I wonder how Arlene Foster is feeling this morning. Is she staring across fields at the dreary steeples of Fermanagh, wondering why in God’s name she didn’t stick with the solicitors’ firm she used to work for in Enniskillen, thus avoiding all the gouging and kneeing that comes with politics? Or is she doing deep-breathing exercises and push-ups, to get her in tip-top shape for telling her enemies outside (and inside) the party where they should go and what they should be doing to themselves as they go?
The truth is, she’s in a tightish corner. On the one hand, all the parties at Stormont are saying she should step back from her duties as First Minister while a public investigation is made of the ash-for-cash fiasco. It’s also probably the view of most of the populace – after all, if Peter could do it when Irisgate was swirling around him, and come back apparently undamaged, why shouldn’t Arlene? If she’s done everything exactly correctly, as she says she has, wouldn’t it be another ribbon for her hair, that a neutral public inquiry had found her free from all blame? She’d be immeasurably stronger politically.
But if she were to step aside temporarily, she’d probably see this as dancing to the tune piped by Sinn Féin and other political enemies. How could any self-respecting DUP leader afford to do the likes of that? Impossible – she’d lose face as a leader and encourage power-hungry underlings within the party to start plotting her downfall.
What to do? I suspect she’ll opt for brazening it out, as though to step aside for a short while was equivalent to an admission of guilt. If she does stick out her chin and tell everyone else bar the DUP to get lost, she’ll probably have her party swing firmly behind her and she’ll survive, although she’ll have shown herself to be an irrational politician. And while that doesn’t appear to have done Trump any damage, things here, as we know from our history, are always different.
And so this morning, the DUP leader stands between two unpalatable alternatives. I’d tell her to move aside and get the inquiry over so business as usual can resume. What would you tell her?
PUTTING the T.A.L. into TALLAHASSEE
Will ye go, for Gawd’s sakes, go, Lassie
Would be Leaderene for Life Selassie
Rev up and Eff
Off to Sunny F
Get sweaty like Betty ‘n go to Tallahassee.
I think we’re witnessing somebody desperately out of her depth – I had previously thought that Foster was either incompetent or corrupt, and have since come to the conclusion that she is both.
I appreciate that we don’t enjoy a particularly high quality of politician in this sorry corner of Ireland, but Foster has scaled new heights here. Each day she appears to make things worse for herself, and her refusal to step aside whilst an investigation takes place only serves to compound her problems.
The other parties have done well to stop this from turning into an Orange/Green issue, which is about the only positive to be taken from this sorry affair. Half a billion pounds literally up in smoke. And she seems to think it’s everyone else’s problem. An absolutely despicable woman.
I agree that she will most likely try to brazen it out, although she should certainly stand down and have an open public inquiry.
News stories have a shelf life and unless there are more revelations to come other events will supplant the RHI story.
Will the shinners force an election if she refuses to stand aside but does set up some kind of inquiry.? Maybe. Maybe not.
No doubt there is a lot of back of envelope calculation going on as to potential seat loss,given that the voters are not terribly impressed with either party these days
So maybe no censure no election and no significant change
That is my guess, with the proviso that there are no more damaging revelations.
“Will the shinners force an election if she refuses to stand aside but does set up some kind of inquiry.? Maybe. Maybe not.”
Gio, I think the shinners have backed themselves into a corner where they would HAVE to call an election if their numerous demands (how many is it now? I’ve lost count) for Arlene to temporarily stand down aren’t met. They have clearly hinted that there would be “grave consequences” if Arlene doesn’t stand down.
Some commentators have speculated that the DUP will “pay off” the shinners in order for their demands to cease. An Irish Language Act was mentioned. Despite the fact this was agreed to in 2006 and the DUP clearly went back on their word….
Needless to say, politics here is rotten to the core.
Ryan, being absolutely honest, We Ourselves, as the other party of government here, ought to have walked as soon as this broke rather than hung rounnd, it shows a disrespect to their voters across Ireland to be hypocritical in continuing to support poor government in the six, while opposing poor government in the twenty six.
There is no government in the 6 counties Mark.
It is no more than a stop gap administration still governed from London until the island is unified.
There is no parity between the Dail and Stormont in Ireland, the priority has to be Dublin.
Supporting poor government would be not ensuring an investigation reports as soon as possible.
I don’t want them to walk away early, I want them to make sure this happens and to put the justice system to the test. Once they walk away, they would have no power to do anything.
If the DUP are helping to bring Stormont down, let them, but walking away before a preliminary report has been delivered to the public or at least the investigation guaranteed would be a big mistake.
