Saturday, November 28, 2009
“The Taoiseach and I agreed that there can be no pre-conditions…”
Martin McGuinness has fired another shot over Peter Robinson’s boughs. Following a meeting in Offaly with Taoiseach Brian Cowen the deputy First Minister said:
“The Taoiseach and I agreed that there can be no pre-conditions on the transfer of policing and justice powers. What is required is a date to be agreed prior to Christmas for the transfer to take place and to take effect early in the New Year. “
Responding to Peter Robinson’s demands for a re-configuring of the workings of the institutions Mr. McGuinness expressed his concerns at what he describes as “the failure on the part of the DUP to embrace equality, partnership and power-sharing arrangements.”
Eamonn Mallie @ 09:51 PM
I see Martin McGuinness is speaking on behalf of others again.
But what does the actual Taoiseach think is required?
Oh, and the “community confidence necessary for the Assembly to request the devolution of criminal justice and policing from the British Government”, however defined by either party, is not a pre-condition.
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:07 PMThe problems Martin is that the DUPs don’t really care what Cowan thinks on this. They claim there is a commitment to the devolution but not a to a date and to get a date they want concessions from you to boost ‘confidence in the community’. You failed to tie this down in the negotiations.
This is politics - it may not be nice politics but its exactly the politics you played with the Brits for many years, so please don’t cry about it now. They even seem to have stolen the exact phraseology that you used to use when wringing our concession sin return for your support for PSNI (except in cases of crimes by your members or former comrades of course)
On the other hand if there was the firm commitment to devolution and a date that you say there was, pray just show us when and where and what was agreed. The fact that you haven’t done this so far seems to suggest you didn’t get the agreement you have sold to the flock. Whoops!
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:19 PM“over Peter Robinson’s boughs”
Leave it to Special Branch ;)
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:31 PMRather appropriate where Marty the gunslinger met Biffo….OFFALY…..home of the Big Ignorant Fu**er from Offaly…
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:39 PMNev
A vision of PR on maneuvers in the woods with his beret comes to mind…......
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:44 PMIt seems that next weekend the Ligoniel Walkers ABOD club are set to walk past Ardoyne shops with the Shankill Star Flute Band in tow. Shankill Star FB are ‘dedicated to the memory’ of UVF Brian Robinson who was killed by undercover British Army members on 2nd Setember 1989 shortly after he murdered 41 year old Patrick McKenna, an innocent civilian, at Ardoyne shops.
Is someone deliberately trying to raise the heat on the marching issue?
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:45 PMIt’s a bit like watching a huge circus tent falling down, grandly.
Unionism is irredmediably sectarian. Forget about it.
Peter Robinson and his badly domestically abused Mr’s will have to shift to Scotland
Its like trying to convince the Klu Klux Klan to take up stamp collecting
Posted by on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:52 PMYou know this was all put in to place over Christmas 2006 it is now approaching Christmas 2009.
Now, that’s 3 years and remember this:
And in life all you have is a certain amount of time.
What’s 3 years wasted whenever Peter Robinson has been an MP for 30; now if that isn’t an elected dictatorship along with Adams et al then what is?
Both are in power now, McGuinness took a risk saying “traitors” but Robinson is too vain and unionism too fractured to maintain the votes he once held before coming leader of the DUP; as the European elections have shown the vote share has dropped and will drop further as a result of power-sharing and further compromises in government.
That’s what happens when you opt for government of sorts.
But Robinson has to do it, deal and share power and policing - that’s what he’s paid big money for - not to do nothing.
It can’t be forward one step then back on the other. Make your mind up time Robinson, for it’s surely time.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:11 AMSo if this whole thing crumbles, then what?
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:20 AMSf are preparing the ground for a possible pull out. What nationalist can blame them when the leader of Ireland agrees that no preconditions can be laid down for the transfer? This is bolstering support for an eventuall pull out if the DUP dont play ball. And its the Dup who have more to fear from such a scenario. Has the DUP made a rod for its own back here? Is it really just still a party of protest and not government?
