“Now is not the time for games or stunts” Simon Hamilton has just said on the radio. Well now Simon, that would depend on what you were trying to achieve.
The SDLP is putting forward a motion to have a full public enquiry, where all documentation is collected and all/any witnesses are if necessary compelled to attend. Why are the SDLP doing this? Because…Well now, the only people who can answer that are the SDLP. But it could be that they wish Truth to prevail, it could be because they see this as a chance to show what a rejuvenated party they are, or it could be a mixture of the two. In any case it doesn’t matter, since the SDLP themselves admit that their motion can’t pass without Sinn Féin support. Which it won’t get.
Sinn Féin, for their part, although they clearly have very limited confidence in the First Minister, will probably abstain if necessary on the SDLP motion. They’ll call for an outside enquiry, which sounds like something short of a public enquiry. In other words, they’re making it clear that they don’t want to kick the DUP when they’re down but they do want to let them see that they Sinn Féin know a can of worms when they see it, and that their reconciliation policy doesn’t mean they’re going to act as body guard for the DUP no matter what they do. An awful lot of their supporters will feel it’s about time they let the DUP know a few home truths. A number of their supporters may think they haven’t gone far enough, that they should have voted no confidence and the need for a public enquiry. But that would have looked like they were following the SDLP’s lead, so that isn’t going to happen.
There’s been much talk on the media of the “botched” heating scheme. Botched suggests a mistake or mistakes. That wasn’t what happened.
Either Arlene Foster ushered in a renewable energy scheme that she thought would be good for the people of the north, in which case she has the political judgement of a dormouse. Or Arlene Foster ushered in a scheme that would make lots of money for some people at enormous expense to the public purse, in which case she has some serious explaining to do. If there’s a third interpretation, I’d like to know what it is.
My guess is that, despite the two appalling possibilities above, Arlene will survive because the DUP can’t afford to have th head of their party leader on a spike for public display. But no matter what happens, the credibility of the First Minister and by implication the DUP will have received an enormous and lasting dent.
And there was you thinking 2016 had stopped throwing up nightmare political surprises.
Aw Jude …we can always rely on the DUP to give us the last pantomime of the year. it’s “traditional” by now …don’t you know? This latest wheeze beats the “Hokey Cokey” politicians scam into a peaked cap.Sinn Fein are obviously playing a long game on this one. Theyare about to remind Arlene and co and their supporters in the world beyond, that they are swinging in the wind without the republicans’ backing and they’d really need “to take advice” from Sinn Fein that they’ve stated already that they don’t need …or cease to function as a “joint government”…..or any kind of government, come to that.
It may be a reality check for most unionists but I doubt the DUP would be capable of dealing with it.
If the UUP cant replace them as the main party of unionism after this, Mike may give it up as a lost cause.
It would also give the DUP the opportunity to make it look like nationalism was ganging up on them and I imagine the unionist population would revert to form and go into tribal protection mode. A public enquiry would take far longer to setup and what we need is a body with authority that can access the evidence which if Nolan can get his hands on shouldn’t be too difficult.
I would like to see this investigations initial report early in the new year and if need be a criminal investigation taking place with convictions where fit.
This is not about party politics, this is potentially criminal negligence on a massive scale.
I thought the SDLP motion was just for no confidence in Arlene. Is this another one or did I miss the public inquiry bit first time round?
The DUP would need to be blind if they can’t see that it’s not just republicans and nationalists ganging up on them in this instance.Everyone with a functioning brain is ganging up on them. It’s about money , after all, and that ultimately spins all the wee wheels. It’s down to Sinn Fein really .They do not want to crash the Executive by any stretch, because that will sideline them too.If the DUP go down so too will Sinn Fein , so they want to avoid that.There would only be another election with possibly a similar result at the end of that scenario. Arlene Foster will not easily resign , of course because there is no policing mechanism built into the system to force her to do anything. That’s the fatal flaw with the whole thing …like that “Of Consent” trick that can be pulled out of the bag when needed. that can be used to close the box at any time.
People will actually put up with anything because most of them feel far -removed from politicians and there are many whose eyes glaze-over when you get into the details.How many really know about the details of NAMA or Red Sky? Ask anyone and they’ll have only a sketchy notion. I imagine DUP voters know very little either , other than that Arlene’s one of their own.You see that when they get a vox pop on the streets. People have little to say.People might get angry but they have only some little notion because their own lives are far too busy to get into the details.
In the end they’ll all vote the same way because they’ll still be frightened to split the vote.
