Form and content, style and substance – it’s mind-buckling how often we get the two mixed up, or allow others to mix them up for us.
Take Arlene Foster. As you’ll know if you haven’t been living in an igloo in Canada’s Northern Territories, our First Minister has been under pressure to justify the establishment of a scheme that is all set to suck £400 million out of the public pocket. In 2013 a BBC Spotlight programme conveyed its concerns about the scheme to Mrs Foster; she passed the concerns on to civil servants and nothing was done. In 2014 a whistle-blower outlined several serious flaws to the system and emailed these to the relevant department: again, nothing was done. That’s the substance.
Now the form. The First Minister, looking splendidly un-jet-lagged considering she’s just back from China, explained to reporters her side of the story. She did it in a relaxed, look-it’s-quite-simple-there’s-no-story sort of way. Just the way you’d want the leader of your political party to handle flak. Her delivery was so good, in fact, you’d have been tempted to submit to its convincing tone and decide the biomass heating scheme was actually a commendable initiative.
This commendable style was enhanced by Arlene pointing out that this was an environmentally-friendly scheme – wood pellets and all that – so she would have been rightly brought to task if she had stayed with the old polluting system. Instead she put forward a bold and environment-friendly scheme. Sounds reasonable and even commendable, eh?
Except that nobody’s objecting to the environment-friendly part of the scheme. What they’re objecting to is the abuse it allows, even encourages: the more you burn, the more money you make. It’s the content of this particular scheme, the burning-money substance that has people calling for Arlene to, in the current distracting phrase, “consider her position” – aka Would you not think of quitting, Missus?
Most of the time the excuse that you passed a problem to underlings to sort out would work, but not this time. The flaw in it is so obvious – the more you burn the more money you make – that an intelligent 13-year-old could have spotted it, much less a seasoned Minister with a legal background. If Arlene isn’t as perceptive as a smart teenager, then we are in a truly parlous state. If she is more perceptive than a spotting pubescent, that’d suggest she knew what she was doing, in which case the core question becomes Why? And that why will only be answered when we get the name and address of every participant in this scheme. Why should they be reluctant to be known – do they think they’ve something to hide? Or would it be that their emergence from anonymity might show how close they are to the First Minister and the party she leads?
Oh, and one final point, that nobody appears to be interested in. What sort of profit is the wood-chip supplier making in this little cock-up? And even more interesting: where is said supplier located? The answer to those two questions might unlock the answer to everything.
PS I’m assuming the wood-chip supplier isn’t a company called Balcas, which describes itself as “one of Britain and Ireland’s largest wood product suppliers, with a turnover of circa £100 Million.” Why am I making that assumption? Because it’s located in Ballinamallard, Co Fermanagh.
I thought it was 2013 when the whistle blower came forward but could be wrong as that would make it even worse.
She did emphasise that the list of names would be academic as they were entitled to claim for a legitimate scheme.
Key points that the public need to know are indeed who benefits most AND what caused the spike in uptake AFTER the error was realised to get in before the scheme flaws were corrected.
I smell a rat. Why is SF so quiet about this? There hasnt been a peep from them.
Sinn Féin nua are two legs of the table and DUP the other two. Remove any two legs and the table falls. The gravy train grinds to a halt. Our beloved Stormont is again prorogued. If violence starts again where will Sinn Féin nua get their ground troops? Surely the Nats won’t be fooled again?
Sinn Fein are the largest party in Ireland, they are the third largest party in the republic and in a coalition currently with the DUP in the north, but could very well end up being with the UUP next time out.
They will end up the largest party on both sides of the border without a doubt. The DUP have peaked and are on a downward slope from here.
But to be very clear, if violence starts again I imagine all of the people including Sinn Fein will look to the PSNI.
I know that is who I will be expecting to take on the responsibility, I hope they are up for it.
There will not be any return to long conflict if that is what you are thinking.
Those that do engage going forward will not have any support but will have many years in jail to reflect on it.