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:30 AM“What nationalist can blame them when the leader of Ireland agrees that no preconditions can be laid down for the transfer?”
Let the Taoiseach speak for himself.
Rather than the second-in-commmand of half of the semi-detached polit-bureau of Northern Ireland.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:37 AMI don’t think you’ve really disproved what I’‘ve said ther Pete. You’ve responded with a little bile, as is expected. But you haven’t addressed the central point that this wasn’t an exercise for the benefit of unionists. Who incidentally regard british prime ministers as irrelevany, nay traitors when it suits. This is about isolating the DUP, its about winning nationalist votes and preparing the ground for an early election. Now Cowen has essentially supported the SF positiotn. the DUP, widely seen as being irrational and disorganised and effectively pandering to jim allister are seen as being deal welchers. So in an election, SF have secured the implicit support of the Irish Prime Minister for their position. Whose support has the DUP secured? And who has more to fear from an election? I’d hazard a guess its the DUP. Still, in the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:46 AMRobinson will really show Allister who knows what’s best for NI when he refuses to devolve P&J leading to the collapse of the Assembly. Afterall he can always cite that it was clear to everyone that it didn’t have
public,unionist,DUP, TUV support.Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:52 AMGearing up for an Assembly Election early in 2010 makes a lot of sense to the SF HQ when their would be competitors for the nationalist vote in the SDLP will continue to implode after the fall out from the so called leadership contest. X Factor without the talent!
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:57 AMAgain, the term ‘community confidence’ has to be shown for what it is, ie ‘unionist community confidence’.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 12:57 AMExactly Crow. Its the political myopia of unionism. They don’t like the deal they signed two years ago. What they gonna do? Are they saying the deal is dead and the agreement they reached is a bad one? It’s not SF its the deal? How are they gonna get a `voluntary coalition’? What nationalist party is going to volunteer? (and still expect to get votes four years later). The sectarianism and bigotry of political unionism is leading them up another blind alley. Sure that’s unionism for ya. Can’t see the woods for the trees. Let’s sit back and watch.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:00 AMI increasingly get the impression that the DUP has already made the decision to ditch powersharing but is working on a strategy to ensure that Sinn Fein is the one who walks first and consequently takes ALL the blame and fallout. There is NO doubt that the TUV has connected with a substantial sectarian knuckledragging rump of fundamental Unionist dinosaurs and they are very capable of holing the DUP below the waterline. In such a scenario it’s LOSE LOSE for the DUP and they know it. The TUV has the potential to divide Unionism into 3 camps thus allowing Sinn Fein to become the largest party and a Nationalist as First Minister. The DUP can see this nightmare before them and are prepared to jump ship rather than be part of such an eventuality. That is why Robinson and the DUP are playing such hard ball; it’s part of the plan. They have started to totally renage on the GFA and St. Andrews Agreement and are determined to wind Sinn Fein up so much that it is the Shinners who collapse the Executive and not the DUP. Thus the DUP can go back to their electorate, dirty dozen, lost hard core vote and claim a Unionist victory. It really is NO surprise. ANY political agreement was ALWAYS going to fall on the old hoary chestnut of Unionist intransigence and it’s total sectarian bigotry. The Executive will collapse about February.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:18 AM“SF have secured the implicit support of the Irish Prime Minister for their position.” .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Joe, do you really think that the support of Brian Cowen will count for much in the 6 counties given the state of his own state? In the context of an election how will S.F. explain all their failures to date whether on the Irish language issue, education or policing ? They can’t continue claiming on one hand that the GFA was a marvellous deal and on the other hand that nothing has changed and unionism still rules.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:18 AMjdaly, I dont think northern nationalists are disciphering Cowen’s support in terms of rising unmeployment in the south, plungind property prices, or bond issues. I have to say. What is significant is that SF, for many SDLP inclinded nationalists a formerly terrorist supporting group, now have Cowen implicitly supporting their position and inter-alia condeming the DUP for their intransignence. In terms of the agreement, I think you’ll find its the DUP who want to abandon it, not SF. Its robinson calling for a new deal, not SF. In terms of delays on policing ,language and equality, that doesn’t detract from SFs position. It enhances it, exceptt obviously in the eyes of dissidents, who unlike Allister don’t have a political base. BTW, im not an SF supporter. Im merely pointing out the political reality of unionism’s current trajectory.
