But SF won't. they have been nothing but positive in their approach. I still haven't seen a single Unionist ;politician not frame this as a crisis in unionism instead of what it is, a shift to the middle ground and nationalists being sick of the DUP's "shoite".
If Unionism doesn't get a handle on what is going on they will be left behind.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Don't worry Danny I know.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
It is pretty straightforward though. You want diversity in Ireland? You already have effectively two Irish nations both living in IrelandOriginally Posted by DannyInvincible
Agreed, and I didn't mean to sound trite there. Marriage equality might not be that long delayed- there's a decent chance of either a) Direct Rule and the Tories waving it through, or b) DUP unable/ unwilling to use a PoC if Stormont resumes, then a free vote.[Abortion and gay marriage are] big issues for women and the LGBT community
Abortion's trickier when Nationalist parties in NI, just like the DUP, remain clearly opposed to it in most situations.
I generally see it the other way round. If the operatives are shooting people, blowing things up and intimidating me out of home, school etc. I'm not that interested in the theorists gurning about a bent election a century ago to demonstrate how un-supremacist they are.Not out of a sense of supremacism though. It's important to properly understand the context and rationale, however troubling or regrettable certain acts may have been
You're joking surely? You can't see a veto on Foster as JFM (regardless of her past antics) as anything other than negative. That's what vetoes mean.Originally Posted by BonnieShels
Broadly agree with yr second point. Now that the UUP clearly can't lead Unionism, there's much less incentive for voters either to give them first preferences, or for those that do to transfer anywhere bar DUP. So Unionists will inevitably be more co-operative with each other, while as a result less transfer-friendly to the non-aligned parties. Result: Nationalism could win 45%+ of the seats next time with 40% of the vote.
Diversity isn't my only interest. I also seek political and economic unity because I feel it will strengthen the country. Life compels prioritisation and balancing of interests.
I can appreciate where you're coming from and I sympathise, but I still think such a view distorts the context.I generally see it the other way round. If the operatives are shooting people, blowing things up and intimidating me out of home, school etc. I'm not that interested in the theorists gurning about a bent election a century ago to demonstrate how un-supremacist they are.
In any other political territory or professional sphere, she either would have stood down voluntarily or would have been suspended impending an investigation into the allegations of her wrongdoing. That's fairly standard and all main parties (bar the DUP) called for her to stand down. The reason she hasn't yet stood down is because identity - and fears or insecurities relating to that - apparently remains more important a matter to many people in the north of Ireland than corruption does or "bread and butter" issues do.You're joking surely? You can't see a veto on Foster as JFM (regardless of her past antics) as anything other than negative. That's what vetoes mean.
I too suggested Foster should resign and still think she will within the next three months or so. You may to weigh loss of face if/ when she does against already lost reputation for safe hands. As well as the human element, stick on social media etc. Not just as she's a woman, male politicians are sensitive too.
That said, she might not. SF then have to either
a) collapse the Assembly
b) find some fudge to restart any form of discussion with Unionists (remember they still work together on the district councils and the rest), or
c) cave in and look silly.
In the meantime, they have to answer the local media stepping up the whataboutery- eg that Messrs Murphy, O'Mulleoir and Adams didn't step aside when accused variously of malpractice or serious criminality.
SF can't have it both ways, pretending that they're about energy policy and cost controls while milking sectarian politics at every chance.
Last edited by Gather round; 13/03/2017 at 2:26 PM.
But none of them were first minister. And as has been pointed out ad nausea, the previous FM had no issue stepping aside when there were questions hanging over him. It should never have needed her to have a think when the precedent was there already!
SF are hardly being unreasonable in the request. What is unreasonable is that the DUP think their request is unreasonable.
Anyway, I trust SF’s ability to navigate the waters here. They’re the best at this.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Come on. Adams was and is a national party leader. More important than Foster. And if MO'M and CM were relatively junior, then few outside Stormont would have noticed/ cared when they walked.
Foster made a judgement that Unionist voters wouldn't think her handling of RHI- however hapless and possibly fraudulent- was as bad as Robbo stealing from the biscuit tin while Iris shagged her toyboy. Much as it wrongfoots you or I she could be right.
It's politics. Not unreasonable to ask, but obsessive to keep asking ad nauseam to the exclusion of all else.SF are hardly being unreasonable in the request. What is unreasonable is that the DUP think their request is unreasonable
Look out for that iceberg.Anyway, I trust SF’s ability to navigate the waters here. They’re the best at this
Last edited by Gather round; 13/03/2017 at 3:18 PM.
SF leader is more important NIFM? That is an interesting statement.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Except one small part is a forgotten backwater of another country, currently hanging on to it's current makeup, apart from when it suits them.