The DUP will not suffer one iota from this and far from declining they will get stronger. That is why politics here is a joke.
“The DUP will not suffer one iota from this and far from declining they will get stronger. That is why politics here is a joke.”
That would only be statistically possible if Catholics started voting for them and they maintain their dominance among unionism. Do you still think that will be the case with Arlene at the helm?
Unionism has crossed the peak demographically and are in a permanent decline from now.
The dip in overall votes coupled with high turnout shows the downward trend has already started. Every election will be gradually more severe a drop. That is fact
I would be surprised if the scenario you suggest in your original post happened an if Arlene lost her leadership position within unionism
It doesn’t change the fact that the DUP have been seriously damaged and the fault goes back to former UUP member Arlene and the worst may be yet to come.
It is really up to their electorate as to how forgiving they may be and how they view either incompetence or corruption.
Seriously damaged in whose eyes? Unionists see her as a strong leader and they will believe her explanations and back her.
So is SF up to their necks in this scam too, is that why they have made no statement on it? surely they arent still extending that olive branch craic and licking up to the DUP (not getting on the DUPs back on this), why arent they shouting about an inquiry?
Shouting is the job of opposition parties, not partners in coalition parties.
Arlene has damaged herself and the DUP – this is their mess.
The smart thing to do is let them try to claw back the money while pissing their business buddies off and wait for the public to reflect on this in the next elections.
Time is on our side. Each year sees a small change in the demographic.
There is no way to rush this. Unionism tried to thwart demographic change and started a conflict over it.
It didn’t work then and we should not be foolish enough to do the same.
Jessica, where is the evidence of the small change in demographics, when will statistics be published? I remember a guy over on the Bangordub site forecast that the end of 2016 it will be 50/50.
I seriously dont know about this unionist demise, look at Fermanagh West Minister elections, the unionists can fairly get the vote out. They also can form pacts. Nationalists wont pact with each other.
There may well be 50/50 perhaps in total population as soon this year, electorally it is harder to predict as people are living longer but I doubt we would be at 50/50 just yet electorally. Then there is the fact that people don’t really vote until their late 20s and there isn’t a great deal to vote for. I didn’t bother last time over not being able to tolerate unionist arrogance but I am pig headed.
It is going to happen and the next 10 years will be very difficult for unionism. Any decisions made should be based on this, I am in no doubt about it whatsoever.
“There may well be 50/50 perhaps in total population as soon this year, electorally it is harder to predict as people are living longer but I doubt we would be at 50/50 just yet electorally. Then there is the fact that people don’t really vote until their late 20s and there isn’t a great deal to vote for. I didn’t bother last time over not being able to tolerate unionist arrogance but I am pig headed.”
According to my sources Jessica, there’s already a majority of nationalists in the North, its just that a very large chunk aren’t of voting age yet. According to the 2011 census the population was 45% Catholic, 48% Protestant, the rest Others. That was 5 years ago.
Main issue for Nationalism today, and its one Sinn Fein/SDLP aren’t doing much to tackle, is low voter turnout amongst Nationalists. But if a border poll was held tomorrow I would be in no doubt those who don’t usually vote would be out in their droves.
We discussed this before on this blog but I still think compulsory voting, like in Australia, would be a great idea in getting people out to vote.
You keep saying this Ryan but blind criticism and foolish optimism will not unite Ireland.
First of all you are now saying Sinn Fein aren’t doing much to tackle low voter turnout within nationalism.
One of the reasons nationalist voters didn’t turn out was Stormont wasn’t benefitting west of the bann or nationalism in general.
This was deliberate by unionism who prevented or delayed vital projects such as the A5 and A6, the Narrow Water Bridge and even an Irish language act.
They knew this would impact on voter turnout, they even sucked me into not voting by their behaviour.
I was foolish and easily misled by such DUP tactics – but I wont be again.