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:50 AMFurthermore the Parades Commission’s determination on next Saturday’s Apprentice Boys march past the Ardoyne shops will give a clue as to how the current political wind blows and where the Establishment’s symathies lie. The parade is to be led by a Loyalist band who commemmorate the UVF murderer Brian Robinson. Robinson of course shot a totally innocent Catholic man Paddy McKenna at the Ardoyne shops in September 1989 before being killed himself by British undercover forces. If this parade is given the go ahead it is not rocket science that there is bound to be a reaction from North Belfast Nationalists as this will be the official endorsement of Loyalist paramilitaries celebrating the murder of an innocent man. Will DUP and Unionist pressure on the Parades Commission allow this to happen?
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 01:53 AM‘It seems that next weekend the Ligoniel Walkers ABOD club are set to walk past Ardoyne shops with the Shankill Star Flute Band in tow. Shankill Star FB are ‘dedicated to the memory’ of UVF Brian Robinson who was killed by undercover British Army members on 2nd Setember 1989 shortly after he murdered 41 year old Patrick McKenna, an innocent civilian, at Ardoyne shops.’
quelle surprise!!
The Orange order/Apprentice boys main UVF terrorist memorial band in Ligionel invites another UVF terrorist band from the Shankill Road (named after the loyalist terrorist who murdered a Catholic man at Ardoyne shops)to march past the exact spot where he was murdered by the UVF!!!
Would the Apprentice boys & Orange order support a republican parade past the former spot of Frizzell’s Fish Shop by the Thomas Begley republican memorial flute band?(if one existed)
Can you really blame anyone for throwing stones or blocking the route of the loyalist orders and their terrorist band parade next Saturday?
Or perhaps that’s the idea of those involved and their spokesperson Tommy Cheevers(who took part in the guard of honour flanking the coffin at the 1986 funeral of murdered UVF commander John Bingham).
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 02:02 AM“It seems that next weekend the Ligoniel Walkers ABOD club are set to walk past Ardoyne shops with the Shankill Star Flute Band in tow. Shankill Star FB are ‘dedicated to the memory’ of UVF Brian Robinson who was killed by undercover British Army members on 2nd Setember 1989 shortly after he murdered 41 year old Patrick McKenna, an innocent civilian, at Ardoyne shops.
Is someone deliberately trying to raise the heat on the marching issue?
Posted by picador on Nov 28, 2009 @ 11:45 PM”Let’s, unfortunately. call a spade a spade. The DUP and others want one march to take place every year without fail - its not in Ardoyne, Ormeau, Dunloy etc.
Its Garvaghy Road.
They have put it on the political agenda: they have unwittingly proved that a so-called church service is a political parade. Remember Paisley’s words at Drumcree about “the settling day” .
Imagine the message an Orange march along Garvaghy would send out - putting Taigs in their place again.
Brendan might have left the Shinners, but the people of the G Rd still stand by Brendan.
PS submit word is remember
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 02:56 AMjdaly: please stop posting with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). You’re using my email address by accident and I keep getting all kinds of email from this website. Thank you! -john in san francisco
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 05:13 AMjdaly: please stop posting with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). You’re using my email address by accident and I keep getting all kinds of email from this website. Thank you! -john in san francisco
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 05:14 AMThe shinners dragged out decommissioning for years.
Reap what ye sow. Then dry them…
Posted by on Nov 29, 2009 @ 08:54 AM
