If that’s to be the case, the timing of the European elections may impact on the timing of devolution. The SDLP’s preferred Justice Minister may well be Alban Maguinness, but he’s also their candidate for Europe. Am I right in thinking that he can’t be a Minister in the Executive and an MEP at the same time?

But if the Justice post is assigned next spring, he wouldn’t want to turn it down and then maybe not end up elected in Europe either?

I’m confident to put my neck on the line and say that the SDLP will get the job.

Hardly bluster, since the decision to not use D’Hondt means that Nationalists are effectively being denied an additional ministry. SF’s performance in this matter has been little short of treacherous. Hypocritical too, if one takes into account their recent attempts to paint Durkan as being anti-power sharing.

Sinn Fein do not want the SDLP or the DUP to have the ministry, and the DUP do not want the UUP or Sinn Fein to have the ministry. Hence Alliance are in the frame, and as far as I know this hasn’t changed.

The SDLP’s bluster about d’Hondt was just that. There is no legislation right now that determines exactly how the minister is appointed. If it were to be a d’Hondt appointment, the SDLP would not automatically be in the driving seat – the d’Hondt process would be re-run from the top and either Sinn Fein or the DUP would take it. This seems academic, since the latest proposals say it will be a cross-community vote which essentially means that SF and the DUP control the outcome jointly.

I hope you’re not thinking entirely the same thing? ;o)

I’ve checked with Mick.

He’s temporarily closed that post until he’s had time to check a small legal matter arising from one of the comments.

Slugger Central is currently off-line but he should be back later today.

Posted by Dave

Because they also promoted the exclusion of a Duper from the office as well

Billy, I’m not really inclined to reply to your posts since whenever I do you just ignore me, but I think it’s wonderful that you have backed down over the May deadline in the belief that you need to do so to secure Robinson’s position.

Something for you to ponder. Do you think that Robinson would have moved on policing and justice powers to help secure the position of Gerry or Martin ?

If that was the case, why aren’t they promoting the exclusion of a Shinner from the office of Justice Minister until 2012 as a “four year decontamination period”? That’s what it amounts to, after all.

In regard to the present fudge, it is now the case that the Shinners must ensure that there is “community support” before the transfer can go ahead. The DUP haven’t defined what exactly constitutes community support beyond saying that they will consult widely within their own party grassroots and community. So, the Shinners had better be on their very best behaviour if they want the unionist community to “support” their pledge to their own constituency to deliver Police & Justice powers. I’d say that means that Gerry should button his lip and not make any more remarks about ‘putting manners’ on the police in addition to meaning that he should put some manners on uppity nationalists who may remain hostile to the police for reasons that Gerry and his ilk formerly promoted.

It’s true that conditions have improved now that the murder gangs have stopped killing people, and that they could have improved 30 years ago if said murder gangs stopped killing people 30 years ago.