Now I don’t know about you, but I would not give my vote to a party that would prefer to take a hissy fit and rant and rave in front of the cameras over one who thinks calculates and counters,
Sinn Fein now have the Infrastructure ministry and can get these projects up and running at least before the next elections which will boost their votes in those areas.
The SDLP chose not to take such a ministry and deliver such projects but to instead pursue opposition in an assembly that Sinn Fein make no secret of their views that they want it to go in favour of Dublin rule.
Colum Eastwood has said he would not set foot in the Whitehouse while Trump was in it. It is this childish and immature behaviour I could do without, yet you voted for them.
As for a border poll tomorrow Ryan.
First of all, we cant have one without Dublin agreeing to it and what makes you think Dublin has any interest in it.
If Enda Kenny said tomorrow, if we sell out Gerry Adams for a border poll, I would tell him to fuck off.
It is time you woke up to the reality Ryan. Get your head out of the 6 county bubble and pay more attention to what is going on in Dublin. That is what Sinn Fein are focussing on.
“You keep saying this Ryan but blind criticism and foolish optimism will not unite Ireland.”
Its not blind criticism Jessica but I am an optimist, a foolish one? I guess that’s a matter of opinion….
I wasn’t really referring to a United Ireland at all Jessica, I merely stated that most of those who do NOT vote (not just Nationalists but Unionists as well) would definitely turn out in the inevitable event of a border poll.
“They knew this would impact on voter turnout, they even sucked me into not voting by their behaviour”
Unionism has absolutely no impact on whether I vote or not Jessica, I have encouraged everyone to vote on this blog many times, hence why I support compulsory voting. If some Nationalists choose not to vote then that’s their problem. They are just making their situation worse by not voting. It makes no sense. WHO you vote makes the impact.
“Colum Eastwood has said he would not set foot in the Whitehouse while Trump was in it. It is this childish and immature behaviour I could do without, yet you voted for them”
I doubt our esteemed blog master would step into the White House either, judging by his previous articles on Trump Jessica but that doesn’t mean I wont visit his blog. The same goes for Colum Eastwood, just because he holds an opinion on Trump that I don’t agree with doesn’t mean I wont vote for his party. I already made clear I voted for SDLP because of their stance on Abortion. A relative of one of the bloody sunday victims recently said he will be voting JIM ALLISTERS TUV due to SF’s stance on abortion. Obviously a Protest vote. You said previously you believe abortion on demand is on its way. I couldn’t disagree with you more Jessica, your underestimating the strength behind the opposition to such a barbaric practice. Amnesty International got 40,000 people (a lot who never step foot in Ireland in their lives) to sign a petition supporting abortion here. A Pro-Life group handed in a petition to Stormont the very next day signed by 200,000 people opposing abortion here. Says it all. I would love for Sinn Fein to come out and clearly declare: “We oppose abortion no matter what” Jessica, they would have my vote again.
“It is time you woke up to the reality Ryan”
I didn’t know I was asleep to reality Jessica but thanks for the wake up call….
Jessica, I pay attention to politics in Dublin just as much as in Belfast. Jude often writes articles about the carry on in the media/Dail and I often leave comments, I’m sure you might read some or at least see them. I’m obviously aware that SF need to behave in Stormont or it’ll be used against them in the Dail but that still doesn’t mean they should be exempt from justified criticism. Every political party needs kept on their toes.
I didn’t mean to suggest you were foolish Ryan, apologies if it came across that way.
I guess my resentment over the behaviour of the southern establishment is deeper than most.
Having an opinion on Trump is fine, but making such foolish statements will come back to bite him I think.
As for abortion, I am anti abortion, but I support allowing it un extreme circumstances in Ireland, ie compromise.
Refusal to compromise will I believe push more people towards supporting abortion on demand but that just my opinion.
I would rather see Sinn Fein stick to their principals and accept the loss of votes to be honest.
Possibly I have had enough of FG and FF who would do anything for votes.
Never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.
You can also turn the screw without shouting about it, let them keep taking the rope.