“If the DUP go down so too will Sinn Fein ”
No they wont Harry.
Sinn Fein are an all island party. They will in fact be the only northern party with any real say in our affairs post brexit should Stormont go down.
If the DUP do not respect Sinn Fein’s reasonable request, they should go ahead and bring down Stormont under those circumstances.
Well…I meant as far as the Executive is concerned, Jessica. They would prefer to still have an ongoing Executive which has been set up as a”joint” project , even though Arlene doesn’t seem to realise that at times and hasn’t told her followers. She’s not some little dictator ,even though she sometimes seems to operate under that delusion.
The Executive is not a joint Sinn Fein/DUP project Harry.
Other parties were perfectly entitled to take seats, there is no official opposition really, they chose not to take them to pretend to be an opposition to try and improve their chances in the next election.
If there was another election, there would be another opportunity to reduce the number of seats held by the DUP.
It is a unique experiment, but you cannot deny the UUP and SDLP would have the option to take these seats if they wanted.
We cannot force the electorate to vote at all or to vote in any particular way.
Not voting at all is perfectly reasonable in my view
I wouldn’t vote for Stormont even though I support Sinn Feins strategy
Well the office at the top of the pile is a joint “OFMDFM” office at present and that is in real terms a joint Sinn Fein/DUP office which is at the very centre of a debate at this very moment on the radio. In fact it might just bring the whole circus to an end …live on radio as I type….
‘The enormous and lasting dent’, Esteemed Blogmeister, was not inflicted on the DUP today on Morning Ireland, RTE Radio’s flagship prog but rather by the DUP.
Instead of being the one who was being axed, oops, asked the questions Jeffrey Donaldson who, despite suffering from a humour deficit, makes shapes as the Daniel O ‘Donnell -look-and-sound- alike of the DUP, turned things around and grabbed the Axe.
With which he proceeded to mount a whack-attack on that prog’s star turn, The Woodman.
Take about the wooden breakfast tables being turned !
And it had all started off so promisingly for RTE and its political wing in Norneverland. Before the 7.30 break, SDLP’s would-be capo di tutti Catolici, Colum Eastwood was treated to a few practice swings from the Woodman. All of which swings fell, of course, crucially short of the ‘target man’, as is the way of practising.
Thus allowing those pretend swings, in a roundabout kinda way, an opportunity for the North Western Eastwood with his overjoyed undertones to get in a few teenage kicks at the shins of the Shinners, for their yips in the ‘wood-chip’ scandal.
Sackcloth and ashes for the Shinners ! being, seemingly, the theme of this two man tag team of whack attackers.
Imagine !
These quips from his near-namesake so delighted Cathal Mac Coille (for it is he !) that he later even featured a clip from same as a curtain raiser to the interview with the DUP spokesman bloke, the Jeff who is a soi disant Mutt, not..
It is not often (i.e. never) that the Woodman is out-bullied on Morning Ireland, but, sadly, it happened this morning. Normally the interjector, today he was morphed into a dejected interjector who was out-heckled by a hectoring Hector. That would be the Hector of Troy, the city of the Wooden Horse.
After stoutly ‘defending’ Bah Bah Galore, the doughty dame who heads the DUP, Jeffrey Donaldson (for it is still he !) went overtime and into the sacrosanct 8.30 News Headlines and was even (gasp) allowed to go overtime, in order to drag in A. Stack, oops, a stack of irrelevant winter fuel.
Result: DUP-SDLP 2: Sinn Fein: 0.
To conclude in a way which is almost becoming inevitable now, with a relevant slice of a choice Shel Silverstein meister song:
-So put another log on the fire
Cook me up some bacon & some beans
Go out to to the car & lift it up & change the tire
Wash my socks & sew my old blue jeans
Come on baby you can fill my pipe & then go fetch my slippers
And boil me up another pot of tea
Then put another log on the fire babe
And come & tell me why you’re leaving the DUP.
The dogs in Tin Pan Alley are already barking that this is the next release from the Daniel O’Donnell of the DUP.
I recently, again, watched ‘Wall Street’, a Holywood take on 1980’s US financial markets where the classic line is, ‘money is not won or lost, just recycled’.
Here we have a classic financial cock up by the DUP’s, albeit I would venture it’s not all the media have on the present DUP leader, no word on Fermanagh Fracking and money certain DUP members, and close family members, stand to make, once again, recycled miney, again from the public purse.
The DUP’s portray themselves as financially competent, can anyone believe this now?
If Arlene survives it will be in part due to the acquiescence of SF.
