To be fair to Gerry, he does a good job here in defending SF’s performance.
However, despite the fine rhetoric we have SF going into talks to defend the poorest and coming away with more money for PSNI overtime.
We have SF lambasting the tories for attacking the welfare state while at the same time, handing the tories control of our social welfare framework in its entirety.
We have SF saying they’ll defend public services while they agree to cut corporation tax rates for big business, a move that will see hundreds of millions removed from public services.
We have no agreement on the past. We have nothing in terms of parades or equality of identity.
This deal has delivered continued devolution. Its delivered very little else in my view.
I enjoyed thta interview , Jude. it is refreshing to hear a man asking pertinenent questions and then hear him actually allowing the subject to answer them fully.It was all as clear as a pane of glass. The viwer could choose to criticise the answers or not.What’s wrong with that….and why isn’t there a tv programme like that without a baying audience howling in the foreground or an interviewer constantly butting in. i came away from it with at least afew answers that made a little sense …and none of the usual vitriolic nonsense that gets in the way of everything.I didn’t hear Mr Kelly dodging any questions …but of course there’ll be those who’ll cry that you asked all the wrong questions anyway….they ‘ll know, of course , what the right ones are.
The past kicked down the road. Flags/emblems kicked down the road and parades kicked down the road. Implementation of past agreements not even included. Great negotiating
Endgame, I’ll concede the point about past agreements. Flags/parades, in the overall scheme of things – meh!
The past? It’s been kicked down the road because Britain is trying to cover up its past here. I’m glad SF ensured there was no agreement on this rather than a bad agreement on it.
It has been said before: the British will give us our freedom before they will give us the truth. Think Mau Mau.
“When corporation tax is cut the block grant will be correspondingly cut to the tune of up to £350 million a year. Who will benefit from that and will we see jobs flowing into West Belfast, Strabane etc or will the already wealthy just get wealthier? I think we know the answer to that one.”
You are absolutely right. Corporation tax is a major adjustment and will took decades to embed before the benefits were realised in the southern economy.
It will be no quick fix here either.
The agreement is an economic fudge and will lead to the same budget issues 12 months from now, with again no ideas put forward on how to generate additional wealth and still having to reduce public expenditure.
What could happen is britain may agree to more money on loan giving us debt on top of a massive negative equity with ever reducing block grant as you say.
The future of northern Ireland within the UK looks bleak doesn’t it?
I was watching BBC Newsline earlier this evening and listened to Alec Maskey challenging Fearghal McKinney to produce the SDLP’s economic plan. Bit of a brass neck from Alec as I’ve yet to see anything resembling a plan from SF.
They have surrendered welfare to the British, agreed to funding for the PSNI and the NCA and safeguarded their own well paid positions,
The mitigations they have obtained are only temporary and will be of no help to those who may find themselves dependant on benefits in future. Also those mitigations will mean that other departments will suffer cuts to their funding. A classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
When corporation tax is cut the block grant will be correspondingly cut to the tune of up to £350 million a year. Who will benefit from that and will we see jobs flowing into West Belfast, Strabane etc or will the already wealthy just get wealthier? I think we know the answer to that one.
And as for their plan for reunification, don’t ask they don’t have one nor or they in any rush to produce one.
Belfastdan
Fair points,but you’ll hardly get much of a hearing on this blogspot as the usual posters rush to praise the allegedly great deal that Sinn Fein have negotiated!Why do you think Jude rushed up to Stormont to interview his favourite politician,Gerry Kelly?!!
” you’ll hardly get much of a hearing on this blogspot” – au contraire, Argenta. As you well know, I post all opinions, apart from the abusive and libellous. There was no rush at all to Stormont – in fact I was ten minutes early. “his favourite politician,Gerry Kelly?!!” – really? Where on my blogsite or elsewhere do I indicate that? I suggest you try living in the real world, Argie, rather than in your somewhat fevered imagination.
So Gerry Kelly is not your favourite politician—who’d have thought it!.I think I’m right in saying that this wasn’t the first Periscope interview you’ve done with him.I also seem to remember that you chaired a meeting in North Belfast on his behalf before the Westminister election.My recollection is also that you continually on this blogspot defended the issue of the infamous “leaflet” by Gerry Kelly–But then you’d probably do the same for any other Sinn Fein M L A!
In fairness,I agree that you post all opinions (apart from the abusive and libellous).My point was that your sense of fair play is not always shared by many of those who comment on your blog.Those who swim against thet tide can expect to have their motives questioned.
