Two sure bets for the DUP re-shuffle…
I was struck Sammy Wilson’s remark about him not being able to vote in last night’s incinerator vote in Belfast City Council chamber, but him sounding certain he will be able to on Friday. Logical conclusion (as Mark notes in the Incinerator thread)? There’s a re-shuffle immanent, and Sammy is moving from Environment! Slugger has had confirmation that Arlene Foster is indeed to be the next incumbent at DFP (that’s a proper Scoop BTW)… And we have a rumour mill story that Iris Robinson is clearing out her Stormont desk, in preparation for a move to Westminster for her full time job, and giving up her Assembly post… That may spell the end of her career as a budding, if controversial, act on the Nolan Show…
Adds: We also understand that Arlene views the prospect more as chalice than grail…
A logical conclusion, indeed Mick.
I was having the same thought.
Of course, if true it would simply confirm that Mr Wilson should have resigned as a councillor when he first declared his intention to do so because of the unacceptable conflict of interest.
A rumour that Nelsom McCausland is going to DCAL – God help us!
The DUP are moving quickly….
They are moving quickly and it’s clear Robinson wants to show that he is responding to the election result.
I see they’ve wheeled Paisley (still the MP for North Antrim) out again for one more hurrah ..
Wee Jeffrey’s a busted flush after his constituency’s abysmal support for the DUP in the recent election.
Nelson McCausland for Culture and Arts Minister. How about Harold Shipman as Health Minister and Peter Sutcliffe as Minister for Women. Except of course there is no such post here – what was I thinking?
42% of the electorate turn out to vote and the politicians still don’t understand that it is not because they are not extreme enough. Everybody I know has given up voting because they don’t believe in the posturing politicians. Is it too stupid of me to hope that some genuine new politics can emerge in peacetime NI.
Iris has been in stormont debates for months and has been missing from Health debates eventhough she is the chair of health committee.
Nelson has a bit of cultural knowledge unlike the current incumbent of his predecessor Plug who was able to boast that he had been to the panto at Christmas when asked about the last play he had seen. Not sure if Nelson has a lot of sports knowledge though
BG
Heard that La Dodds was third in Lagan Valley, where Jimmy Nick was top ( ex UU voters who see JD wasn’t really anti-agreement turn on Jeffrey) followed by TUV ( Plug and Free P pals turn on Jeffrey). So he can only bank on the UUP who joined the new party with him and ..er… have got jobs
So who should the new Health Chair be in such a scenario?
Michelle O’Neill (SF) would be an excellent Chair of the Health Committee, perceptive and dedicated to the public interest.
Maybe the DUP and SF could swap Committee Chairs to facilitate this. Let Alex Easton take chairmanship of the Employment and Learning Committee for instance?
But then again, I suppose that would require grown up cooperation from the DUP.
Chance’d be a fine thing…