Tuesday, February 26, 2008
New junior minister announced
Another unlikely event.. Ian Paisley Jnr officially resigns, with “deep humility”, apparently.. and the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson, MP, MLA, is sworn in as the new Northern Ireland Executive junior minister. Which just leaves the question of what next for the Paisley brand.. Adds As Mark Devenport points out, the resignation itself took all of 26 seconds.
Pete Baker @ 10:34 AM
Donaldson, that is.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 02:32 PMI was at St Andrews too! There were alot of DUP members kept in the Dark. Any honest person will tell you, the DUP delegation was so large that the vast bulk just drank the free coffee and ate the cream buns.
So unless you were a member of the former uup “advisory” group, the Paisley family or the Robinson clan you were surplus to requirements.
Clearly Jimbo, boxcar Willie, homer Simpson and the other cartoon politicians were kept as far away from the decisions as possible
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 02:43 PM‘Donaldson has never had a job outside politics in his working life so he has no outside experience to bring to the political table apart from being a highly consumate consumer of excessive amounts of public money.’
Oh No not another NI career politician. Not even a little sideline ‘religion’ revenue producer ?
‘Does the word hypocracy come to mind.’
Indeed it does but to be fair to JD he’s only half as much again a hypocrite as the electorate he serves, for some 70% of Northern Ireland’s income is generated by ‘public’ money, much of it from the English taxpayer .
Let him who is without sin cast the first etc etc !
He timed his last political jump to perfection. This lad has Janus appeal and should get to the top sooner or later . Not afraid to talk to Republicans to get his point across either .
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 02:46 PM“Spacious, he’s so spacious, Jefrey with one f, one f
Jefrey with one f, one f, one f.”Now I’m going to sing the Perry Mason theme.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 02:56 PMSammy Morse: ““Spacious, he’s so spacious, Jefrey with one f, one f Jefrey with one f, one f, one f.”
To anyone a little confused… “Space ( I Believe In) ” By The Pixies. Cracking song.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 03:07 PMDonaldson was in the curious position for a while where he had been talking to Republicans whilst still in the UUP, but then was barred from doing so once he jumped ship until March 2007 (unless those rumours of ‘secret talks’ are true).
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 03:09 PMJunior resigns with deep humility!
How words originate-
“Humility” must therefore be brown and steaming, and originally from the word “hum”Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 03:45 PMRobinson stood down as councillor because of the conflict of interest that being minister would have cost. Lets see Jefferey do the same.
If Robinson done in then no doubt a future judicial review of his many roles is on the cards!Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 03:59 PMRobinson stood down from local government because, as finance minster allocating money to local councils, there’s a clear conflict of interest, as was the case for Arlene Foster (DOE takes in local government) in Fermanagh I think.
Nigel Dodds, Edwin Poots, Reg Empey, Michael McGimpsey are still councillors in Lisburn/Belfast are they not?
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 04:12 PMTriple Mandate
Robinson stood down because of a conflict of interest with being the Finance Minister, not a Minister per se.I’m not particularly defending multiple mandates - and I think the weight of opinion is shifting towards a situation where there won’t be so many. However the public knew how many jobs Donaldson had before they elected him as a Councillor so I suppose we blame the people!
We can add Margaret Ritchie to the Minister/Councillors combo - she’s not stood down from Down DC either.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 04:25 PM“While such terrorists have different ways of ‘cleaning’ their money, what about the business men who have helped them?”
P&J;, I think you’ll find that the loyalist and republican paramilitary mafia have got plenty of willing ‘facilitators’: bankers, accountants, solicitors et al.
Sadly, some of the folks you have in mind probably have exemptions from prosecution in the sense that they are critical components of the appeasement (OOPS) peace process.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:17 PM“I suppose we blame the people!”
Perhaps, Interested, but you could also blame the parties for their selection procedures.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:22 PMThe appointment of Jeffrey Donaldson as Junior Executive Minister in the Office of the First Minister is the first real chance that he has had in a twenty seven year long political career to demonstrate that he possesses a real intellectual depth which will propel him from being a single issue bigot to his hopefully becoming a statesman.
The promotion virtually places him in the position of First Minister, as the present incumbent is in a position similar to Churchill in his last ministry; however Paisley is no Churchill so the mantle of Rab Butler will be easier for Donaldson. Thus he will be able to dominate policy and its implementation more easily.
Donaldson should now become a truly secular politician and break his relationships with the Orange Order; this is a prop he now cannot use for the electorate to take him seriously. He also wants to stop doing the Christian judgemental odour free jobs make it his own private affair and not use as another electoral crutch.
If he makes this jump of faith he could well mould conservative unionism back into one party which would be The UUP/Conservative party and lead this politically fragmented province back into playing a useful and fully constructive part in UK government. Where we might even see Northern Ireland MPs in the cabinet, which would send out the right signals to the rest of the UK electorate and rid us of the negative image that half a century of Paisleyism has given, that term is known universally and is not a complimentary term.
He will also have to take the lead on multiple mandates and the financial abuse of allowances by politicians of all levels in regretfully all parties. Donaldson at the age of forty five now has a chance to make a really great contribution to the future well being of this province. His membership of both parties enables him to achieve great things he is way ahead of Robinson and, though not as intellectually well equipped as Dodds, he is the better communicator. Both are well respected at Westminster by the Conservatives.