You chose to interpret my reference to “rush” literally.Since the agreement was only announced the previous evening,I wondered why the rush to have an interview with Gerry Kelly.Was it to reassure the faithful that everything was all right?As Gerry admitted himself, he wasn’t particularly “au fait” with the sums of money involved.Its not as if he was being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman or Noel Thompson!
I’ll finish with Somme comments from one of your old contemporaries at St Columbs College in Derry—-“Sinn Fein has now joined the ranks of the austerity parties.Staying in Government with the D U P took precedence over standing by the most vulnerable—-if the Coalition in the South introduced this sort of package,Sinn Fein would be elbowing its way to the front of the street protest”
Admittedly Eamon Mc Cann has own particular political axes to grind, but is it not a succinct description of the current S F position?Perhaps it’s Sinn Fein who are not living in the real world!But no doubt their series of party meetings around the North over the last few months have prepared the membership for this turnaround.
Gerry Kelly is an excellent politician, one of my favourites.
As for the agreement and SF, the south of Ireland is an established country that stands on its own two feet. Northern Ireland is inhabited by bitter and twisted people the majority of which are on the unionist side and far too many in their political parties.
I could understand austerity measures as part of a long term economic strategy, but we don’t have one and are doing it because it suits England and they pay the bills.
We do have an alternative option, to leave the UK. It is time this option was taken seriously.
Some comments here re the deal but little facts and also throw away rhetoric without any alternative. Would like to know what option the Shinners had – walk away? Sure then we would have the full wack of cuts that is happening in Britain plus water charges, higher tuition fees, prescription fees etc. Let’s face it there is a Tory gov in Westminister with an ideological anti-working class agenda.
The Shinners would have been hammered and rightly so if they had just handed the reins over to Cameron. The working poor and most vulnerable are protected from the worst of the cuts, SF squeezed more money out of the Brit Gov when all and sundry said there was none.
Far from perfect, but considering they were up against Tories, Free State (who have clearly big axe to grind with SF), 3 unionist parties (one, the Alliance, who actually want to bring in water charges), and a weak SDLP, who wanted to fast track the welfare bill through the assembly several years ago without any mitigations/safe guards, and we have a touch of reality around the negotiations.
Now, what should they have done – I’m all ears!
Gerard I have been a consistent SF voter for many years but they have handed welfare over to the Torys! The extra money for mitigation will only last for 4 years and only for certain classes of existing claimants. Also that money has to be supplemented by taking resources from other areas.
People who may come into the benefit system in the future will be subjected to the full rigour of the new benefit regime.
As well as the above they have agreed to benefit the already wealthy by cutting corporation tax which means more money will be culled from public spending. I don’t expect to see a rush of investment into my home area of West Belfast.
The Shinners have been outflanked on this deal and well they know it, and if they do have an alternative economic plan would they mind sharing it with the rest of us.
Belfastdan you still did not say what they should have done. From my reading of it, they had to return welfare to Brit Gov in a sunset clause so that the fines are reversed then the power within days returns to Assembly. Also corporation tax is set at the same rate as the rest of Ireland only if it can be ‘afforded’.
So again what should they have done?
Belfastdan you haven’t said what they should have done. From my knowledge of it, there is to be a review in 3 years time – in a sense they are holding off the wolf at the door for now.
On corporation tax it says the target is to have it as the same in the rest of Ireland by 2018 provided it is ‘affordable’.
They are not handing welfare to Tories, it is going to be passed at Westminster because it would take 4 months at least to do here, a few days to do there, saving at least £40m in fines. That bill at Westminster will include the conditions the shinners secured. The power will then come back to the North.
Now, as I was saying, what should they have done?
Great work Jude. It is really good to get actual informative news rather than the political spin and hysteria from the mainstream media. Could you interview more politicians in the same way? Thankfully we have Sinn Fein to argue for us, if it was left up to unionism we would be a lot worse off. I wonder how many unionists stand by their party line of accepting harsh cuts to show how loyal they are?
over 37 minutes to say yes we are implementing british rule in ireland.
To be fair to Gerry, he does a good job here in defending SF’s performance.
However, despite the fine rhetoric we have SF going into talks to defend the poorest and coming away with more money for PSNI overtime.
We have SF lambasting the tories for attacking the welfare state while at the same time, handing the tories control of our social welfare framework in its entirety.
