Ignoring the political reality – redux
One point of interest to emerge from yet another set piece between Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd and the DUP’s Mervyn Storey on Hearts and Minds last night was John O’Dowd’s declaration that – “Politicians are elected to make decisions”. He was supporting Mervyn Storey’s assertion that politicians must make the final decision regardless of the intervention by the churches. Except that, in the absence of political agreement in the Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, the NI Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s Caitríona Ruane, seems determined to bypass those political institutions and take the battle over the unregulated post-primary transfer system to the schools themselves. But without that political agreement the Minister doesn’t have the mandate to enforce the decision she has unilaterally taken. Of course, as becomes evident at the end of this video clip, what John O’Dowd really meant was “Sinn Féin has taken that decision, it is now over and done with.” Mandate or not. [Trade Union manifestos? When did they stand for public office? - Ed ] Indeed.
[Trade Union manifestos? When did they stand for public office? - Ed ]
Please stop this.
Pete,
If John O’Dowd and [insert Unionist politician] had a deathmatch in which O’Dowd ended up physically eating the other political representative, you’d still try to portray it as a fantastic victory for [insert Unionist politician]. Mervyn Storey believes the Giant’s Causeway is only several thousand years old. No matter how much Caitríona Ruane gets up one’s nose, with beliefs like that Storey has zero credibility.
Comes to something then, doesn’t it, when even the (monstrous, airborne) Spaghettist is capable of handing O’Dowd his backside?
John O’Dowd as an individual seems to get more air time than the entire Alliance,SDLP, UUP,PUP,TUV,RSF parties combined.
He isn’t that photogenic!!!!!
It is the barely veiled threats behind the utterances of Caitriona Ruane and John O’Dowd (her bad cop alter ego) that should cause concern to all. What will happen to children, parents and teachers if they refuse to lie down for the Shinners preferred outcome?
Now who is it that is ignoring the political reality?
Peace process we’re told – give my head peace please.
It appears Marty is now going to run spin fein the way he ran the army (my way or no way) and he`s nominated O Dud as his mouthpiece.
Mervyn is right, Ruanne is the worst minister of the NI Assembly and must go. SF need to realise that the legislation is in place and theres nothing they can do about it.
Mervyn is right, Ruanne is the worst minister of the NI Assembly and must go. SF need to realise that the legislation is in place and theres nothing they can do about it.