLP speak people tend to fall asleep.
Michael Wylie, Belfast