executive

And so the focus shifts…

Andy Boal on June 27, 2017, 1:10 pm152 Comments | Readers 2743

And we’re back in Belfast with the main parties and their negotiations. The final deadline is Thursday, but substantial agreement is expected today. The DUP have obtained a deal that is extremely good for infrastructure, bringing things into the possible that were recently all but pipe dreams, although you may excuse my cynicism that the money made available for health is tinkering at the edges (will it be yet another “if you’re going to do this damn silly thing, don’t do it …

If Gerry now thinks Arlene is ‘innocent’ what’s blocking the formation of an Executive?

Mick Fealty on March 20, 2017, 8:12 am91 Comments | Readers 2522

So one week till the deadline closes on the formation of the next Executive, or rather the appointment of a new First Minister and deputy First Minister. A new Executive (and that piece of comedic fiction, the Programme For Government) is another piece of work on top of that. Gerry Adams said at the weekend there was no reason to doubt Arlene Foster’s innocence in relation to RHI: which may or may not be a concession ahead of a final …

Sinn Féin to table amendment calling for Foster to step aside for 4 weeks & expand scope of judicial inquiry

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 18, 2016, 6:59 pm59 Comments | Readers 3132

SINN FEIN will table an amendment to tomorrow morning’s motion of no confidence requiring the First Minister only to step aside while a four week preliminary report is produced, but expanding the remit of the inquiry to cover special advisers and civil servants. They threaten grave consequences if the DUP disregard the joint authority of the Executive Office.

State of the State Report praises the creation of opposition and has concerns about Brexit

David McCann on October 26, 2016, 7:43 pm5 Comments | Readers 490

Around this time of year Deloitte release their State of the State report which reviews the performance of the UK government and the devolved administrations. You can read the full report here, but here I wanted to highlight the reports analysis of recent developments in Northern Ireland. The report last year was critical of the stop/start nature of policy making within the Executive and the political impasse that had engulfed Stormont over welfare reform. This year however, the report is …

So yesterday was the “New Stormont” Government’s day in the sun…

Mick Fealty on May 26, 2016, 2:24 pm29 Comments | Readers 1774

So, if Mike Nesbitt and Colum Eastwood had their days in the sun over the previous two weeks, yesterday was the government parties’ turn. Alan has already covered some of the (in my view, necessary) acts of generosity between the two parties. As I argued with Gerry Kelly during the back end of Radio Ulster’s election coverage two parties in coalition is infinitely easier to manage than five (methinks Gerry protested too much at the time). In Health Sinn Fein …

A simpler yet topsy turvy Executive, with more room for elbows around the table

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 25, 2016, 2:55 pm39 Comments | Readers 3004

The new Executive is much simpler with more room for elbows around the circular table in Stormont Castle. Yet today’s selections felt quite topsy turvy, with parties allowing their previous portfolios to lapse to the other party.

These are the faces around the new NI Executive table …

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 25, 2016, 12:56 pm128 Comments | Readers 4685

The D’Hondt tombola has been turned and the ministries have been pulled out and names assigned by the team captains. DUP (Economy, Education, Agriculture, Communities), Sinn Féin (Finance, Infrastructure, Health)

#SluggerReport: Contrasts between northern and southern PfG processes…

Mick Fealty on May 13, 2016, 10:23 am5 Comments | Readers 566

PROGRAMMED GOVERNMENT: There is no obligation to consult in the Republic. The enhanced deliberative and legislative powers of Dail Eireann are trusted to filter out the worst single party excesses. Thus BOTH government and executive action begin now, not November.

The Executive goes on the road….to Arlene and Martin’s hometowns.

David McCann on January 28, 2016, 3:14 pm9 Comments | Readers 854

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: It was announced today that the new Executive is set to go on the road for the first time and meet outside of Belfast. First up on the Executive’s road show is Fermanagh (home of the First Minister) and Derry (home of the Deputy First Minister).
These type of things happen in the UK, where the cabinet takes trips outside of London to see the other regions of the UK, yet I am not totally sure what is really achieved by doing this.

[Cartoon] #BackToTheExecutiveDay

Brian Spencer on October 22, 2015, 6:09 pm1 Comment | Readers 365

October 21 2015 was ‘Back To The Future Day‘, the date in ‘Back To The Future II’ that Marty McFly travelled forward to in order to save his children. That date was also the day when Peter Robinson travelled back to Stormont to save the power sharing executive. A nice historical coincidence. Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

The DUP ministerial merry-go-round continues……

David McCann on September 16, 2015, 6:35 pm30 Comments | Readers 1611

DUP GROUNDHOG DAY: Up at Stormont the DUP’s Ministers were briefly re-appointed as Ministers of DETI, DSD & DHSSPS. Shortly afterwards they resigned triggering another 7 days before they have to re-appointed in order not to trigger an election.

