Hearts and MInds: The return of Processing edition…
The most memorable line from tonight’s Hearts and Minds came from Arlene Foster, when she suggested that the public did not want to hear that first Mr Robinson pulled out of a planned interview for the programme, and then a few hours later Mr McGuinness followed suit; when that was precisely the most informative thing to come out of the scramble between Five Politicians in Search of a Plot that constituted the first segment of the programme. If they were actors then – by their separate accounts – none seemed to be in the same play as any of the others. Alex Attwood (playing Statler to David McNarry’s stilted Waldorf) said it was a plot by the DUP to turn the clock back but that, nevertheless, it was still all Sinn Fein’s fault. Then later he said it was just the two (semi detached polit-bureau) parties stirring up a false battle to stir up votes for next year’s Westminster election. (Actually the whole thing is just too embarrassing to have been cooked up by otherwise serious politicians).
John O’Dowd said it was all a plot to go back to one party Unionist rule, then conceded that it was no such thing (after Alliance’s Stephen Farry pointed out that 65% approval was beyond the capacity of any one party). Oh, and he threw in Pete’s reference [cheque's in the post Pete - Ed] to Mark Durkan’s ugly scaffolding speech along the way.
It was back to Peace Processing™ at it’s very worst best!
Mick,
didnt see it (recording the repeat) anything to suggest that the public spat between Marty and Robbo would impact on Police and Justice or does it sound like it has all blown over and the DUP’s plan for the reform of Stormo voting is an issue for the longer term?
The latter, I think Sammy. Maybe it was just a raising of ‘the price’.
Anyone know if they still put H&M on BBC Parliament on a Sunday, they used to but seemed to have stopped
I am amazed they still have that embarrasing taxi driver thing at the end. And that they still have that boring “If You Ask Me” section, which was particularly dreary yesterday.
PS the 65% rule is something that was discusse a lot on Slugger a few years back and its good to see it starting to enter the mainstream media.
Don’t diss the ‘If you ask me’ section. It wouldn’t be H & M without a chance to see Ian Knox’s legendary scribblings every week. Although they need to expand their choice of political commentators, that O’Connor woman is too frequent.
Agree about ‘Da’ from the Hole in the Arse gang – time to pay him his fuckin’ £12.50 and send him on his way. Bring in Colin Murphy and do a ‘pub chat’ summary of the week’s political wranglings…or better yet, let me do it.
O’Connor had nothing interesting to say-completely and utterly predictable.
Ian Knox can be used in other ways.
Maybe the whole show should be dropped and replaced with something sharper and more intelligent.
Paul Bew on the PSNI dilemma:
http://www.spectator.co.uk/i/the-magazine/features/5317256/terrorism-is-back-in-northern-ireland.thtml