Thursday, March 15, 2007
An inside track?
The Belfast Telegraph has polled 27 of the 36 DUP Assembly members (I presume the non-MP ones). The answer to the power-sharing question is yes (only one MLA rejects the notion) but to the 26th March seems to be a No.
Fair Deal @ 01:06 PM
Yes to power-sharing but it will not take place by the legal deadline. I wonder what of the £1B is recycled money. Also i wonder if the SoS for Wales etc will suspend the Assemby or if Bob QC will will take him to court over it…
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:18 PMI wonder how they will explain all this to their party membership!!
Should be fun!!
I wonder how they will explain it all to the FPC that should be even greater fun!!!!!!Not to worry DUP MLA`s are all honest individuals they have been bought and they will stay bought!!
LOLPosted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:22 PM“The DUP’s Assembly members are prepared for power-sharing with Sinn Fein - but most do not believe it will happen by the Government’s March 26 deadline.”
Let’s hope they are wrong. On all the vox-pop shows, the people seem to screaming out for our politicians to get in to the Assembly and “do the business”. However, if the DUP actually IS representaive of a majority of the Unionist community, can we conclude that the a majority of Unionists believe the time is not yet ready for power-sharing? Newspaper reports, TV programs, and radio shows all seem to be suggesting the DUP is wrong on this one.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:27 PMDougal
“Newspaper reports, TV programs, and radio shows all seem to be suggesting the DUP is wrong on this one.”
But then they pretty much always do...Call-in shows etc are fine for filling air time but not the basis for taking significant policy decisions. I doubt if there would be many civil liberties left if we started doing that.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:43 PMSo what’s the sticking point?
If can be done shortly after 26 March, why not by 26 march?
DUP (big Daddy) just trying to tweak HM Government’s nose?
Hope Hain is serious about pulling the plug.Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:54 PMHonestly, what these people need is a good kick up the a*se (not just the DUP). I just hope that Peter Hain doesn’t bottle out. If the 26th of March deadline isn’t met I really hope that he does what he is saying he’ll do, and shut Stormont down.
If then at some point after the 27th, our newly elected nomenklatura decide that they do after all, want to form a government then they should be made to do it for free until they legislate some sort of tax system to pay their wages of course. If it was really that important to them they would refuse their wages anyway and use the money to pay for a water treatment plant instead.
Rant over.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 01:57 PMIf the DUP is the only party not attending why does that matter? If they don’t show up on 26th why isn’t Gerry Adams first minster and Reg Empey his deputy?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:03 PMIf power-sharing does occur the DUP will, de facto, have majority rule. I envisage that most of its proposals will pass, and anything that SF proposes - no matter what the merit of it - will be rejected, simply because it was from SF. Another bit of legislation that won’t get through will be the Irish Language Act.
Unless I am wrong about how Stormont voting works, it seems to me that any SF/Nationalist proposal would have to have support from at least some DUP members to pass because it has so many Unionist seats?
Could someone who knows more than I do, please advise?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:22 PMWhat’s 30 pieces of silver in today’s money?
;-)
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:22 PMHain WILL shut it down on 26th March if the DUP won’t sign up to power-sharing.
So Paisley WILL do the deal on 26th March.
I’m 100% certainPosted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:24 PMThere is strong possibility that DUP will agree to nominations of FM&DFM;and nomination of ministers on 26th then a period of about 6-8 weeks as a testing period before things go live.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:32 PMIC,
Fraid not, its a fully functioning Assembly on 26th March or its pulled.
Everyone loses their job, and Plan B.People are somewhat confused as deadlines before have been fudged and passed.
However, The legislation does NOT exist to have a shadow assembly or any other talking shop.Hain has made that clear to all the parties, and PM Blair re-iterated it in PM Questions on Wednesday.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:37 PMParcifal,
Blair has waited 10 years to get things to this stage, is he going to let it all go for 6 weeks?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:42 PMfair_deal,
I agree that such shows are “fine for filling air time but not the basis for taking significant policy decisions”. However I cite them merely as circumstantial evidence to suggest that the most popular opinion generaly, (and also the most popular Unionist oinion?) is such that out politicians should form a power-sharing executive.
Is it wrong to believe therefore, that the majority Unionist view is against a March 26 devolution of powers under a power-sharing Exececutive?
For what it’s worth, I don’t doubt that the DUP will “do the deal” by the 26th.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:49 PMHope you’re right that they’ll stick to M26, parcifal but the fact that
‘......Hain has made that clear to all the parties, and PM Blair re-iterated it in PM Questions on Wednesday.’
doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 02:54 PMClouseau,
The problem is that further delays create possibiliies of further delays; some in the DUP will never be satisfied until SF become Unionists.
There has to be a cut-off point, or Blair will be held hostage to the DUP.Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:03 PMTochas I’ve always made the point:
“Ho Hain no Gain” much to the chagrin of peteb ;)Or as Lady Thatcher said:
“If its not hurting , its not working”
a cruel comment by here, however there is some pain felton both sides in order to do this deal;
there’s no way round that; so it can never be something all people are wholly comfortable with.No more pandering, and pampering for norn iron politicians. Now they’ve got to govern and make the place a success story.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:09 PMParciful,
Blair may be so hungry for success in this process that to some extent he will allow himself to be held hostage by the DUP. When it suited him he allowed himself to be held hostage by SF according to one former secretary of state.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:12 PMWhat exactly is the DUP’s problem with the 26th? Is it just that it was not a date that THEY decided?
I’m not so sure that a tantrum will work this time.
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:31 PMThe St. Andrew’s Agreement puts a moral obligation on the DUP and Sinn Féin to meet the timetable whereas the the *Northern Ireland (St
Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 makes it also a legal obligation. This is my understanding of it.
*http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/20060053.htmHow does schedule 3 of the Act and the importance of the 28th fit into the picture?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:34 PMStarHound
In the absence of the DUP gathering outside Belfast City Hall on the 25th March to sound the last post ( lowering of the Union Flag )They must present themselves at Stormont; the question is not:
“Will Blair risk the collapse of the institution?”.. the real question is:
“Will the DUP risk the collapse of the institutions?”Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:40 PMI’m inclined to agree with Parcifal on this. However, did I not read in Newsletter on Tuesday thet UUP had evidence the M26 date could be fudged? At least the UUP are claiming they’ve had sight of documents from EU that the date can be fudged. I reckon the public are way ahead of the no no never types and that the DUP leadership are right up there at the front, whatever the MLAs are claiming
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 03:41 PMDougal
Surely the evidence of an election less than 10 days ago provides more direct evidence?
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 04:00 PMthere is nothing to stop paisley nominating on the 26th, resigning on the 27th and thus giving his party 6 weeks before having to do it all over again
That would really screw Hain and the Shinners and get a laugh from his own supporters
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 04:09 PMIf the Bel Tel can make fools out of so many of the NewDupe MLA`s so quickly what will IRA/MI5 do to them? probably on a daily basis!
Posted by on Mar 15, 2007 @ 05:06 PM
