Noel Thompson asked a significant question on BBC Raidio Uladh/Radio Ulster this morning. He was talking to Arlene Foster, who was sitting in for Peter Robinson (thinks: wonder why that was?). Robinson has an article in today’s Belfast Telegraph saying the Stormont Executive is “not fit for purpose” (I really admire people who can use original phrasing, don’t you?). Noel’s question to Arlene was “Is this not all about electioneering?” Arlene immediately assured him no no no, elections, wot us? So you can take that with the degree of credibility you might use when confronted with the Better Together campaign, who said they’d arranged all those new powers for Scotland long long ago, not just in a last-minute panic-sweat.
But back to us. You have to hand it to the DUP – they don’t believe in half-measures. Good Friday Agreement? Nah, not good enough. OK, here’s the St Andrew’s Agreement. Mmm. OK. We’ll take that one. Seven years down the tracks, haunted by the thought of being squeezed between the Alliance Party and the PUP, the DUP says “Nah, this isn’t fit for purpose” and throws the toys out of the pram.
And what are they so unhappy about? That Sinn Féin and the SDLP won’t line up behind them and implement the cuts that the Tories are pressing on us. Ah, the Tories. That’d be the Tories that had the DUP round for a few beers and a barbecue a few months back – or was it champagne and nibblers? Either way the message then was that the Conservatives and the DUP could, conceivably, do business after the next election. In the meantime, the DUP is showing how big its cojones are by declaring that the present arrangement is not good enough, we can’t have nationalist and republicans not just running about the place but presuming to hold back the Tory scythe as it goes about its work of welfare cuts.
I don’t say Sinn Féin aren’t protecting themselves from the charge of being anti-austerity in the south and pro-austerity in the north. They’re politicians, after all – they do what’ll benefit their party. But it’s also true that they’re doing what the DUP should be doing: they’re resisting nasty hit-the-weakest policy from Westminster. The DUP could have decided to stand with their coalition partners against welfare cuts (let’s drop this dumb ‘welfare reform’ euphemism). Instead they’ve chose to rub themselves against David Cameron’s leg and purr. Nice one, Peter.
the big fear is that martin might get the first ministers job next time , so rather than face reality the dup want to jump ship, back to direct rue , thats better than being tied to a republican first minister, but worse still what if sinn fein get the big job in the south and martin in the north ????
horror of all horrors for all concerned including the brits and the free state parties of the right and i include the labour party in that, what price unification then peter ????? as a betting man i would say about even money !!!!!!
The PM and the Leader of the Opposition will travel to Scotland even though it means not being present in Parliament for questions on 10 September 2014. The Scots are being promised all sorts of rewards should the referendum result in a no for independence. It is somewhat strange that there is room for negotiation in Scotland about proposed welfare cuts and no room for manoeuvre in the north of Ireland. It will be the unemployed, the working poor and vulnerable citizens who will have to bear the brunt of welfare cuts. The body politic has had many years of growing pains since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Walking out of meetings with political opponents and refusing to respect agreements brokered in good faith is the ultimate in political immaturity. We will have to put our clocks back for one hour in the near future. Some elected representatives wish to put their clocks back 46 years.
Basically what peter and mike tv want is for us to behave like good little fenians and allow them to bring back old stormont so that they can misrule for another 100 years
I just can’t for the life of me understand why all serious people don’t demand that Creationist ministers are removed from office for the good of society. Never mind the DUP threatening withdrawal for their concocted and spurious reasons. I am simply appalled that this state in which I live is being governed by men who believe that human beings were runnin around with wildlife such as T Rex and Brontosaurus 5000 years ago!! I just don’t know why we even pretend to take them seriously as people. Maybe there is a God and sure we don’t know what came before the Big Bang, but that was 13.8 billion years ago. 5000 years is yesterday and scientific evidence incontrovertible. The joke is they actually wanted this stuff on the science syllabus in our schools!
Poots, McCausland and Storey ( jackanory tell a story) should be removed forthwith. We live in an enlightened society and these guys are a total embarrassment to us all.
Freddy
Creationism is pretty silly alright. But is it any sillier than all the other stuff our religious friends believe in? Heaven and hell, purgatory, virgin birth, transubstantiation etc.
How many of our politicians buy into all that mumbojumbo?
No point in singling out creationists.
Ah c’mon Gio….Y ou know where I stand on this ….it’s all goobledegook to me…but Creationism goes way over the top…..At least other religions can fudge it and tack on a bit of evolutionary theory alongside the mumbo jumbo?…Creationism just disregards science and enlightenment and jumps right in…..
paddy
You should be with me on this one. Creationism is absurd,but is it really any sillier than the other bits one is required to accept?
Once you’ve swallowed the elephant why strain on a gnat?
I suspect Freddy finds it useful to have a go at the DUP over this when in fact all the parties have plenty of the credulous in their number.