Churchill achieved his elevation to PM by as he put it “ratting twice” we will now see now whether Donaldson can carry corn and become a statesman respected across the divide and bring back real issue socio-economic politics to this province with it’s present apology for a governmental structure.Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:25 PMLlamedos, Donaldson appears to be a political lightweight, one with limited leadership potential.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:30 PM“Lisburn Constituency Office and Advice Centre
The Old Town Hall
29 Castle Street
Lisburn
BT27 4DH”29 Castle Street is missing from the 2007 5th revaluation List:
” 27D Flat (2nd Floor) £180.00
add 27E Flat (2nd Floor) £125.00
add 31 Offs Stores (Basement,gd,1st) £11,100.00
add 33 Offs Stores (Basement,gd)£2,700.00”Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:39 PMNevin,
You beat me to it. Llamedos presents an interesting and novel analysis but I am unconvinced that Donaldson has the political gravitas needed. The nonsense over McCann and the Farrell commemoration being a case in point.I am also unconvinced about his popularity in the DUP. I know that years ago some people in the UUP thought he was too nakedly ambitious and what has transpired since seems to simply confirm that view. I do suspect he will become justice minister as and when the DUP agree to this but I doubt he will get much higher, I would be very surprised if the UUP would welcome him back and I doubt Jim Allister will be courting his defection very assiduously.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 05:44 PMAccording to unconfirmed reports it’s rumoured that several mebers of the DUP were heard celebrating and singing this song up in Stormont today.
One of whom was said to be doing a mean impression of Daniel O’Donnell seemed to be especially delighted while singing at the top of his voice,
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 06:08 PMAccording to unconfirmed reports it’s rumoured that several mebers of the DUP were heard celebrating and singing this song up in Stormont today.
One of whom was said to be doing a mean impression of Daniel O’Donnell seemed to be especially delighted while singing at the top of his voice,
Good-bye-ee
Young Ian lied away
Talking shit day by day
With a smile on his lips
and his Junior Ministers pips
upon his shoulder bright and gay
As the Shinners moved in we said,
‘Remember all your false words.’
We should’ve gagged his jaw
warning him, never mind his Da
Shouting out these prophetic words:
Goodbye-ee, goodbye-ee,
Wipe the tear, baby Doc dear, from your eye-ee,
Tho’ it’s hard to part I know,
We’ll be tickled to death to see you go.
Don’t cry-ee, dont sigh-ee,
just learn to stop telling lie-ee’s,
Slan leat, young Doc, cheer-i-o, chin, chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, Goodbye-ee.
At the Assembly the party knew,
The Junior Ministry wasn’t for you,
We’re glad to hear Jeffrey, a turn coat from the UUP,
Sing all the old, old songs she knew.
Then she made a speech and said,
“Thanks big Ian, I’ll do this job with pride,
And to thank you all I’m going to promise every one”,
That I swear I’ll never ever lie,Goodbye-ee, goodbye-ee,
Wipe the tear, baby Doc dear, from your eye-ee,
Tho’ it’s hard to part I know,
We’ll be tickled to death to see you go.
Don’t cry-ee, dont sigh-ee,
just learn to stop telling lie-ee’s,
Slan leat, young Doc, cheer-i-o, chin, chin,
Nah-poo, toodle-oo, Goodbye-ee.Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 06:09 PMTurgon, some years ago I pointed out to Robinson and Donaldson how Mowlam gave us the Belfast Agreement Plus via the Common Chapter in Ireland 2000-2006 ie Mowlam moved matters such as East-West infrastructure from Strand 3 to Strand 2. It seemed to go right over Jeffrey’s head - and Peter was too busy playing musical ministerial chairs.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 06:15 PMImagine if you were a former Junior Minister what could you do to keep your self busy with the extra time you would now have.
You call always take up a new hobby or past time to help you forget your problems maybe fishing no, no that helps create problems or golf no,no, no thats just as bad.
I’ve got it train spotting it has certain appeal to it. You can listen to the familiar and resonating sound of the trains SPOOF, SPOOOF, SPOOOOOFFF.
Aye, sure it makes you feel right at home.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 06:22 PMStick at the song-writing, CTB
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 06:49 PMI will ha ha
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 07:17 PMJunior minster or shadow Justice Minister?
In any event this is the first step of the Robinson take over. Before today I thought the May investment conference would be the ideal full stop for our First Minister. I sense that now people see the Queens’ visit on Maunday Thursday as the lap of honour.
Posted by on Feb 26, 2008 @ 10:53 PMJunior minster or shadow Justice Minister?
In any event this is the first step of the Robinson take over. Before today I thought the May investment conference would be the ideal full stop for our First Minister. I sense that now people see the Queens’ visit on Maunday Thursday as the lap of honour.
Posted by BonarLaw on Feb 26, 2008 @ 11:53 PM
Two or three weeks ago you where dismissing my prediction of Junior exiting with Senior soon to follow, strange days indeed, most peculiar.
Posted by on Feb 27, 2008 @ 12:27 AMJust mooting an idea:
Jeffery is a a member of the Orange Order and a well known advocate of Christians in Parliament so would this be an attempt by Paisley to prevent a Robinson knive in the back sooner rather than later for i can’t see a Robinson/Donaldson tag team happening.
What has happened to Willie McCrea MLA? Must be awful knowing that these former UUP blow ins are getting prime jobs over them.
Posted by on Feb 27, 2008 @ 08:11 AM