peter robinson – Page 6 – Slugger O'Toole

More #Twaddell: DUP, dupes and duplicity.

John Ó Néill on September 30, 2013, 12:56 pm

| Readers 132

The onus is now upon nationalism to show leadership and to respond positively to this genuine attempt to reach accommodation. They must face down the elements in their community who wish to drag Northern Ireland back. So says DUP ‘leader’ Peter Robinson, but presumably not in reference to his party members who were advocating burning tricolours, defacing religious statues, indulging in murder fantasies, okay with assaults on the mayor or happy to be seen at UVF parades. Robinson was actually …

The Robinson Allister spat in the context of the Hass talks

Turgon on September 29, 2013, 7:43 pm

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Last week’s spat between Peter Robinson and Jim Allister has been analysed in some detail. One of the best contributions has been by Sam McBride pointing to how it demonstrates the difference that it makes allowing ministers to be questioned without knowing the questions in advance. Prior to that as McBride says: “For years, question time at Stormont has been a fairly turgid affair, with questions submitted weeks in advance so that civil servants could draft vast replies for ministers …

Robinson’s land ‘remarks’ part of a general decline in tone and substance in Northern Irish politics

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2013, 1:25 pm

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If Peter Robinson thought he was snuffing out incessant criticism from that turbulent preacher from the unionist back benches, Jim Allister, he was surely misguided. Not least in his follow up remarks in a point of order to the effect that: …it was “particularly sad that a member of the family wanted to buy the land and was turned down because the family decided to sell it to a republican”. Two major aspects come immediately to mind: One, his partners …

So he’s staying. But what will be the Robinson legacy?

Brian Walker on September 11, 2013, 3:19 pm

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It’s a common tactic of most people in public life to exaggerate the criticism being made of them when they make the feisty reply. Peter Robinson is no exception. His recent output has been genuinely revealing. I have no privileged information whatever but I have read his Florida letter and his Bel Tel article. The Florida missive revealed his default position of lashing out against criticism rather than rising above it at times of tension, the Bel Tel the old trick …

Peter Robinson tells Belfast Telegraph he’ll outlast “those windbag commentators” who predict his demise (updated with UTV’s interview)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 9, 2013, 10:00 am

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Peter Robinson’s postcard from his holiday to the Belfast Telegraph is carried on page 29 of this morning’s paper. Breaking his silence since issuing the eleven page U-turn clarification letter on 15 August, the First Minister’s latest intervention signals that the summer is over and the parties are at last back to school. (You can read the full text on the Belfast Telegraph website.) In spite of all the challenges that have been faced at home, we have proved that …

“giddy zephyrs of the purest conjecture…”

Pete Baker on August 25, 2013, 5:55 pm

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In yesterday’s Irish News Newton Emerson poured cold water on some recent idle speculation – as noted by Alan. From the Irish News Speculation is mounting that Peter Robinson plans to step down as DUP leader. It cannot be stressed enough that this is based on giddy zephyrs of the purest conjecture. An attempt by nationalism to convince itself the Maze U-turn indicated weak leadership was debunked by a mild response from Sinn Féin, which sees exactly how Robinson has launched …

Is Peter Robinson’s leadership goose cooked?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on August 22, 2013, 11:30 am

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In his annual self-imposed Florida exile, Peter Robinson must be increasingly frustrated as he reads newspaper articles and blog posts on his iPad, and listens to radio clips discussing the expected end of his political career up on the hill. So far he’s shown self-control and avoided stabbing at his Twitter app to respond. It’s been a long summer for the First Minister at home in Northern Ireland, with two recalls of the Assembly, trouble flaring up in North and …

Peter Robinson. Strongman or wimp? The spin continues

Brian Walker on August 19, 2013, 12:27 pm

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The headline” Robinson no pushover” doesn’t really fit Henry Patterson’s measured analysis of the first minister’s U turn from Florida in the Newsletter. ..It is remarkable how weak and undeveloped the DUP case was against those who argued that part of the Maze site would house a ‘shrine to terrorism’. The weakness of the DUP case for the Maze was amplified by the fact that apart from occasional interventions by Robinson the only other figure of substance in the …

Robinson U turn shows the urgent need for mediation

Brian Walker on August 18, 2013, 12:18 pm

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They must have put up Chinese walls inside Stormont Castle since I was there last. The sudden collapse of Peter Robinson’s position over the Maze peace centre strongly suggests that the joint leaders haven’t even managed to have frank exchanges about the past, much less wrestled with how actually to deal with it. But the bigger problem stretches down the hill to streets below. DUP electoral dominance has been again exposed as offering no protection against unionist fragmentation and a stampede …

The demise of the shrine

Turgon on August 16, 2013, 11:25 am

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So Peter Robinson has now effectively vetoed the Maze “shrine.” Amid all the complaints regarding this from republicans the real question might be Why did he take so long to do it? The reality is that very few unionists have ever supported the concept. A few loyalist terrorist ex prisoners might have had an interest due to their self interest in reinventing their sectarian murder campaign as one by “the fighting men” to quote Gusty Spence. Very few unionists, however, …

