Negotiations – Page 22 – Slugger O'Toole

What are the DUP’s terms to avoid the forced resignation of Peter Robinson?

Mick Fealty on February 13, 2010, 12:39 am

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Before you head off for the weekend, have a look at Sam McBride’s exclusive in this morning’s News Letter… PETER Robinson signed a post-dated letter of resignation as First Minister to secure his party’s support for policing and justice.. This is significant on two levels. One, it suggests that if the party doesn’t get the deal it wants, Robbo is toast. And second, it removes the power to unseat the party leader from the Assembly group where we know he …

“You may have identified these leaders already…”

Pete Baker on February 10, 2010, 5:31 pm

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In the Irish Times Newton Emerson identifies the “six-point structured negotiating framework” of The Process™ available at “the new Conflict Transformation Initiative from the University of Portadown (Lurgan Campus).” 4. Identify Solutions Once you have identified the leaders, the problem and the opportunities, you have already identified the solution. However, you might still need to remind the leaders to take this opportunity to solve the problem. This is where the media can be useful, because everyone enjoys stories about goats …

Sinn Fein believes negotiations are now closed…

Eamonn Mallie on February 4, 2010, 4:14 pm

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Good morning. Another week-end looming and still no deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein. The problem is this: as of now, come the first week in May Republicans can put on show as evidence of the transfer of policing and justice powers a justice minister at work and all the attending swearing-in publicity. The attorney general will be visibly seen assuming his office and essentially for Republicans another link has been broken with England, if only symbolically, with local …

Déjà vu, all over again..

Pete Baker on February 2, 2010, 3:16 am

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As Mark Devenport says Tomorrow looks like it will involve yet more talks , and as a number of people have pointed out to me February 2nd really is Groundhog Day. Although, I think a different link might be more appropriate. Pete Baker

“Although I had been reliably informed that the Prime Minister was on his way to Belfast..”

Pete Baker on February 2, 2010, 1:16 am

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As Mick noted, they’re still in play… apparently. Here’s a short clip from the DUP press conference at Stormont this evening followed by a positive interpretation from commentator Jim Dougal in the UTV studio. Video courtesy of UTV Pete Baker

How are people ever going to face up to their responsibilities as elected representatives

Mick Fealty on January 30, 2010, 7:12 pm

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It’s refreshing to see the Irish Times give some space to the not inconsiderable political intelligence of Stephen Collins to think about the phoney production which may be grinding its way back to a curiously inconclusive end. He points to a Seanad order of business debate in which Northern Ireland comes up. It’s a reflection of how denuded that chamber has become from Northern Irish affairs that the only non platitudinal remarks came from the former PD TD Fionna O’Malley: …

“And still we waited..”

Pete Baker on January 30, 2010, 5:25 pm

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On the local evening news yesterday Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy denied that there had been a “wobble amongst republicans” as Mark Devenport suggested. Interestingly, the Irish Times’ Gerry Moriarty clearly heard similar reports Conscious of mistakes made in previous negotiations, both the DUP and Sinn Féin were anxious not to be wrong-footed. Some sources spoke of disagreements within the Sinn Féin camp. There was no Sinn Féin confirmation, needless to say, while another neutral source put down any republican disquiet …

Still on duty…

Eamonn Mallie on January 30, 2010, 3:07 am

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Peter Robinson says a deal can be done: He said:”It is perfectly possible if everybody was prepared to move that little bit further.” Conor Murphy says there is no deal. He said it has been “a defining day.””It shall have to be called soon.” He added. Adds: The nastiness seems to be clearing. Adams said at a press conference this evening that he would not still be here if there was nothing on. Eamonn Mallie

“enhance the framework governing parades and related public assemblies”

Pete Baker on January 28, 2010, 5:37 pm

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As Brian said, both the DUP and Sinn Féin are protesting “good faith”, but giving nothing away. And remember, “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”. So, what’s everything this time? From Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen’s joint statement yesterday [pdf file] We believe there is now a firm basis for the parties to: • set an early date for the completion of the final stage of devolution. We agree it would be practicable to set a date in early …

Nuclear options

Jason Walsh on January 27, 2010, 11:56 pm

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We’re not at this point yet – not even close, truth be told- but shall we have a natter about the nuclear options?Previously unionists have been threatened with Joint Authority, effectively co-rule by London and Dublin. It’s extremely unlikely that Gordon Brown would pursue such a strategy so close to a general election. If it happened David “Call-me-prime-minister” Cameron would make a lot of Labour-destroyed-the-union hay and the SNP would, presumably, be cook-a-hoop. Still, it’s worth talking about, isn’t it? …

“in truth there’s the whiff of failure around Hillsborough Castle”