Gio – those who subscribe to the Christian faith and those who believe in Creationism may both be deluded or one of them be deluded (I wouldn’t say neither is deluded) – but they’re talking about different things. One is talking about things eternal, out of time; the other is talking about thing temporal, in time (6,000 years to be exact). I know there’s the confusing cross-over, in that Creationists would say they draw their info from the Bible, but it’s info regarding physical things, not spiritual
Jude
Temporal as in 2000 years ago when the son of God who is God was born of a virgin? There may or may not have been any dinosaurs in the stable but it is still a biblical truth and a fairly central one at that. So if a virgin can give birth in the physical world 2000 years ago then why cannot dinosaurs amble through the garden of eden 6000 years ago?
Temporal as in last Sunday when in churches all across the land, little wafers physically, not metaphorically, turned into the body of Christ?
Our leaders are never tackled on any of this, I don’t know why. Yes I know….they are on twitter why don’t I ask them!
Well indeed – why not, gio? The belief of Christians has a link to time obviously – otherwise they wouldn’t exist, never mind have a belief. Anyway, I’ve just explained to you why bashing politicians, in my view, for their religious/non-religious beliefs is to miss the point. So I’m not going to go over it again – no, not even for you, gio, fond tho’ I am of you…
Which politician up on that hill said they believe in virgin births ? I need to know so I don’t make the mistake of voting for them
Antonio
It is pretty much an essential part of the Christian faith is it not.?
So any of them that pay lip service to any of the Christian factions must be presumed to believe in at least one virgin birth.
Gio why are you so interested in something that you dismiss as nonsense?
Jude
I feel sure you have posted on the creationist views of some Unionists before.
Why the interest?
My response is that if the First Minister believed in Santa Claus I would be concerned at his fitness to lead. The ability of our politicians to distinguish reality from fantasy surely should concern every voter.
Well, I think if you see religious faith = belief in Santa Claus, that’s your right. Presumably you’d allow other people to think differently and respect that difference? I personally may find belief that the earth is 6,000 years old kind of absurd, but if I’m honest I should be judging my politicians not by their religious or non-religious beliefs but by their skill and integrity as politicians. I’ve never liked this ‘He beat his wife so he can’t play for England’ line – doesn’t make sense to me.
Jude
If only there was some way I could prevent people from differing with me the world would be saved!
I do of course respect your, and anybody’s, right to believe any old thing they want, but I don’t have to respect the particular elements of that belief if they don’t make sense. And what is the difference in believing in God being born to a woman, and believing in a fat guy coming down your chimney with presents? One is as likely as the other.
The skill and integrity of our current (god-fearing) politicians is of such a poor standard it is perhaps time to let the atheists have a go!
You can be stupid and be an atheist too, gio…Just sayin’, like.
The Unionists always back the Tories when they attack the poorer sections of society, they always have and they always will. They do so to ingratiate themselves with their `betters`, their `masters`, the British. Peter is also starting to panic because he knows the day is coming when Marty will be entitled to the First Minister post, now we all know the First Minister and Deputy First Minister`s posts are equal but the significance is just too much for the Criminal of Clontibret to bear. Having to accept a Fenian (quite literally) as head man is his worst nightmare. With the Scots threatening to move away from the union these are difficult days for Unionists.
An independent Scotland with the ensuing break up of the Union, SF in power in the 26C, Marty as First Minister and Rangers liquidated ! Difficult days indeed for poor Gregory Campbell.
And perhaps Jude it may also have something to do with the report by the Assembly’s Standard Commissioner, into the financial affairs of Iris and Peter and the young lover and due out Thursday
http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/6881
I don’t know if you noticed this article I posted yesterday, basically it explains the amount of Tax (VAT, Fuel, Alcohol, etc) paid per head of population in the 4 ‘countries’ of the British Isles. Looking at the North, here, we paid £5,700 per man, woman and child; NISRA show the population here to be 1.84 million which works out that we paid Westminster £10.48 billion. According to Sammy this morning Westminster wants to fine us a billion£ or as he said one tenth of what they send here. Hold on a minute we send them nearly 10.5 billion and they send us 10. Seems like we are getting short changed. Only saying
One wonders if Racist Pete knows something we don’t…
BAH!
Every single step this man takes seems to be a step away from making peace with his enemies. Every single step he takes is so short sighted that its dozens more unionists who are not going to vote for his party. Every single step he takes is pushing non-traditional-nationionalists (ie prods and nones) to think it might just be better to rip the plaster off once and for all.
You should be his biggest fan Jude.
Not so Giordanonruno, everyone I know of a Cathoilc faith sees no contradiction between their beliefs and modern scientific truths. That is certainly not the case with Creationists. They dispute Darwinian theory and basics such as carbon dating. There is absolutely no comparison.
I wonder did he buy a new house in Florida so he and Iris can retire there in the near future
Someone should remove Gregory Campbells belt and shoelaces…..
The writting is on the wall. Which senior unionist will become the first lundy to admit it? Or will there be a collective cyanide pill moment for the DUP in their Furrerbunker……..