Opposition parties shout loudest because they cant do anything else and it is good opportunity for them.
nolans doing more than any of them.whats that tell you.
that things are going in the right direction
It’s a bit like the word getting out that a particular ATM is giving out twice as much money as you ask for and nothing is debited from your account. Sure,it’s a broad back and you’re not to blame if the system is faulty. Arlene, front runner for stand up comic of the year, will survive this. She, like the other DUPes, is so brazen that it takes the breath away. Maybe she wasn’t minister at the time. Maybe we’re all wrong. Arlene the incompetent is dead, long live Arlene.
“It’s a bit like the word getting out that a particular ATM is giving out twice as much money as you ask for and nothing is debited from your account”
I remember about 10 years ago Fiosrach that there was an ATM on the Falls Road giving out double money but only debiting the account holder the amount they entered lol. So if you debited your account £20, the ATM gave you £40. I was standing in a queue in a shop nearby and someone run in and said loudly “The ATM round the corner is giving out double money!”. More than half the shop pulled out their bank cards and rushed round lol I went round to have a peek (I didn’t have a bank account at the time) and there was about 20-30 people queuing up at the ATM, each one saying “Withdraw £500, that’s the maximum you can take out!”. Within 15 minutes the machine was out of money lol.
That ATM is still there on the Falls, its an old 1990’s model but a lot of people still talk about it because apparently every now and then it does break down and give out free money but its quickly repaired again lol
They should write a new song about it.
The fenian ATM
“They should write a new song about it.
The fenian ATM”
They should Jessica, it has brought so much joy to so many peoples lives lol
Did you notice how she had to concentrate to keep the usual arrogance at bay. I think she was helped by knowledge of the questions she was going to be asked and allowed to waffle without interruption by the interviewer. She kept the usual smirk at bay but couldn’t resist the ” I don’t think people understand”, “people need to understand” .
And she finished by reminding me of her smirking assertion after the election that people were asking her to take on Education, Agriculture, – the roles that her fellow executive members presumably failed to handle well – that she was the person most qualified to sort out the fiasco she had sanctioned!
‘Take Arlene Foster’ – no thanks, Jude!
Apart from her ignorance and arrogance, I could never associate with such a stupid woman.
She designed the scheme so – if a client buys a bag of pellets for, say £10, gives a receipt to Arlene’s department, she will hand over £13, every time for the next 20 years – and our First Minister hasn’t the wit to realise it will cost her department money – like £400mn!
What a Dumbo Arlene is, and she thinks we should allow her to ‘fix it’ – no bloody way!
Get somebody with half a brain to try to fix it – and I don’t fancy their chances with all clients having legally binding contracts in their ass pockets!
And as for Sinn Fein with their vow of omertà – they are a total disgrace to the people of the north of Ireland.
As I said many times before on this blog Jude, its money keeping the “peace process” going, not a genuine desire for peace. This money isn’t going to both communities here, its not going for job creation, fostering reconciliation and community redevelopment. Its going to the top of the Pyramid. Its being spent on huge salaries for politicians and their shadowy advisors, huge expenses bills, the top of the range iPads and iPhones for MLA’s that they get to keep even if they leave the job, the big flashy chauffeur driven cars, the wining and dining, the flash suits, Peter Robinsons £600 briefcase, paying off active armed Unionist paramilitaries and giving them jobs as “community workers”, paying the huge expenses of “community groups” that only exist on paper, etc. I could go on. Of course Nepotism, giving jobs to family and friends, is rampant in politics here, particularly amongst political Unionism.
All of this stinks of corruption and deceit. Both, BOTH, communities are the losers in all this, hence why they want us at each others throats about flags, parades, etc while all the above goes on behind the scenes.
