Update on Robinson upping the ante
It’s wonderful how a little detail can scale down a story as a day develops…UTV and The BBC’s Mark Devenport report that changes to the “massive” strategy development document Conor Murphy failed to bring back to the Executive for clearance amounted to around “150 changes, many involve references to “Northern Ireland” being changed to “the north”.” Are you being serious, First Minister? The air is going out of this story’s balloon. Sinn Fein ministers may well have a case to answer on possible breaches of the ministerial code by stalling on the prescribed fortnightly Executive meetings and much else, like the failure of Martin McGuinness to clear 30 papers for discussion by the Executive. ( see my comments in the earlier thread). But this is a paltry example on which to base such a challenge. I should’ve held my fire. We nervously wait with bated breath to hear what Mr Robinson had to say to the invited press at 5 pm in advance (strangely) of his meeting with the IMC. I’d rather know what there’s to say after the meeting. After all, we want the news fresh at tea time. What’s happened to your news management skills, Peter?
The people voted for the GFA and it was endorsed under the name of Northern Ireland, there is no reference to the North in it in relation to Northern Ireland
From the GFA:
“We are committed to partnership, equality and mutual respect as the basis of relationships within Northern Ireland, between North and South, and between these islands.”
Take your point there EHI, here’s some more too:
CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES
1. The participants endorse the commitment made by the British and Irish
Governments that, in a new British-Irish Agreement replacing the Anglo-
Irish Agreement, they will:
(i) recognise the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely exercised by a
majority of the people of Northern Ireland with regard to its status,
whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or
a sovereign united Ireland;
(ii) recognise that it is for the people of the island of Ireland alone, by
agreement between the two parts respectively and without external
impediment, to exercise their right of self-determination on the basis of
consent, freely and concurrently given, North and South, to bring about a
united Ireland, if that is their wish, accepting that this right must be
achieved and exercised with and subject to the agreement and consent of a
majority of the people of Northern Ireland
I initially ran a search for ‘the north’ but I think we may have found a suitable template for wording when discussing the region by mixing in a bit of both rather than purging the lot!