Pete Baker on January 27, 2010, 10:13 pm

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BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport queries the direction of the governments’ “pathway” and relates a “brief comic interlude” ahead of the press conference at Hillsborough. [Do we have the video? – Ed] Not yet… Adds It’s below the fold. We were summoned into a room inside the castle not far from where Tony Blair once talked about the hand of history on his shoulder. But this was not to be a repeat performance. There was a brief comic interlude …

Quote of the day…

Mick Fealty on January 27, 2010, 5:34 pm

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From a friend in the Ulster Unionists (whose party line, incidentally, is that The Plough IS a better eatery than The Hillside): Inside sources indicate that the only delivery at Hillsborough Castle today will be a Dominos Pizza… The same source further suggests we start a sweepstake on what hour Sinn Fein will walk out… Hmmm, I couldn’t possible comment on any of those weighty matters… but you might like to… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has …

“part of the political fabric”

Pete Baker on January 27, 2010, 2:42 am

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The US Secretary of State is heading to London. Not to save The Process™ here, but to attend two conferences. Tomorrow it’s Yemen. And on Thursday, Afghanistan, where a familiar strategy is being discussed – as an short Irish Times report noted on Saturday On a 24-hour visit to Pakistan, [US defence secretary Robert] Gates emphasised that US strategy consisted of turning the tide in the Afghan war so as to convince Taliban leaders to sit down and negotiate. “We …

Unionist unity is an opportunity to shift baggage in BOTH parties…

Eamonn Mallie on January 25, 2010, 3:29 pm

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Inter party talks involving the Conservative Party in Britain, the Ulster Unionist Party and the Democratic Unionist Party are set to escalate in the next week to ten days. This follows the disclosure that last Sunday, Northern Ireland’s likely next Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, held secret talks with Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Sammy Wilson and Ulster Unionist deputy party leader Danny Kennedy, Tom Elliott, David Campbell and Mark Cosgrove. The discussions took place at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire.In an …

“That’s simply not how negotiations work.”

Pete Baker on January 22, 2010, 12:19 am

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Northern Ireland Acting First Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, MLA, responds to the comments by Sinn Féin vice-president Mary Lou McDonald – noted by Eamonn earlier. Video courtesy of UTV And some quotes from the UTV report “The sort of deadline that has been given by Sinn Fein is very, very unhelpful and we may have reached the point where we need government facilitation in relation to move matters on.” “We’ve had a team of negotiators sitting around all day …

Ritchie: “If the other parties (SF & DUP) go the other way, they will pay a heavy price…”

Mick Fealty on January 21, 2010, 6:32 pm

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For those of you worried we’ve been obsessing too much on the wrong things, I should say it is part of our plans to attend the SDLP annual conference in Newcastle this year, in light of the fact they are about to change leaders… It remains to be seen whether that will have any effect on the main political game… They’ve been parked down a Peace Process™ alley for most of the last ten years… Today we have a piece …

Now just a quick question for those at that meeting last Sunday…

Mick Fealty on January 21, 2010, 6:06 pm

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Well, we have it from the Tories… and we have it from my esteemed colleague Owen Polley that the meeting in London on Sunday (when the DUP members left their Sinn Fein colleagues dangling in the P&J talks on basis of taking a break for the Sabbath) that there was nothing to the meeting other than the policing and justice negotiations and the further stability of the institutions… Well, that’s good to hear… And if that’s so, will we be …

Policing and Justice talks entering shaky ground…

Eamonn Mallie on January 21, 2010, 3:03 am

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Inter party talks are on shaky ground tonight. Deputy First Minister Martin Mc Guinness will address Sinn Fein’s board of officers tomorrow. There is no ‘product.’ In a sentence then Mr. Mc Guinness is going to talk with party officers with one hand as long as the other. This is ominous. Eamonn Mallie

The DUP: From individual tragedy to an 18th Century Irish farce…

Eamonn Mallie on January 15, 2010, 6:16 pm

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What follows here was triggered by a flashback to my schoolboy recollection of ‘ A School for Scandal‘ by Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was writing in the second half of the eighteenth century. I am in no sense true or faithful to the original text in my portrayal of the main character at play ‘Confidence.’ In other words this is about ‘farce.’ Here we go: “Will someone go upstairs and tell ‘Confidence’ to come down?”If ‘Confidence’ has slipped out of …

“You can also buy a bar of Stormont fudge.”

Pete Baker on January 13, 2010, 6:37 pm

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In his Irish Times sketch piece Deaglán de Bréadún appears to suspect there’s confectionery in the air. The devolution of policing and justice from London is not an issue that keeps any ordinary citizen in Northern Ireland awake at night, but it is a deal breaker for Sinn Féin, who could pull the whole house down if they don’t get their way. The Northern parliament is also known as the House on the Hill and at the gift shop you …