We need to know the identities of ALL those who were involved in this heating scheme. We already know that a Presbyterian Church is set to benefit from this heating scheme, the same one where Rev. Mervyn Gibson allegedly preaches. A DUP advisors brother is also set to benefit. Many farmers, particularly those from County Fermanagh, are set to benefit. One farmer is set to get 1 MILLION pounds for heating an empty barn. A Ferrari Showroom in Belfast is set to benefit. Yes, a FERRARI showroom is benefiting. See the connection? in society most of the rich and powerful know each other, its like a spiders web. The wealthy in different fields all rub shoulders together, I’ve seen it with my own eyes, they all take care of each other. That’s the way the Tories operate in England. Who pays for it all? the working class man/woman.
All I can say is shame on Sinn Fein for not standing up to the DUP on this. If we were living 20 or even 10 years ago they would be hammering the DUP for this and rightly so. We’re not talking about a few million here, this is £400 MILLION pounds, that’s almost half a BILLION. And as the NAMA scandal showed, this isn’t the first time the DUP has been involved in shady schemes. Will they be brought to book? lol there’s a bigger chance of Arlene attending an Easter Rising Commemoration and I’m not even joking there….anything to keep the gravy train going and that goes for BOTH sides…..
It may do some psychological good to readers if the clients’ names were published, but that wouldn’t show up any guilt.
Those who applied for the scheme probably had a visit from a government inspector to verify that it was a genuine project.
So even the person Nolan told us about who has a shed with 12 burners has most likely got his/her certificate from this inspector giving their scheme the okay, so they have not broken the law, no matter how morally odious it may be.
What should be investigated is the company which was selling the scheme to clients, on the basis of the profits the clients would make annually and multiplied by 20!
Is it normal for a private company to act as (very well paid) adviser/agent for a company scheme, and who are the people behind it?
That will be the really important revelation!
Sam McBride is doing a decent job in not letting this one go, and also asking questions about the whole Charter NI/UDA funding debacle.
https://twitter.com/SJAMcBride
It bears repeating that this is not a sectarian issue – anybody with a modicum of hope for this place should be calling for a full independent investigation into this mess.
Foster should not be allowed to walk away from this one, despite her rather bizarre protestations about how the ‘mark of a politician is not made when times are good but when you are faced with challenges.’
The challenges being that Foster herself is one of either two things –
a) Massively Incompetent
b) Utterly Corrupt
Either way, she is clearly not fit to hold the office of First Minister.
Apparently Gregory told Nolan this morning that the “diggers” could get some digging against them too.I say let both of them at,Get Gregory and Nolan 2 spades and watch events unfold.!
“Apparently Gregory told Nolan this morning that the “diggers” could get some digging against them too.I say let both of them at,Get Gregory and Nolan 2 spades and watch events unfold.!”
Many have interpreted that as a threat Michael. Its not surprising in the slightest that Gregory was the one who said that to Stephen Nolan, given Gregory’s record but it is incredible that this man gets votes…..I’m not saying that because he’s a Unionist but the fact that people voted for Gregory over another Unionist candidate……
read about both scandals here and spare a thought for the parents of children who died in hospital and are still waiting for the results of the hyponatraemia Inquiry – 16 years after it was set up!
https://eurofree3.wordpress.com/2016/12/11/perfect-storm-breaking-over-stormont/
I believe that Sinn Fein’s relative silence will cost the DUP. Being attacked by other unionists will facilitate criticism and help it stick. If Sinn Fein were to attack Foster then unionists would instinctively circle the wagons. Sinn Fein’s self imposed back-turning will enable anger to increase amongst unionism. Foster has been exhibiting more than a scintilla of hubris and she would do well to remember the fate of Peter Robinson, when unionism sickened of him.
one of the best excuses ive heard yet.sf is part of the establishment now thats why their saying nothing,i think their voters are seeing this with the talk on the grapevine.
I agree Freddie
Had Sinn Fein joined in a petty squabble in Stormont throwing insults back and forward with the DUP, I would have lost interested after a while.
If they pulled down Stormont, we would be at the mercy of London and a Dublin government I see as no better.
By showing tolerance and reason, I can see a shift in attitudes. The DUP must be feeling pressure from their electorate about the nastiness of it.