SF will have received and enormous and lasting dent.
If they don’t do their best to make sure the investigation is thorough and criminal charges are brought forward against her if warranted, it will be more than a dent.
I don’t want top pre-empt the investigation, but if these allegations are true, I want her locked up not sacked.
It doesn’t matter what happened, Arlene Foster has to go. She is either extremely incompetent or she was doing something extremely illegal. We’re not talking about peanuts here, this is £485 million pounds. Indeed another source has the cost of RHI at £1.2 BILLION pounds. Its unbelievable the amount of things that sort of money could buy for people here, a new hospital or a new world class sports stadium or the creation of thousands of new jobs. The list is endless. The DUP’s response is “this money hasn’t been spent yet”. Well its bloody going to be, the bill is in the post and will have to be paid. Heads should roll for this, and not just Arlene Fosters.
But that’s not the way things work here in Narnia. In any other sane and reasonable society Arlene Foster wouldn’t get within a mile of political power but yet here those rules don’t apply. Arlene can quite literally burn £485 million or allegedly be engaged in corruption and she can still hold onto her job. I mean, even in the poorest and most backward country in Africa you wouldn’t hear the likes of this. Of course this is not the first time major scandals has come to the DUP, a new one seems to come every year. There was the scandal of DUP MP’s topping the list of expenses in Westminster. Then Iris Robinson having affairs with Teens and getting loans for him. Then there was Red Sky. Then NAMA. And now its the RHI and even a DUP minister and close colleague of Arlene Foster coming out making extremely serious allegations. But yet this same party, the DUP, repeatedly get votes…..I’ve always known society in the North was messed up but I really didn’t think it would go this far…..
I wonder what next year’s DUP scandal will be about?…..
SF not even taking their seats to listen to the no confidence debate is nothing short of cowardly.
Perhaps if SF had taken a tougher line with the DUP on issues like the appointment of the justice minister then Arlene Foster would not have treated them with such contempt today.
What are the dire consequences, Martin ? Will you stop pouring the tea for Arlene or something ?
Cal
As Jude says:
“But that would have looked like they were following the SDLP’s lead, so that isn’t going to happen.”
They are playing a risky game though as they could lose support to PBP over this, in their fear of following the SDLP lead.
They’ll just lose support, Gio.
Some will vote for other parties although I suspect many traditional nationalists will just stop voting.
The sight of the DUP facing SF empty benches is absolutely horrible optics given the level of public interest. Unprecedented level of public interest and SF have gone awol.
whats the point now for nationalists turning out to vote.it was proved today beyond doubt its still a protestant parliament for a protestant people.
I think Sinn Féin are damned if they do, damned if they don’t in this instance. The DUP are (for now) Sinn Féin’s partners in Stormont, and SF look to be choosing to protect the institutions rather than to topple them.
Does this amount to ‘Unionist Outreach’? Possibly. Is this a case of Sinn Féin playing the long game? Possibly. It’s goes without saying that there is not much love for the DUP within nationalism/republicanism but there now appears to be a lot of ill feeling towards the DUP from within Unionism. Are we starting to see Sinn Féin begin to shed their bogeyman image in the eyes of the Unionist electorate? Time will tell.
We’re often told that in order for a UI referendum to succeed we need to convince moderate Unionists that their interests would be better served within an all-Ireland context. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of that…
“We’re often told that in order for a UI referendum to succeed we need to convince moderate Unionists that their interests would be better served within an all-Ireland context. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of that”
I think we need to convince nationalists first RJC.
The southern establishment parties are just as corrupt as the DUP if not moreso.
Denis OBrien has far too much control over Fine Gael and why are both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail so hell bent on giving billions of tax payers money to multi nationals that FF made deals with decades ago?
What are they getting out of it?
The sums just dont add up and the costs are going to make Arlene’s screw up in the north look like peanuts.
I would not support a UI under either of those parties. It would be like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
Most unionists know very well they have nothing more to fear from a united Ireland than nationalists in the north have.
The DUP have failed to embrace power sharing, I think it only fair that the UUP be given another chance without the monkeys on their backs this time.
The optics don’t look good for SF. Feeble effort at holding people to account in govt again. We’ll need binoculars to see this ‘wider picture’. Meanwhile the electorate feels even more despondent.
I used to want to see Sinn Fein having a barney in Stormont with the DUP to shut them up.
I can now see clearly that it would be totally pointless, futile, waste of time and would actually go against them in the long run.
The electorate have every right to feel despondent and hopefully in both communities WT.