The Robinson letter

John Ó Néill on August 15, 2013, 9:03 am

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Before you read the spin, here’s Robinsons letter. I’m only going to point out (the obvious) that you won’t find references to unionists marching with paramilitary bands, DUP MLAs advocating burning tricolours or murder fantasies, unionists rioting, attacking the Mayor, PSNI and (Catholic-owned) businesses or breaches of the Parades Commission determinations. [For the lazy, I’ve added a tag cloud of the text] First Minister Peter Robinson To: DUP MLAs, MPs and MEP 12 August 2013 Dear Colleague In normal circumstances …

Upon retirement from the Assembly, Peter Robinson “might try my hand at something other than politics”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on June 20, 2013, 4:53 pm

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Peter Robinson was interviewed by Alex Kane recently for a piece that appeared in the News Letter. [I still don’t think the First Minister and DUP leader has “found time” yet to talk to the Irish News.] The audio of the interview was run on Lisburn’s 98FM On the Record politics programme today. You can listen to the interview in two parts and the full transcript is available on the News Letter website. listen to ‘(part 1/2) @AlexKane221b interviewing @DUPleader …

“[Mr. Robinson, Mr. McGuinness], tear down this wall!”

Brian Spencer on June 14, 2013, 9:36 pm

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Caption competition I’ve kicked it off: “[Mr. Robinson, Mr. McGuinness], tear down this wall!” 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/

Micheál Martin “there is a grave danger that policing in the North will be compromised because of this activity”

Mick Fealty on May 17, 2013, 5:09 pm

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I’ve alluded to this in a post earlier in the week, but the Oireachtas record gives Deputy Gerry Adams a voice not captured on the Dail video. The exchange between himself and the leader of Fianna Fail is very instructive, not least as we face into another summer of discontent… The relevant section begins with Mr Martin making a point he’s made before, only because of his interventions more forcefully and directly to one of the political parties he clearly …

Seize the opportunities opened up by the Good Relations strategy. Don’t write it off

Brian Walker on May 11, 2013, 3:51 pm

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Mick’s last post is probably representative of the muted reaction to the long awaited initiative. All the same I’d rather take a more positive approach and – yes!- begin with accepting it at face value. So I’m asking: are critics justified in writing off already the Cohesion Sharing and Integration statement ( not yet a strategy and not actually labelled CSI)? Do we pin all the blame for its gaps and evasions on Peter Robinson and the DUP and Martin McGuinness and Sinn …

“during the Derry visit, Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson were nowhere to be seen, surely mindful of their upcoming trade mission to China.”

Pete Baker on May 8, 2013, 6:27 pm

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According to an Irish News report today …OFMDFM has refuted any suggestion that the Stormont leaders snubbed the Dalai Lama when he visited Derry last month. A spokesperson for OFMDFM said the ministers were unable to attend “due to prior diary commitments”. Which is fine… After all, “diary pressures” was the same excuse Tony Blair gave in 2004 when he was accused of snubbing the Tibetan leader – although they had already met in 1999 in a “spiritual capacity”. And it appears …

Peter Robinson: in 50 years’ time the votes of the culturally Irish will help ensure union remains safe

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 27, 2013, 5:08 pm

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Peter Robinson light-heartedly suggested that DUP’s first ever spring policy conference today in Fermanagh “means that the G8 Summit has now been demoted to the second most important event in Fermanagh this year!” The full speech is available from the DUP website. The DUP leader reassured delegates that Nigel Dodds “will be back at work on Monday and happily he’s been given a clean bill of health”. He hoped that the health scare would “bring about a greater understanding of …

London using financial levers to remind Executive of its responsibility to address sectarian divides

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 30, 2013, 2:06 pm

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East Belfast MP Naomi Long asked a long question [Q7] during Prime Minster’s Questions on Wednesday 13 March. She wanted to know what role he saw for the British and Irish governments “as joint custodians of the agreement” in progressing the outstanding issues of “reconciliation, unequivocal support for the rule of law, and to deal comprehensively with the past and its legacy”. David Cameron answered: I think there is of course a responsibility for the Taoiseach and the British Prime …

Imagine … TEDx talks by Peter Robinson, Martin McGuinness and others … under the gaze of Lord Craigavon

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 28, 2013, 10:59 am

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The Great Hall (the entrance hall) of Parliament Buildings up on the hill is a commanding setting for today’s TEDxStormont event. Seventeen speakers, three musical artists, the statue of Lord Craigavon basking in orange red light, and the portrait of Lord Bannside looking down on the couple of hundred delegates sitting below (with a small bottle of the devil’s buttermilk in their goody bags). The First Minster and deputy First Minister were the first two speakers this morning, fitting in …

Absentee OFMdFM leadership thawing out in Brazil?

Mick Fealty on March 13, 2013, 8:40 am

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Brilliant piece of’so-whatness’ from MalachiO’Doherty on an OFMdFM that seems not to understand yet that it is they who are in charge, or Matt Baggott, or anyone of a dozen favourite bogeymen… Have you been down to the beach? Copacabana? Pina Colada? That’s what you need, some chill-out time to talk over your wee differences. Like the flags. Puts the whole thing in perspective, eh? No need to be getting so rattled about it that you have to virtually boycott …