Nesbitt: “This is not about wrecking things or pulling things down.”

David McCann on August 29, 2015, 11:10 pm8 Comments | Readers 1133

The UUP Executive met in the Park Ave Hotel in East Belfast to formally decide whether to pull out of the Northern Ireland Executive. Around 90 delegates debated the issue for over an hour and unanimously voted to leave. The sole UUP minister, Danny Kennedy will tender his resignation on Tuesday and Mike Nesbitt will refuse to nominate a successor. The post will then fall to the DUP to fill the vacancy. For such an important decision there was a …

#DUPshuffle …the new ministerial line up

David McCann on May 11, 2015, 4:05 pm59 Comments | Readers 1996

The departure of Jim Wells as Health Minister has given the First Minister an opportunity to conduct a more wide ranging reshuffle of the DUP ministers in the Executive: Department of Finance: Arlene Foster Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Jonathan Bell Department of Health: Simon Hamilton Department of Social Development: Mervyn Storey Junior Minister in OFM/DFM: Michelle McIlveen Fun Fact: The departure of Jim Wells and the addition of Michelle McIlveen has seen the average age of the DUP …

A re-energised John McCallister on expenses, his Assembly and Executive Reform Bill, and the role of independents

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on December 1, 2014, 9:00 am17 Comments | Readers 1184

John McCallister may be ex-UUP and ex-NI21, but he’s not planning to be ex-politics. I spoke to the South Down independent unionist late last week. He’s rebuilding his profile and perhaps also his reputation after been seen as the person who pulled the plug on NI21 a day or two before the May 2014 elections. On top of “a fairly hefty workload of constituency work” he’s ploughing effort into a Private Members Bill to address Assembly and Executive Reform. After …

Corporation Tax powers finally set to be devolved?

Turgon on August 18, 2014, 3:27 pm30 Comments | Readers 1141

The Belfast Telegraph has a number of articles about the devolution of control over Corporation Tax: with a timeline here. From the Belfast Telegraph: Finance Minister Simon Hamilton said: “I am optimistic that we will get a positive answer from the Prime Minister. “I think that the Government wants to do this and we have made a very robust case to them.” A senior Tory source concurred with this assessment. However, the cost of cutting the tax is likely to …

Robinson: PSNI must not be subjected to ‘bully boy’ tactics

David McCann on May 4, 2014, 10:18 am95 Comments | Readers 71

This morning First Minister, Peter Robinson released this statement. The PSNI must not be the subject of republican bullyboy tactics. They must be completely free to follow any and all evidence regardless of where it takes them and to decide free of political considerations whether suspects will be charged or not. He continued; I warn Sinn Fein that they have crossed the line and should immediately cease this destructive behaviour. The inconsistency of the Deputy First Minister is clear for …

Fees gap to be paid by GB students…?

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2011, 5:03 pm9 Comments | Readers 4

THE decision to freeze student fees here seems to be going down well, but it won’t come without cost. And that cost – half of it – will be borne by the Department of Employment and Learning. It would be difficult to argue that learning should come at the expense of employment services in the middle of a recession when the jobless total is almost twice what the department is budgeted to deal with. As the Minister said in June, …

Tom Elliott can he lead?

Blank on May 8, 2011, 9:45 am141 Comments | Readers 52

Tom Elliot became a surprising story of the election with his outburst in Omagh and he is destined to be at the centre of things throughout the coming days. With his party achieving 16 seats and Alliance 8 as things stand the UUP will lose a ministry. That is unless he can tempt party reject David McClarty back into the fold. Though as Mark Devenport notes the Alliance party could then try to cook up a counter deal with Steven …

Futuring: d’Hondt and the new Executive

Blank on May 7, 2011, 9:44 am48 Comments | Readers 69

As the outcome of the Assembly election firms up throughout the day thoughts will be drawn to d’Hondt and the eventual make up of a future Executive. Forget about a paper and pen, use this handy d’Hondt calculator to play with numbers. Blank

Fantasy D’Hondt

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on July 26, 2010, 12:00 pm30 Comments | Readers 264

Time to play an early game of Fantasy NI Executive, or maybe more properly, Fantasy D’Hondt. The order in which parties select ministries is determined by the size of the parties. When the full D’Hondt process was last run on 8 May 2007, there were still only ten ministries. The DUP was the largest party with 36 elected MLAs, followed by SF (28), UUP (18) and then SDLP (16). The parties selected ministries in the following order. DUP – Finance …