We have SF saying they’ll defend public services while they agree to cut corporation tax rates for big business, a move that will see hundreds of millions removed from public services.
We have no agreement on the past. We have nothing in terms of parades or equality of identity.
This deal has delivered continued devolution. Its delivered very little else in my view.
I enjoyed thta interview , Jude. it is refreshing to hear a man asking pertinenent questions and then hear him actually allowing the subject to answer them fully.It was all as clear as a pane of glass. The viwer could choose to criticise the answers or not.What’s wrong with that….and why isn’t there a tv programme like that without a baying audience howling in the foreground or an interviewer constantly butting in. i came away from it with at least afew answers that made a little sense …and none of the usual vitriolic nonsense that gets in the way of everything.I didn’t hear Mr Kelly dodging any questions …but of course there’ll be those who’ll cry that you asked all the wrong questions anyway….they ‘ll know, of course , what the right ones are.
Grma, PK
The past kicked down the road. Flags/emblems kicked down the road and parades kicked down the road. Implementation of past agreements not even included. Great negotiating
Endgame, I’ll concede the point about past agreements. Flags/parades, in the overall scheme of things – meh!
The past? It’s been kicked down the road because Britain is trying to cover up its past here. I’m glad SF ensured there was no agreement on this rather than a bad agreement on it.
It has been said before: the British will give us our freedom before they will give us the truth. Think Mau Mau.
“When corporation tax is cut the block grant will be correspondingly cut to the tune of up to £350 million a year. Who will benefit from that and will we see jobs flowing into West Belfast, Strabane etc or will the already wealthy just get wealthier? I think we know the answer to that one.”
You are absolutely right. Corporation tax is a major adjustment and will took decades to embed before the benefits were realised in the southern economy.
It will be no quick fix here either.
The agreement is an economic fudge and will lead to the same budget issues 12 months from now, with again no ideas put forward on how to generate additional wealth and still having to reduce public expenditure.
What could happen is britain may agree to more money on loan giving us debt on top of a massive negative equity with ever reducing block grant as you say.
The future of northern Ireland within the UK looks bleak doesn’t it?
“This deal has delivered continued devolution. Its delivered very little else in my view.”
Link wouldn’t play for me so have not heard what Gerry said.
The only deal with britain that will ever make any difference here is the one that results in their removal from this country.
Anything else is a stop gap including this agreement.
Next step should be getting MI5 out of here.
Oh yes, and the RUC disarmed.
What hope for normality with the police running around armed to the teeth.
I was watching BBC Newsline earlier this evening and listened to Alec Maskey challenging Fearghal McKinney to produce the SDLP’s economic plan. Bit of a brass neck from Alec as I’ve yet to see anything resembling a plan from SF.
They have surrendered welfare to the British, agreed to funding for the PSNI and the NCA and safeguarded their own well paid positions,
The mitigations they have obtained are only temporary and will be of no help to those who may find themselves dependant on benefits in future. Also those mitigations will mean that other departments will suffer cuts to their funding. A classic case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
When corporation tax is cut the block grant will be correspondingly cut to the tune of up to £350 million a year. Who will benefit from that and will we see jobs flowing into West Belfast, Strabane etc or will the already wealthy just get wealthier? I think we know the answer to that one.
And as for their plan for reunification, don’t ask they don’t have one nor or they in any rush to produce one.
Belfastdan
Fair points,but you’ll hardly get much of a hearing on this blogspot as the usual posters rush to praise the allegedly great deal that Sinn Fein have negotiated!Why do you think Jude rushed up to Stormont to interview his favourite politician,Gerry Kelly?!!
” you’ll hardly get much of a hearing on this blogspot” – au contraire, Argenta. As you well know, I post all opinions, apart from the abusive and libellous. There was no rush at all to Stormont – in fact I was ten minutes early. “his favourite politician,Gerry Kelly?!!” – really? Where on my blogsite or elsewhere do I indicate that? I suggest you try living in the real world, Argie, rather than in your somewhat fevered imagination.
So Gerry Kelly is not your favourite politician—who’d have thought it!.I think I’m right in saying that this wasn’t the first Periscope interview you’ve done with him.I also seem to remember that you chaired a meeting in North Belfast on his behalf before the Westminister election.My recollection is also that you continually on this blogspot defended the issue of the infamous “leaflet” by Gerry Kelly–But then you’d probably do the same for any other Sinn Fein M L A!