In other words once again, Sinn Fein were right and I was wrong.
We are in a change management process and the prize is not a united Ireland but a new Ireland decided on by the people of Ireland, all of it.
Red Sky, Nama, SIF, Seymour and Ian, and now this. Perhaps we will see more of the endorsements posted on Facebook last night from two satisfied customers in this scheme. One was. A Free Presbyterian Church.
One can’t help feeling financial controversy is in the gene pool of unionists. Remember when the M1 was proposed, some UP minister had the foreknowledge to buy land that was to be vested. And wasn’t there something about St. Angelou airport in Fermanagh. Wish the memory was better. The same guy alleged vote stealing and demanded recounts until he was soundly beaten by the votes that were hidden.
Is there such a thing as Hubris? Maybe we are witnessing Arlene’s
The interesting thing in this is the dog that’s not barking or at least not barking very loudly,namely Sinn Fein!Normally with potential waste of £400 million ,S F would be to the forefront of those demanding answers and accountability.One wonders what Faustian deal has been done behind the scenes to not put too much pressure on their partners in government.
Argenta
I agree.
Perhaps Freddie is right that SF feel pressure from other parties would be more effective than from themselves.
However it is hard to avoid the conclusion that there is mutual backscratching going on here.
I hear the spike in applications happened when the DUP were dong their ” today I’m not, today I am ” ministerial boycott. But Arlene was given the role of “gatekeeper” to keep nationalists away from DUP ministries. I think I heard her use the word “snooping”? Now we know why!
So while they were doing the hokey cokey, their business buddies were getting in on the deal with the extra time they were buying them.
Either way, the incompetence or corruption keeps getting greater.
Between the thousands of marches, flag protests and wheeling dealing, can we really afford unionism in Ireland?
Rogues and renegades indeed, Mrs Foster.
Not to recommend other blogs, but poor Mick Fealty’s clear petulance at seeing his poster girl Arlene in such trouble on the slugger site is hilarious to read.
He will be up to banning nonsense soon, as he picks up his ball and walks away with it in a hump.
Ciaran
Do you mean the slugger site that has published about half a dozen blogs on this issue already, with detailed challenges to Arlene and the DUP (much more than Jude) or is it some other slugger site you are thinking of?
I think that is the point Ciaran was making gio.
I don’t read slugger and don’t know who Mick Fealty is, but from Ciaran’s comment I assume he is a site admin with the ability to ban people.
I am also guessing Ciaran has seen comments from Mick suggesting he is defensive of Arlene and not enjoying the pressure the DUP is under at this time.
Does that not sound about right to you?
jessica
Mick Fealty is the founder of slugger.
He does ban people from time to time for abuse or libel I think.
For example posting that people were devoid of charm wit or civility would get the chop pretty quick, possibly even a ban.
If Ciaran thinks people are being banned simply for expressing their views I would be interested to see the evidence.
Many of the recent posts have been critical of the DUP over this issue, but why not take a look and judge for yourself.
There is much good well informed debate on slugger (as well as the usual nonsense).
I posted a few times on it but I found it very difficult to use gio.
Jude’s is very user friendly and I can follow conversations through email which I am on all the time. Probably spend too much time at to be honest
“Many of the recent posts have been critical of the DUP”. I would be pleased if you could point me in the direction of the criticism that Mr. Fealty has made of Arlene and the DUP on the RHI issue, or NAMA, or SIF or in fact anything.
The dogs in the street know that slugger isn’t really the level playing field that its claimed to be. Yes, I know of people being banned from the site because they have inconvenienced the the editorial slant and spin of said blog. A cursory cast around the web will deliver evidence of that.
If you don’t play the ball the WAY Mick likes you to play it, then its the red card and the walking ticket. Nothing to do with abuse or libel as you put it. The whole ‘play the ball, not the man’ guff is a smokescreen to shield arbitrary editorial censorship of comments and more worryingly contributors, who have the audacity to baulk at what is a ‘rigged table’ in terms of debate.