At least this time the DUPs arrogance is not directed towards nationalism, they are in fact insulting all of the people including their own supporters this time.
Basically they are putting their business backers above the individuals and people in their communities and trying desperately to turn this into an orange green issue to get unionism to really round their elected leader.
The last thing Sinn Fein should be doing is falling for it or even giving the antics of the SDLP a second thought..
The truth is, Sinn Fein have moved beyond orange and green politics and wont be going backwards. They are pursuing real world politics with the aim of removing corruption in both states and unifying both administrations in Ireland. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are a bigger issue than the DUP.
To do this we will need proper support from parties who believe in sharing power sensibly and acting in the best interests of the people.
I see this now, and I finally get it.
Sinn Fein will end up with over 50% of the vote next time out, north and south.
I am in no doubt about it.
The SDLP have played this very well. Full.marks to them. They have now established the role.of Opposition very firmly.
Dream on MT, you wish
Eh?
Did anyone lay a glove on Arlene today? It does not appear so.
On the face of it a very weak showing from SF.
The opposition parties at least made an attempt to hold her to account.
To be fair to SF they were in a difficult position and no doubt they did not want to risk bringing down the institutions. But I think they have misread the mood of the public who wanted to see them stand up and be counted on this issue.
SF voters are traditionally loyal and Jude will continue to faithfully put a positive spin on, but this has not been their finest hour.
A visibly frail McGuinness perfectly symbolizes their passivity and impotence today.
I’m afraid you are just going to have to face the difficult fact gio, republicans are just nice people.
No gloves just friendly advise. All of her wounds have been self inflicted and they are struggling to find someone to hit back at.
As you say, Martin and Sinn Fein have given her no call to blame them for their predicament.
This is not about spin but decency.
jessica
Are you telling me SF held back out of kindness?
It’s a christmas miracle!
gio …I think Sinn Fein are actually holding back deliberately so that Arlene can continue making an omnipitent prat of herself. She appears to be doing that all by herself. She’s even getting something of a Maggie Thatcher complex where she and her buddies appear to believe their own press.
This morning’s exercise in re-writing the Good Friday Agreement , aided and abetted by the incompetant Speaker who didn’t know his arse from his elbow and let her continue to make her speech to the party faithful,,to suit her own persional agenda, ,was only a tiny part of the self-delusion. The fact is that everybody walked out because she had no authority to do it Nobody else trusts her now to act fairly as part of a double-headed team and now see and think that she is a budding meglomaniac in the making. That’s what I see ..She really believes she’s the boss when Sinn Fein are quietly advising her that it isn’t the case at all and that she can do nothing without the consent of Sinn Fein and Marty’s signature.
I would say it’s a case of handing her enough rope to hang herself. She’s doing it all on her own. ,,,There’s nobody else to blame here ….and there’s nobody else listening to her own little peculiar idea of truth and justice.The DUP’s fingerprints are all over this fiasco and there’s no denying it.The only reason sinn fein are holding back is that they don’t want her screwing up the only show left in town. They’ve fought long and hard to attempt to build a new kind of society even though their idea is not reciprocated by the DUP..they really do not want to pull it down just yet…but as we can see , if they wanted to …they could do it at any time.
An excellent synopsis Harry
Or the new politics Ireland desperately needs north and south
“Are you telling me SF held back out of kindness?”
Its called doing the right thing gio
And yes, it is a new concept in Ireland.
Let hope we can all get used to it and not return to orange green or civil war politics but mature into a new Ireland welcoming for all of our people and not tainted by corruption and greed.
I think “kindnness” might actually be a bit strong.I would maybe call it entirely pragmatic on sinn Fein’s part. They see nothing to gain by playing that old “orange and green ” game in the context of the Executive. Various factions want the cut and thrust of a win for their particular side, but the idea is for the Executive to represent all the people together , so anything that damages that concept or takes a specific “side” will only harm the overall project of attempting to unite the people under one aegis. Arlene and the DUP are still operating under the previous illusion that they are top dogs when the Executive is set up as a single “two-headed dog”.one head cannot bark without the other barking too. Arlene went ahead yesterday on a home -run and barked on her own , which is something her office does not allow her to do at all…except maybe in apersonal capacity. The Speaker who has some divided loyalty issue in thia case , allowed her to break protocol and do this which damaged his standing a suppodedly being above party politics in the house and in doing so also damaged his standing .It showed poor judgement on his part and left us wondering about his fitness for such a job. He was patently out of order and damaged his position.
