Thursday, April 17, 2008
“ it would be foolish for anyone to try and mimic his style of leadership..”
The unanimous decision by the Assembly party’s executive committee follows the unanimous decision of the party executive Assembly group. So, it’s offical, albeit not until early June, Peter Robison is the new leader of the DUP and the next First Minister.
Adds More from the First Minister designate hereMr Robinson and Mr Dodds, in a joint statement, said they were “deeply honoured” to be given the responsibility to lead the party. “We want to pay tribute to Dr Paisley and the stirling service which he has given,” they said. “The DUP and Northern Ireland owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr Paisley for his leadership over many decades. He has a unique ability and it would be foolish for anyone to try and mimic his style of leadership.”
Quotes from Peter Robinson in the Belfast Telegraph
“I made one request of the executive members tonight and that was, when some months or years down the road they want to make a judgment on the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party that will follow Ian Paisley, that they compare it to (UUP leader Reg Empey) and all the others rather than comparing it to Ian Paisley. On that score I think we will come out ahead. But it is a very difficult, almost frightening prospect to follow the leadership of someone of such a mighty standing in the community, someone who is a legend within the unionist community.
“It is up to Nigel (Dodds) and I to give leadership along with our colleagues in the Assembly to the party and to the unionist community to make it clear we are fighting for the unionist agenda, we will oppose republicans at every possible opportunity we have.”
Pete Baker @ 11:24 PM
‘He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon,’ (Rev 13:11). Paisley is a religious preacher like the Lamb, or Jesus, but he has a roaring voice (akin to what the mythical creature, the dragon, would sound like, some would say). This is a significant coincidence.
Again, Ian Paisley’s name coincidentally comes out at 666 on my numeric alphabet (see Appendix 1) which makes the alphabet all the more credible in that there are coincidentally two beasts in the Book of Revelation and the number of the beast is 666.Another prophecy was fulfilled at the reconvening of Stormont on May 8th 2007 with Ian Paisley being elected First Minister and Gerry Adams decided not to be part of the government: “[The second beast, i.e. Paisley] exercised all the authority of the first beast [i.e. Adams] on his behalf [i.e. because Adams remained outside government], and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed [Adams was shot and seriously wounded in 1984]” (Rev 13:12).
“By remaining outside government, Adams has shrewdly ensured that his spirit remains to dominate proceedings. Paisley will govern with one eye on keeping Adams happy under government by the lowest common denominator (i.e. he exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf).”
Posted by on Apr 17, 2008 @ 11:43 PM“We want to pay tribute to Dr Paisley and the stirling service which he has given,”
Translation:
“Now that the old Lundy has led us into government, which we could never have done ourselves, thank goodness he’s gone.”
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 07:05 AM[aside]
DUP signed up to MacBride principles?
How will the NYC comptroller apply these principles in the RoI, not least in relation to cross-border and all-island projects?
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 08:30 AMNevin,
the McBride principles only apply to Northern Ireland. They are for you guys and you guys alone.Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 08:59 AMI’ll always remember about 15 years ago when the Mrs ended up singing at a few DUP functions. One was held in an Orange Hall on the Albertbridge Road when Peter and Iris Robinson entered the room I thought a rock star had arrived. I’ve never heard a stronger, or louder, welcome for anyone ever in my life. On the other hand at another Orange Hall and Ian Paisley had arrived the first I realised he’d arrived was when he’d tapped me on the shoulder.I always remember these two occasions and still wonder who was really leading the DUP even back then.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 09:35 AMGeorge, are discrimination, flags n emblems and cronyism in da deep Southern confederate state okay by you? ;)
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 09:39 AMIs there a conflict of interests in being MP for East Belfast and first minister for the whole of Northern Ireland?
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 09:49 AMHere’s a little bit more, George, just to confirm that some of the big bucks may end up in the ‘less regulated’ South:
“Examples of these assets will include the following facilities: renewable and clean energy; waste management, re-use and handling; conventional energy and distribution; and healthcare. Other projects will involve public infrastructure, such as light rail, water, and seaports, and real estate ventures, including commercial, hospitality, and retail developments.
More than half of Emerald’s total investments will be put towards projects that operate either exclusively in Northern Ireland or both parts of the island.”
Why should the South fight shy of the MacBride principles? What exactly has it got to hÍde? ;)
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:00 AMPhilip, it might depend on what those ’interests‘ (pdf file) are ...
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:11 AMNevin
... Why should the South fight shy of the MacBride principles? What exactly has it got to hÍde? ;)
I’m glad that you’ve come around to supporting north-south harmonisation. It is an essential first step in the reunification process.
:-)
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:12 AMHorseman, it’s about time the RoI moved into line with the rest of these two islands. I don’t imagine it ever thought it would get its bum bitten by MacBride. ;)
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:22 AMNevin
As George said, the McBride Principle apply to Northern Ireland and Northern Ireland alone (Sibh Féin, as we might say). Not ”these two islands” - Britain is entirely unaffected.