To express surprise at this is frankly in itself eyebrow raising.
giordanobruno would you happen to be Mick Fealty at all? You intriguingly seem to use a subset of words that the protagonist himself uses repeatedly. Given the English language has the guts of 200,000 words, that’s a dastardly coincidence…
Don’t forget argenta, gios other account he posts as
Ciaran
I’m quite flattered by that but I doubt if Mick would be.
We did go to the same school though and they only got round to teaching us the first 5000 words of the English .. erm..thingy.
jessica
Yes don’t forget that!
I am also beachguy Scott PF and yes I am in fact jessica too.
Let’s face it we all knew she could not be real!
One of my more far fetched creations.
Stay off slugger, it’s full of unionists masquerading as letsgetalongerists.
Gosh,the dastardly swine!
Why do you think they are doing that then?
“Why do you think they are doing that then?”
To preserve the status quo. I thought that would be obvious?
Importantly the blogging rights on that site seem to be very skewed toward the Unionist and Conservative point of view. There are very few nationalist bloggers who are provided with the right to open their own articles. However there are many unionist bloggers, easily identified, who are suffered to produce the same mono-subject, mono-campaign threads in line with their own skewed agendas, on a daily basis. Pete Baker is one. Kilsally was historically another, but they are legion on slugger. I think Chris Donnelly is the only ‘outed’ nationalist commentator allowed a free-ish reign. (I guess he has to have one token person on that list so that he can point to them and claim balance. Yeah right). The deputy editor is probably indulged in some his own milder irish/nationalist threads. In the circumstances I wonder that the site continues to survive when a blind man can see it for what it is.
wolfie
That seems like nonsense to me. Unionists are logging on to slugger anonymously and pretending to be letsgetalongerists.?
Would’n’t they be better just pushing the unionist line?
Any way you must have some pretty good evidence for this strange tactic so lets see it.
“wolfie
That seems like nonsense to me. Unionists are logging on to slugger anonymously and pretending to be letsgetalongerists.?
Would’n’t they be better just pushing the unionist line?
Any way you must have some pretty good evidence for this strange tactic so lets see it.”
Well you are proof for a start.
As you well know, when I say ‘letsgetalongerist’ I am certainly not claiming that these individuals truly want us to get along. What they really want is for all of us to just get along agreeing that ‘our wee country’ is a country and to forget about partition,United ireland and anything like that. Added to that, when we all agree to get along we accept that ‘our wee country’ is British/northernirelandish(same thing) and if anybody questions that narrative then really they are bigots and don’t want to get along. In short, letsgetalongerists are unionists so therefore they are pushing the unionist line. It takes a fly man to act the fool.
wolfie
So you not only know the identity of anonymous posters you also know their hidden agenda.
Remarkable.
Gio, as you, so call yourself a ‘republican’ I have yet to read anything merely republican from you. In fact all I have read from you is excuses for British terror, partition, royalty and the usual gentle(of course) criticising of anybody who happens to believe in Irish republicanism. Now that’s remarkable. Maybe you are a republican of the trump kind? Are you an Irish republican who believes that Ireland(the whole island btw) should be free from British interference and rule? It should be a straightforward yes or no answer, for an Irish republican.
Btw, to imply that individuals or whatever do not use social media to push a narrative or agenda is at best naive and/or mischievous. Heck they even employ individuals to do it! I wonder if Mick fealty’s blog would be as prominent if he was promoting Irish unity? One things for sure if he was upsetting the status quo in any way his blog would’ve been hacked long ago.
Wolfie
The answer of course (as I have said many times) is yes.
I am in favour of a united Ireland and given the opportunity I will vote for one.
In the meantime we have what we have and that includes a lot of people who are unionist with a small u and I don’t particularly see the need to abuse and denigrate them.
As for slugger you may be right but I can’t see how a few anonymous unionists posing as letsgetalongerists can really influence the political status quo.
But it is pure supposition on your part unless you are going to produce any evidence.