This might all seem a bit bland compared to scoring the odd goal but it is the “no-favourites” project being played that Sinn Fein are all about .If they had simply attacked the office of Joint-minister in the shape of Arlene, they would be attacking themselves and their own project. They know that perfectly that if they were seen to be “winning” one over on Arlene, it would only play into the DUP’s hands. and it would mean that she could gather the troops closer. She possibly refuses to understand that she is in a joint-ministry and her followers certainly don’t because when there is eventually a nationalist First Minister they will still be ill-prepared for the concept ofplaying second-fiddle. It’s probably coming that the title will be re- titled “Joint First Minister” because that’s what it really is. That will only happen on sinn Fein’s watch, because a unionist couldn’t do it without their followers having conniptions.
When Sinn Fein eventually bring their own motion forward , it will ask for Arlene to step aside indefinitly until this mess is sorted out ….and noyt just for a few months….At that point , if she doesn’t see the sense in that and is truculent , it is then that Sinn Fein might pull the pin on this one .It will be crystal clear why they are doing it by then and in the greater world outside everyone will understand it perfectly….and that will include wider unionism who also suffer by Arlene and co’s actions in this.
paddy/jessica
I don’t see how you can present this as a good day for Sinn Fein.
Sometimes you have to stand up and be counted, even if it is not pragmatic
It is called principle.
This was one of those times and they went missing. They misjudged it in my view.
From the media and from people I talk to there is a real desire to see proper accountability on this issue.
Now Arlene has faced down the challenge thanks to SF reluctance to follow the SDLP lead.
There may be some kind of investigation next year,no doubt with numerous delays and she may get a slap on the wrist eventually, but the danger is passed (unless Nolan has something else up his sleeve), and we all move on.
Time will tell,but the shambles yesterday will certainly not have Arlene quaking in her boots.
One wonders if there may be a few names on that list of businesses which could be embarrassing to Sinn Fein too!
Who said it was a good day for anyone.
My opinion it was a bad day for everyone and was caused by the DUP for their own selfish reasons.
It was not a sectarian issue but one of corruption and taking the public for fools.
Arlene will not be held to account by the SDLP or any political party gio, this has already gone beyond that. She needs to be held to account by a judge led inquiry that has the power to impose custodial sentences where necessary. There is precedent as I said, Michael Lowry was prepared to do time for Fine Gaels corruptions.
The SDLP are an irrelevance in this. It will be the DUPs partner in government that will make sure an inquiry is setup.
The DUP have not got away with anything, the process wont start until the new year. Colum Eastwoods Christmas wont save her jibes may as well have been directed to some turkeys on a farm, and they probably wouldn’t listen to him either.
Cant wait to see how he explains not attending the whitehouse in March.
Well that is one way to look at it gio , but if you can’t see that the office of Speaker has been damaged and that Arlene doesn’t really understand the nature of her role either. That is fundamental to having an Executive at all ,otherwise there will be future chaos where the Deputy first Minister can also stand up and speak for the “people” without consulting Arlene beforehand. If that is to be the case , the project is already over.
Arlene allowed her arrogance to run away with her mouth.She did it on several past occasions , even within this past week ,but now she’s really damaged her credibility .That is not strength …that’s poor judgement. This is by no means over. It’s only getting started. The responsibility of the entire £480 million loss is a piece of DUP business.That will always be the bottom line and we still want our money back. It was the most foolish piece of business imaginable …as near as dammit a recipe for turning lead into gold bricks for anyone involved …and at our expense.That is her real legacy. Her departmental blunder.
paddy
Firstly, I agree the Speaker looks shaky and also without a doubt the DUP pay lip service only to the joint, and equal, role in OFMDFM.
But I just don’t see any consequences looming.
Perhaps Arlene will refuse to step aside and perhaps SF will bring things down and we will all face another election (nooooooooooooo!!!).
But as the detail of this issue fades and everyone forgets who to blame the old certainties will reassert themselves.
The moment was now in my view. There is a tide in the affairs of men….etc.
There is no instant fix in politics gio
If you want immediate action then it has to be physical and not in Stormont.
People would need to take to the streets en masse and camp outside DUP buildings to make their voices heard and force a cancellation of xmas hols and bring this to a head now.
I would support this. but who will lead it?
jessica
Yesterday was an opportunity for an instant response to the revelations about RHI.
If SF had joined with the opposition parties in the no confidence motion what woud have happened?
Well it would have failed without sufficient cross party support, but I don’t see how Arlene could have continued with all the other parties expressing no confidence.
And if she did not stand down well Martin would no doubt have called an instant election.