In fairness,I agree that you post all opinions (apart from the abusive and libellous).My point was that your sense of fair play is not always shared by many of those who comment on your blog.Those who swim against thet tide can expect to have their motives questioned.
You chose to interpret my reference to “rush” literally.Since the agreement was only announced the previous evening,I wondered why the rush to have an interview with Gerry Kelly.Was it to reassure the faithful that everything was all right?As Gerry admitted himself, he wasn’t particularly “au fait” with the sums of money involved.Its not as if he was being interviewed by Jeremy Paxman or Noel Thompson!
I’ll finish with Somme comments from one of your old contemporaries at St Columbs College in Derry—-“Sinn Fein has now joined the ranks of the austerity parties.Staying in Government with the D U P took precedence over standing by the most vulnerable—-if the Coalition in the South introduced this sort of package,Sinn Fein would be elbowing its way to the front of the street protest”
Admittedly Eamon Mc Cann has own particular political axes to grind, but is it not a succinct description of the current S F position?Perhaps it’s Sinn Fein who are not living in the real world!But no doubt their series of party meetings around the North over the last few months have prepared the membership for this turnaround.
You really really don’t like the Shinners, do you, Argenta??
Gerry Kelly is an excellent politician, one of my favourites.
As for the agreement and SF, the south of Ireland is an established country that stands on its own two feet. Northern Ireland is inhabited by bitter and twisted people the majority of which are on the unionist side and far too many in their political parties.
I could understand austerity measures as part of a long term economic strategy, but we don’t have one and are doing it because it suits England and they pay the bills.
We do have an alternative option, to leave the UK. It is time this option was taken seriously.
Some comments here re the deal but little facts and also throw away rhetoric without any alternative. Would like to know what option the Shinners had – walk away? Sure then we would have the full wack of cuts that is happening in Britain plus water charges, higher tuition fees, prescription fees etc. Let’s face it there is a Tory gov in Westminister with an ideological anti-working class agenda.
The Shinners would have been hammered and rightly so if they had just handed the reins over to Cameron. The working poor and most vulnerable are protected from the worst of the cuts, SF squeezed more money out of the Brit Gov when all and sundry said there was none.
Far from perfect, but considering they were up against Tories, Free State (who have clearly big axe to grind with SF), 3 unionist parties (one, the Alliance, who actually want to bring in water charges), and a weak SDLP, who wanted to fast track the welfare bill through the assembly several years ago without any mitigations/safe guards, and we have a touch of reality around the negotiations.
Now, what should they have done – I’m all ears!
Gerard I have been a consistent SF voter for many years but they have handed welfare over to the Torys! The extra money for mitigation will only last for 4 years and only for certain classes of existing claimants. Also that money has to be supplemented by taking resources from other areas.
People who may come into the benefit system in the future will be subjected to the full rigour of the new benefit regime.
As well as the above they have agreed to benefit the already wealthy by cutting corporation tax which means more money will be culled from public spending. I don’t expect to see a rush of investment into my home area of West Belfast.
The Shinners have been outflanked on this deal and well they know it, and if they do have an alternative economic plan would they mind sharing it with the rest of us.
Gerry and Mike Nesbitt look like brothers.
millions to go towards creating a new benefit fraud and investigating branch.
sure vote loser once the snoops come snooping..
Belfastdan you still did not say what they should have done. From my reading of it, they had to return welfare to Brit Gov in a sunset clause so that the fines are reversed then the power within days returns to Assembly. Also corporation tax is set at the same rate as the rest of Ireland only if it can be ‘afforded’.
So again what should they have done?
Belfastdan you haven’t said what they should have done. From my knowledge of it, there is to be a review in 3 years time – in a sense they are holding off the wolf at the door for now.
On corporation tax it says the target is to have it as the same in the rest of Ireland by 2018 provided it is ‘affordable’.
They are not handing welfare to Tories, it is going to be passed at Westminster because it would take 4 months at least to do here, a few days to do there, saving at least £40m in fines. That bill at Westminster will include the conditions the shinners secured. The power will then come back to the North.
Now, as I was saying, what should they have done?
Great work Jude. It is really good to get actual informative news rather than the political spin and hysteria from the mainstream media. Could you interview more politicians in the same way? Thankfully we have Sinn Fein to argue for us, if it was left up to unionism we would be a lot worse off. I wonder how many unionists stand by their party line of accepting harsh cuts to show how loyal they are?
Grma, Emmet. I can take compliments for hours on end, as long as the quality is kept up…