Adams: consultation will take weeks…
Interesting speech from Gerry Adams in which he says it will take a matter of weeks to decide on whether the party can expect to get backing for the PSNI from a special party-wide Ard Fheis.
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The Written World
Here’s something to keep you occupied over the weekend. [Will there be a quiz? - Ed] Possibly… The BBC magazine has an short and interesting, but un-embeddable, audio slide-show of Melvyn Bragg’s Radio 4 five-parter, In Our Time: The Written World. The British Library has more online information about the texts and technology featured in each [...] read our review » -
Lessons in Cute Hoorism: “Graft was accepted, for you were taking from the British…”
I’ve been catching up on some reading, recently. Most pleasantly surprised by John Drennan’s latest opus from Gill and Macmillan, Cute Hoors and Pious Protestors… It’s early days yet, but I was struck by this paragraph, part of a dissection of Fianna Fail near the beginning: One of the more fatal consequences of our colonial [...] read our review »
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Do Words Matter?: Book Review of Political Discourse and Conflict Resolution – Debating Peace in Northern Ireland
I share many of the concerns of Andy Pollak, whose recent post ‘My Response to the Slugger Begrudgers’ zeroed in on the ‘relentless flow of negativity’ of some Slugger commentators. Pollak’s post was largely concerned with the medium of the blog. Indeed, I think the anonymity of the online world encourages extreme discourse and allows [...] read our review »
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Hmm.. Mick, that would be a matter of weeks before the consultation led, apparently, by Mary Lou will report back to the Ard Chomhairle..
Just in time for that body to confirm its endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement to the two governments.. before going through the motions of asking the party membership..
Fine, it’ll take a number of weeks…I’m sure Peter can stretch his dealines a bit, he’d be a fool not to for a week or two. It’s not as if the leadership is going to get serious opposition.
Personally I would have went for all this shadow designation (which sounds like some Japanese Manga villain’s name…Shadow Designation hahahaha!)closer to Christmas, you know positive mood and all that.
“I’m sure Peter can stretch his dealines a bit”
Not quite as easy as that, Yokel. The 24th November deadline is set out in current legislation.. new legislation needs to be passed before that date to change anything.. so, with the delay on SF’s consultation comes the required endorsement by the Ard Chomhairle..
Well then we’ll see who the pressure is put on…oh I know, Paisley
So Pete you are saying SF will have this all wrapped up just in time?
Yokel
More likely they’ll be residing [publicly fudging the issue] in a half-way house
So this halfway house is an endorsement of policing & the courts just not Marty ‘I bought this house with my own work, not British blood money’ McGuinness taking this pledge thing?
or
The ruling council of Sinn Fein says yes but it doesn’t go to conference before 24th November?
4 weeks today is 24th November, so down to the wire.
Good move by SF. The only way to test the patience of the DUP.
Why test the patience of anyone. I thought this was a peace of equas for an Ireland of equals?
I shouldn’t read the publicity…..
“We’ve waited 800 years……..”
Said by Micheal Collins when accepting the keys to a British Army barracks from a British General in the 1920′s. The General had objected because Connelly was a few minutes late for the handing over ceremony.
Policing is wrapped up already but we will let the grassroots thinks we are seriously discussing this matter.
Oops! for Connolly read Collins.
Sinn Fein have to agree to policing at some time so they should move now regardless of any deal on the Assembly.
If the DUP walk regardless, SF can then discuss how to implement support for policing “outside of any comprehensive agreeement” with the two governments and goodness knows what goodies might be put on the table for that one.
Even without the goodies, it’s good politics and leaves the party with a clear run into the future.
Won’t be easy within certain areas but on the whole, there is nowhere else for the party to go.
At the moment it is caught between two stools and any time it seems to be making progress south of the border, FF, PD, FG, Labour and Greens just bash it back down into its box with the law and order stick.
SF will move because it has to move, if it can make the DUP uncomfortable in the process, that’s a small bonus. .
I’m not quite sure how this makes the DUP uncomfortable.
The ball is in SFs court – by these statements they have accepted it. No pressure is on the DUP its all on SF. The DUP can sit and wait and quite easily ask whos holding the process up now.
The pressure on the DUP is that they don’t get seen as blocks or small minded eejits even if their case in a particular situation is correct.
Given the history of the party, that in itself may be tough going.
Add on top of that the current UK government will, if it came to a choice would push teh DUP before the Shinners, mainly because Tony is afraid of Gerry & Co (Community Industries) Ltd.
Yokel,
just wondering, would you say that (unofficially of course) the British and Irish governments think Sinn Fein’s full support for policing is probably more important than a functioning assembly?
In short it depends on what day it is.
Realistically no, I think both London & Dublin do geneuinely want an assembly because they can try to keep things at arms length from then on in as much as possible. It’s long been realised that the internal NI strand is the strand that really matters and both governments don’t want to be sheparding the life of politics up here every day. Your average civil servant in London or Dublin isn’t big into it either.
The absolute official support by Sinn Fein for policing would be less important because the governments largely have Sinn Fein where they want them which is ano going back to causing trouble on the streets position. At least now its manageable. That requirement is now largely covered in real practical terms.
The difficulty is that every other major party locally pretty much wants Sinn Fein to support policing by word as well as deed. Since they are all part of making the internal political process work it has to come to get the assembly back running and Peter Robinson (or wheoever it was) buying more trains.
Never underestimate the importance of people wanting a quiet life…
Is Gerry going to consult with the innocent victims of the troubles? Or is he afraid of meeting them Face 2 Face? Sinn Fein has a justice, equality & Victims spokes person who is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. JD of the DUP has done more for the Innocent Victims of The Troubles. Bearing in mind it was republicans who were responsible for 75% of people who were killed, injured and maimed throughout The 35 years of their campaign.
Now Gerry include Victims in your consultations or do you not have the guts to face them?
Sinn Fein have not done anything for The Victims of The Troubles. That’s saying a lot for the party who claim to stand for Equality, Parity of Esteem, and Justice. Where is any of this shown to Victims. They don’t even have A Victims strategy paper, but devote a lot of time and energy on ex-prisoners and On-The-Runs.
The game is nearing the end for Adams and my mate Marty. The DUP are relaxed and have their electorate behind them, the shinners and Blair are pissing and hoping they find the right pot. History once revealed will not be kind to Blair, Adams or McGuinness.At least michael Collins was a genuine Republican .
By the way offering 100/1 ON to anybody that Hoey`s trial collapses before Fulton gives evidence and the defence can expose the role of Man A ( Mooch) and Man B ( Gary Jones)in the Omagh bombing.I wonder why the state would not provide discovery to the defence when asked? any ideas.
The case will collapse of that there is NO DOUBT, the state cannot allow the mooches and Scaps of this world to be in the dock let alone Marty.
The state will continue to fabricate evidence against Hoey and defend those really guilty. Contrast Hoey`s case with those whose finger prints were found on a vehicle used in a murder of policemen and those that murder other Agents and then hide behind the protection of the state.
Slowly slowly the penny is dropping lads, whats the betting history revisits Michael Collins ?
Funny world Eh.