Now at the end of all that we might be back to square one but just possibly an election while the anger over this is fresh could have had telling results.
At the very least SF would have shown they are not completely out of touch.
“Yesterday was an opportunity for an instant response to the revelations about RHI.”
No it wasn’t gio, I would not take the DUPs word on anything now, would you?
It has to be an independent inquiry with full access to all data, preferably a criminal investigation and that will take time to setup.
Nothing less will do for me anyway.
“If SF had joined with the opposition parties in the no confidence motion what would have happened?”
It would have made it impossible for Sinn Fein to remain in the executive for a start.
Whatever you think of the SDLP and UUP, they are utterly irrelevant as they refused to take their seats in the executive. It will be Sinn Fein as the only other party in the executive who will make sure this investigation is fully independent and able to report as soon as possible.
“Now at the end of all that we might be back to square one but just possibly an election while the anger over this is fresh could have had telling results.
At the very least SF would have shown they are not completely out of touch.”
You cant call an election off the back of a knee jerk reaction stirred up by irrelevants.
You do realise , gio, that Arlene had no right to stand up yesterday and speak for the Executive without Martin mcGuinness’s approval. That’s really why it was all a pointless exercise in the first place and that’s why everyone walked away. When they walked back in later that day it was to be first insulted by Arlene as though they’d done something wrong .At that point you might consider she really didn’t understand her position or at worst was riding roughshod over them all.From Sin fein’s point of view the petition did not go far enough anyway. They would have preferred that Arlene had the same kind of sense as Peter Robinson showed when he stepped aside, conceeding that the Executive could be harmed if he decided to remain .Arlene showed a thick-wittedness in refusing to take the perfect option and solution to let both herself and the Executive OFMDFM Office off the hook. Her seat could have been kept warm until the matter was sorted out and it would have allowed everyone to go home to their Christmas dinner.she picked the wrong time to play hardball .If Sinn Fein had voted with everuone else the Executive would have fallen.
Perhaps the problem is an investigation will not get her off the hook Harry.
Perhaps it will prove Jonathans version of events and she will soon be a jail bird.
Mightn’t do the DUP any harm to have a few people inside, they can see first hand the state of the prison services.
paddy
“You do realise , gio, that Arlene had no right to stand up yesterday and speak for the Executive without Martin mcGuinness’s approval”
I do of course know that, which is why I said the DUP were only paying lip service to the joint role.
But I agree if SF had voted with the opposition the executive would have fallen.
A quick election would have more chance of reflecting the public anger over this issue while it is still fresh.
By the spring we will have lost interest.
Anyway as it is christmas I am going to try to be nice to SF for a few days.
So I will say they were in a difficult position and maybe they have tried to do the right thing here.
Time will tell.
“A quick election would have more chance of reflecting the public anger over this issue while it is still fresh.”
Do you think it wise to allow a knee jerk reaction lead to an election to be fought in anger bearing in mind the result will stand for 5 years and we are still a post conflict society?
I have to say that in past generations there would have been lots of smoke and thunder in a situation like this but I really think that Sinn Fein are playing a very different kind of game now. it’s not like it was when it was thought that a big gesture would fix everything.These days there’s much more subtlety needed.We know from past experiences , for example that bringing huge numbers onto the streets can release chaos and then everything gets lost in the noise. Worst case scenario is that it ends in violence on the streets and from that it might even spiral into something worse…like what happened to a whole generation and resulted in 3500 deaths .
We know that that kind of thing is just a shout away in this damaged society and ultimately it results in very littleo f any value.i think that Sinn fein knows that this is going to be a very slow process and they have spent many long years getting to the point where there is any kind of balanced self-government here.It’s not quite there yet but it’s near.The DUP are still living in some fantasy that they can get away with scandals and scandalous behaviour forever but there is now a substantial growing consensus that their behaviour is abherrant .It is a diverse consensus crossing allsorts of community lines, but it sees very clearly that they will have to be watched very carefully .Even those who do not know the details , know which party is at the core of every financial scandal so far.That’s the DUP …no contest! If sufficient unionists see that for even moral reasons , ther could be a vote-splitting drain away to the UUP, the TUV, and even Alliance .Even Eamon McCann could benefit from disenchantment, so maybe it’s not a done deal that the DUP can simply walk back in as the largest party. this could be a vote-splitting game-changer for them too. I don’t think they really want an election under the present circumstances either.In any case it is still Arlene Foster’s rsponsibility for the coming £480 million loss . It happened under her watch.