Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Lessons in wooing and horse-trading
If Brown is trying to woo DUP votes on 42 days detention, the seduction does not seem to have been going too well. Mark Devenport notes that the in-out approach to Northern Ireland of Brown’s constitutional programme has not pleased. With Robinson attacking Straw’s exclusion of NI from the proposed flag regulations (An exclusion based on “best advice” (from who?) even though it has a limited impact in any of the devolved regions) and both Dodds and Campbell asking questions about the Telegraph article (Note the edited/print version had no reference to Northern Ireland but the full internet version does. it is unclear who did the editing). The second reading of the Counter-terrorism bill is scheduled for April Fools Day (Who’s idea was that?). The triple lock on policing and justice makes it look a foolish basis for a deal. However, would it be foolish for the DUP to trade votes on 42 days for NI’s full inclusion in Brown’s Britishness programme?
Fair Deal @ 02:55 PM
CD
“As I’ve pointed out on Slugger before, part of the problem with the Outreach initiative was the fact that it would perpetuate the MOPEish tendency within unionism, as evidenced in this quote.”
In MOPEry we are mere children and a rather boring attempt attempt to avoid addressing your choice of language about Britishness.
“Brown’s ridiculous ‘Britishness’ campaign was a cheap attempt to gain popular support with a section of the electorate in England Brown feared losing to the Tories.”
For a ‘cheap’ attempt he seems to be doing a hell of a lot. The predictions that Brown was not serious about it and he would forget it when he became PM have proved incorrect.
“Whatever proposals he decides to run with in Britain will not extend to Ireland, in spite of DUP tantrums at Westminster.”
This may very well be Brown’s intention although with some measures we do get included but others we don’t so its a mixed bag rather than total exclusion.
IMO central policy in the UK could often be characterised if its quiet over there let it be, its why Stormont got such a long run. However, whatever his intentions, that does not mean Unionism just shrugs and forgets about it.
If parliamentary maths presents an opportunity that why should they not try and change it? If SF had pulled off the balance of power in the Republic would they not have been demanding their greatest hits as part of their price ie Dail representation, voting in Irish presidential elections etc? Would SF have went the majority in NI are going to be fecked off so we’ll have to forget about that?
I can understand why some in nationalism would like Unionism to be simply inert, just as some Unionists would like nationalism to be inert. However, we both now that is not going to happen. We have still things we disagree about and we will try and create and utilise respective opportunities to our particular advantage. That’s politics.
“it remains deeply ironic that unionists, who scream so much about wanting their ‘identity’ recognised through the exhibition of flags and symbols, utterly refute to countenance affording the same right in this part of Ireland to nationalists-”
Oh dear I see we are back to year zero again. In Northern ireland there has been no changes at all to provide any recognition at all to the nationalist community and irish identity whatsoever. Power-sharing, north-south bodies, charter recognition, public funding, irish language strategy etc are all figments of the imagination.
Also as I have said before if nationalism wants an ILA then what are they willing to offer? The sure way in a power-sharing arrangement to get nothing is to offer nothing.
“ The Irish Language Act formed a part of the SAA and, therefore, the British government may be obliged to act to implement it in the absence of any moves here under Poots.”
I see you have the good sense to use “may” and that particualr commitment did not appear in the Act of parliament. However, the principle remains SF is content to seek something it wants in westminster regardless of differing opinion here.
“would that be a reference to the initiative of Alex Maskey when Mayor, who displayed both the Irish Tricolour and Union Flag in his Office? “
Indeed not. Its the initiative which got cross-party support.
CS Parnell
Please note the relevant comments in my response to Chris. The situation in Northern Ireland is not majority rule nor has it been that since 1972. There are fundamental and substantial changes to the way Northern Ireland operates to accomodate and recognise the presence of a political and cultural minority in Northern Ireland. There is also a distinction between the state and communal identity.
Posted by on Mar 27, 2008 @ 04:17 PM