As for the south worrying about McBride ... why would it? The religious ‘minority’ in the south (in old-fashioned terms, i.e. Prod/Catholic) is doing far better than the ‘majority’. Southern Prods have always been richer and better employed than the average. It would be to their detriment to be forcefully ‘equalised’. In modern terms, of course, the ‘minority’ in the south comprises anyone who still goes to church ... any church!
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:33 AMDoes our current finance minister realise there might be a ’downside‘ to the NYC deal? Newt explains the hidden costs.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:36 AMWill the new first minister be supporting the Loyal Orders in East Belfast and its accompanying bands such as the Pride of the Raven which is still living in the dark ages and constantly at odds with the Parades Commission and the PSNI
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:36 AM“We want to pay tribute to Dr Paisley and the stirling service which he has given,” they said.
Shouldn’t that be sterling?
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:36 AMWill it be Peter Pan and Diamond Dan brothers in arms.
Oh dont talk about arms the Ulster Resistance or the Orange Volunteers havent even called a ceasefire yet never mind decommissioning.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:41 AM”stirling service”? Would that be Ulster-Scots for ”Sterling service” by any chance?
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 10:49 AMHorseman, have you acquired an old fashioned Unionist mindset? ;)
The RoI sort of endorsed the rights agenda et al in the 1998 Agreement so should it not get into line with the rest of these islands when it comes to equality and neutral working environments? After all, some of these projects will be cross-border or all-island.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:12 AMDoes our current finance minister realise there might be a ’downside‘ to the NYC deal?
That this question can even be asked shows how deeply ingrained is the dependency culture in the north. In the real world nobody would think that a pension fund investment would be made for anything other that commercial reasons. The same holds for the back-office jobs that Cowen may have offered from the IFSC. They’re not charity ... they are only coming because they increase the profits that the companies will make. Of course the ‘downside’ is also an upside, Nevin - if you’re working hard and making profits for corporate America then at least you’re working! (Ask any NIKE employee in south-east Asia ... )
Anyone who thinks a corner of a small island needs, or can sustain, 30,000 ‘community workers’ needs to do a basic course in economics. Hard times are a-coming for lots of folk in the north who have grown to expect a public-sector funded easy life. Now its time to learn how to work, and to compete in the big bad world. The NYC investment just represents the first wolf.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:24 AMNevin,
Re ... equality and neutral working environments [in the south], I’m sure you have something in mind, so please don’t be coy. I’m racking my brains trying to think what you might mean.
Or are you one off those old-fashioned unionists who still believes that every office in the south has a sacred heart picture that all employees are obliged to kneel in front of? I’d love to think such naivety still exist!
[PS, just to tickle your ‘equality reflex’, I got married in a registry office in the south that was actually part of a methodist church that was rented by the health board, and it had a picture of the pope on the wall. I couldn’t figure out who would be more offended! Me, I just smiled.]
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:33 AM“Hard times are a-coming for lots of folk in the north ...”
Horseman, you may not have noticed but many folks here have had really hard times, thanks in part to the RoI’s nimby approach to the ‘commie revolution’ and the related transformation of the IRA into PIRA; the RoI prospered whilst NI burned.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:38 AMNevin,
... the RoI prospered whilst NI burned.
Actually that isn’t true, as I expect you know. The RoI started booming at around the time that NI stopped ‘booming’. During the 70s and 80s the south most certainly did not boom, and spent, per capita, more on northern-related security than the UK!
As for northern ‘hard times’, forgive me for my lack of sympathy, but we all know that a lot of people made a lot of money during those times (and partly as a result). The ‘gold coast’ didn’t get its name for nothing. And an enormous industry of make-work social/community type job were created, and paid for by the tax-payers of south-east England.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:45 AMHorseman, IIRC it was none other Bertie Ahern himself back in 1998 who said that rights legislation et al in the RoI needed to be brought up to NI standards. You’ll find a little of the detail in the Agreement under Comparable Steps by the Irish Government but I don’t know whether or not these steps have yet been taken.
PS Perhaps you’d be surprised how easily some Unionists and Nationalists are offended ;)
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:50 AMNevin,
The RoI sort of endorsed the rights agenda et al in the 1998 Agreement.We only endorsed the changes to Articles 2 and 3 and “sort of endorsed” nothing else.
Anyway, we already have some of the most far-reaching equality legislation in Europe under the 1998 Employment Act and the 2000 Equal Status Act.
Then there’s the added protections under Articles 40.1, 40.3.1, 40.3.2 and 44.3.3. of the Irish Constitution.
As for Northern Ireland, if it doesn’t want to meet the stipulations laid down for receiving the investment, it can always say no.
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:52 AM... Bertie Ahern himself back in 1998 who said that rights legislation et al in the RoI needed to be brought up to NI standards.
Of course. As a good republican I expect Bertie wants everything to be similar north and south. Harmonisation, Nevin ... I said it before, its the first step!
Posted by on Apr 18, 2008 @ 11:53 AM
