Arlene Foster as leader would challenge some cherished media narratives…

So, Nigel Dodds is not going to run for leader of the DUP. Clearly no one told Sammy Wilson, who wasn’t going to run, but is not reportedly reconsidering that view.

Perhaps it was reconsideration of his own words that no one could effectively lead from Westminster. Perhaps it’s the dual commitment he and his wife (a genuine tight political team) have to Westminster and Brussels.

In all likelihood it’s the realisation that as First Minister Foster would be seen as party leader anyway and the title would come to be seen as a fop to his ego. In any case, Mr Dodds seems to be doing just fine in London.

To be spoken of – even in absentia by failed plotters – as a replacement Speaker demonstrates a status unusual for any Northern Ireland MP in Westminster. Despite the unravelling of the Labour party, his eight MPs still have potential to broker.

More importantly perhaps though, Dodds’ late move – and both his and Robinson’s strong sponsorship of Foster – looks like presaging a proper changing of the Guard at the DUP.

Only the second major Northern Irish party leader to be a woman and a former UUPer, Foster’s rise runs counter to a long favoured analysis in the NI political media that the DUP consists mostly of a few modernisers living in fear of backwoodsmen.

That’s a perception that will be harder to sustain under Foster than it was under Robinson, or would have been under Dodds. Or even Wilson. Just when things were starting to look up for Mike Nesbitt and the UUP…

As our own Chris Donnelly put it on Twitter last night…


Discover more from Slugger O'Toole

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

We are reader supported. Donate to keep Slugger lit!

For over 20 years, Slugger has been an independent place for debate and new ideas. We have published over 40,000 posts and over one and a half million comments on the site. Each month we have over 70,000 readers. All this we have accomplished with only volunteers we have never had any paid staff.

Slugger does not receive any funding, and we respect our readers, so we will never run intrusive ads or sponsored posts. Instead, we are reader-supported. Help us keep Slugger independent by becoming a friend of Slugger. While we run a tight ship and no one gets paid to write, we need money to help us cover our costs.

If you like what we do, we are asking you to consider giving a monthly donation of any amount, or you can give a one-off donation. Any amount is appreciated.