Except that ended the best part of 20 years ago FFS.I generally see it the other way round. If the operatives are shooting people, blowing things up and intimidating me out of home, school etc. I'm not that interested in the theorists gurning about a bent election a century ago to demonstrate how un-supremacist they are.
Why would anyone rational person want that thing as FM?You can't see a veto on Foster as JFM (regardless of her past antics) as anything other than negative. That's what vetoes mean.
Who cares...Now that the UUP clearly can't lead Unionism, there's much less incentive for voters either to give them first preferences, or for those that do to transfer anywhere bar DUP. So Unionists will inevitably be more co-operative with each other, while as a result less transfer-friendly to the non-aligned parties. Result: Nationalism could win 45%+ of the seats next time with 40% of the vote.
Unionists have quite happily done this/would do again if the maths was in their favour. So never mind the collective hypocrisy.
More drivel. The unionists can put up another candiadte, talk about straw clutching.
And you don't think the DUP et al don't 'milk sectarian politics at every chance'...
This again really doesn't make much sense, besides pointing out the obvious and the continued hypocrisy of the final sentence, again something unionists would never dream of.
It must have been a slow day in the West Midlands!!
SF leader: aspires to lead a national government
DUP leader: can probably take jointly leading a regional assembly (local authority, really) for granted IF it survives.
You're dancing on a pin here. The Unionist and Nationalist hacks (beardy ****** apart) I named are pretty much equivalent in both unimportance and managerial incompetence. You can only run so far with demonising Foster. Either she goes and you move on, or stays and you back down.
Except the unionists per se claim the North is a 'country', so any party leader there is a 'national' leader in theory.
And they also could choose to get rid of Foster and move on.
Conradh na Gaeilge have come up with a detailed and very informative discussion document looking at the potential workings and practicalities of an Irish language act: https://cnag.ie/images/Acht_Gaeilge_...March_2017.pdf
A BBC report on the development: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-39272431
So, the estimated cost of the act will actually be £2 million per year over five years, plus £8.5 million over the same period as a one-off infrastructure investment. That equates to less than £4 million per year; considerably less than the scaremongering £100 million a year plucked out of, erm, thin air by the DUP.Originally Posted by BBC
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 15/03/2017 at 8:48 PM.
Brian Feeney's latest cutting column in the Irish News on the utter uselessness of James Brokenshire made me chuckle so much at Brokenshire's expense that I then almost began to feel sorry for the poor fool: http://www.irishnews.com/opinion/col...-depth-963021/
Originally Posted by Brian Feeney
Last edited by DannyInvincible; 16/03/2017 at 5:17 AM.
This is May's government in a nutshell. Shocked by everything and no plan at all. Has there ever been a worse PM? Not in my lifetime and I started with Maggie.Originally Posted by Brian Feeney
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
During a recent interview, Ben Lowry of the Belfast Newsletter asked Yanis Varoufakis about Sinn Féin's nationalism and how it co-exists with their leftist politics: http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opi...army-1-7872307
I thought his answer was relevant to our prior discussion.
BL: Some people say Sinn Fein is so nationalistic that it is not left wing.
YV: This is a problem that doesn’t only pertain to Sinn Fein. It pertains to every national liberation movement.
Struggles for national self determination whether they are in Ireland, or in Greece in the 19th century, or in – wherever they happened to take place, Latin America – by their very nature they tend to promote, it is very easy when you are part of such a national liberation struggle to lose sight of the border line between patriotism and nationalism.
Now, from my experience of Sinn Fein, they are not nationalist, they are patriotic, like the SNP, the Scottish National Party, it is remarkable in that it is not nationalistic even thought it calls itself a national party, similarly the Catalonians.
What I think Sinn Fein, the SNP and the Catalan separatists have in common, nationalists have in common, is that they are completely internationalist and they do not see independence for their territory or their country as they see it to be part of nationalist international agenda like Le Pen, like Ukip, like Donald Trump and so on. So there’s a profound difference.
Yanis Varoufakis is why the EU presidency won't be an elected position for at least 20 years.
He would win in a landslide.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
Would he?
I think he's a bit of a clown.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Brokenshire states that "there is a short window" to agree power-sharing.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0327/862796-stormont-talks/
So after his apparent significant statement that was due to be announced today this is what we got?
No wonder SF had enough of him last week.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir tweeted pics tonight of SF in South Belfast out on the doorsteps. A team of them out knocking doors and delivering "thank you letters" that look a lot suspiciously like campaign literature.
They have seemingly rolled straight back onto election footing again and are practically daring Brokenshire to call another one.
Bring Back Belfast Celtic F.C.
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