The May reshuffle
I’ve blogged before on the DUP reshuffle when Paisley shuffles off. But I have a question for Slugger readers – will Sinn Fein take the opportunity to do likewise? Is the end of Paisley also the end of Ruane?
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Total Politics: Top 20 NI Blogs…
Fair play to Iain, he managed to get over 2,200 people voting in his poll for the top Northern Irish blogs this year… We (just, I imagine) retained our top spot, with Splintered coming straight in at number 2, no doubt his pet subject du jour will have garnered him a lot of fans… I’ve [...] read our review »
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The ANC, the IRA and the rise of influence of the left within Sinn Fein…
World by Storm has a nice piece up on the IRA’s role in helping MK, the armed wing of the ANC, in the 1980s. In particular he sees a strange alchemy at work there: …if one can think of a clearly legitimate contemporary struggle it was that against apartheid and it is to the credit [...] read our review »
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Review: To Kill a Mockingbird
Somehow I escaped reading this essential school text, with its story of racism in 1930s American South. Living in Northern Ireland, I draw parallels with sectarianism, with its similar bigotry and prejudice. To Kill a Mockingbird was part of a Unite Against Hate campaign event at Parliament Buildings in Northern Ireland, which I’ve written [...] read our review »
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Fingers crossed.
How about a UUP reshuffle right onto the opposition benches? I know what Sir Reg said but what do you think Michael?
every reshuffle is a good reshuffle.
A step in the direction of opposition is that Sir Reg could lead the UUP in the Assembly and allow one of his abler MLAs to take on his ministerial job. This would give Sir Reg the kind of flexibility that Mark Durkan has to oppose some of the things the executive are doing.
With Robinson and Dodds top dogs, these two Belfast politicians are likely to ensure Poots is axed from DCAL so the Maze project is scrapped.
He probably knows this, but I wonder if he could consider ‘doing a McGuinness’ and making an announcement for the Maze just before he gets the chop?!
It would cause merry hell in the DUP, but would be great fun for the rest of us.
Interesting assumption that SF might take the opportunity to replace Catriona. While one would hope that they would and indeed it is blatently obvious why they should I dont see it happening. To remove her, would be to surrender South Down, although, I believe its already lost, to the SDLP and Margaret Ritchie but more importantly it would call into question the fallibility of the leadership and upset the cohesion and unity of the movement.
A more important question might be to ask is what any replacement to any ministry in the executive might do differently if anything, In the SF case, I dont think too much but heres hoping!!!!
Interesting thought about Ruane Michael.
SF might get rid of her and they might quite want to. Although she does wind up Prods quite effectively, I do not see her having vast affection from nationslists or republicans. I would also suspect that pulling apart grammar schools might be unpopular with the middle class nationalists whom SF would like to attract in ever greater numbers.
However, I suggest that SF would be wiser to offer to sacrifice Ruane and get something from the DUP in return; whether that be the removal of say Poots or some other concession not necessarily related to a given person.
Whilst we are on the topic would your leader not think of reshuffling McGimpsey? I am sure he would be of good service somewhere harmless like the House of Lords or the Falkland islands. He could organise health care for penguins.
‘Whilst we are on the topic would your leader not think of reshuffling McGimpsey?’
Indeed and while they’re at it why not promote yer man Fred Cobain UUP – the one who is terrified and ashamed of Belfast becoming a ‘nationalist /green ‘ city all due to Arlene Fosters’s pen . Fred has not been keeping up with the changing demographics apparently. He may still miss the good old days of gerrymander when all that was needed to control a ‘nationalist ‘majority town was some skilful cartography dressed up behind closed doors to redistribute the numerical realities in favour of the UUP.
Seems the UUP are now hung by their own petard . That which being but taught has returned to plague the teacher.
As you sow etc etc .