If she, briefly, steps aside, she will be back, having set the terms of the ‘independent’ public inquiry to ensure she is cleared, or, like the Birmingham six and Guilford four, just ‘not very guilty’ of, at least negligence.
I am of opinion, if she retains her membership of the profession, she could be bringing it into disrepute, if I did, I’d be struck off in mine.
The auld DUPpies will do all they can to protect their base, having observed the disconnect effecting their government colleagues in Dublin west, west Belfast and Derry when down to earth alternatives provide other options in STV elections.
My own thinking this morning however is with a man who almost got me into serious trouble one morning, Shane McGowan, on the loss of his Mammi, Beannaigh. Mickey we’ll leave for another day.
I’d tell her she can do whatever she wants because SF appear willing to turn a blind eye to all corruption in order to keep Stormont open.
Onward to the next scheme, Arlene – have no fear.
I’d tell her to do the right thing and move aside for a wee while,then again stubbornness and arrogance don’t normally conform to doing the right thing.As we’ve seen before the no suurender attitude hasn’t gone away you know.Urte berri on,guztioi.
I’ve no real doubt that she’ll brazen the whole thing out.There’ll be a hue and cry from everyone else except the DUP, who would vote her back into power in a heartbeat ,no matter what chicanery she’s been up to.Look at it like this.Past DUP leaders and assorted unionist politicians have been involved in all manner of illegaland anti-social shenanigans.There’s a long list which includes incitement to hatred, gun-running, association with terrorism, an entire rat’s nest of recent scandals stretching back only a handful of recent years which a younger generation should have little problem remembering .There’s been behaviour recently , on the cusp of racism and of course there is behaviour that is wholly logically irrational too. None of that has put a nail in any unionist’s boot. As long as the “No surrender”” mantra is the game , the unionist voters do not give a tuppeny damn whether our First Minister’s incompetence or simple criminality robs them of millions.The fact is that most of them will never even get into the nitty -gritty of these scandals .They’ll simply do what they’ve always been told to do and slip on the blindfolds.
paddy
I don’t think unionist voters are blind any more than republican voters who ignore all the failings of SF. Would you not agree that they are just as likely to ignore any scandal around their leadership (see Mairia Cahill for example)?
Voters will in the main vote along traditional lines for the foreseeable future whichever side it happens to be.
I think an election now might show a small loss for the big 2 in favour of their smaller counterparts,but they may calculate they can survive that.
I think the point is that even when it was the SDLP gainng nationalism’s votes, back when they topped the nationalist poll …and they have and had no particular stain of paramilitary or violent involvement with anything, the unionist vote still went to the likes of men like Paisley whose origin story was against a background of hate-speak and street violence. It actually increased his vote and stature. Bill Craig did something similar with his Vanguard rallies.Robinson had a go with his talk of some daft economically unfeasible UDI. They still brought the pilgrims out in their thousands.We also have the oddness of the likes of t a so-called ,religious person like someone like the DUP’s Willie McCreay sharing a platform with a known terrorist in the shape of the late Billy Wright…and in recent days we have seen Arlene and Co making apologies for the same in the case of the UDA’s Dee Stitt. I’ve no doubt that they are, and have always been , playing politics with criminality right before the eyes of their voters and I don’t believe it will damage them in any kind of moral way at all. Morality has always been an odd concept here. They’ll still get that vote in….as you say …”along traditional lines”. ….that being “political speak” for not thinking too hard or too deeply about anything.
paddy
My point was that there is nothing unique about unionist voters in their ability to overlook the sins of their representatives.
Or do you think SF voters would be in any way swayed by any revelation about Gerry or Martin other than possibly that they were British agents maybe?
I’m not so sure gio. Sinn Fein have done well by stealing all of the old SDLP’s voters, simply because they finally took a non-violent route and the IRA was stood down and disarmed.That’s what gained them votes. What other reason could there be for such a turnaround?They’ve also had a very clear-cut vision of what their proposals were and that vision is easy enough to articulate and that is something that the SDLP now doesn’t appear to have . There’s a neatness to it for many, i’d imagine. People like that kind of a simple story , in the end.They figure that the details can be worked ot later …a bit like those Brexit voters.Where Sinn Fein might lose votes wouldn’t be because of any past actions…they have put that behind them , after all and certainly have attempted to look to a future at every move.Martin McGuinness has stressed a future togetherness for all the people and not just one section of them. That would always be a republican ideal, should it be America , France or Ireland. They operate on an all-island basis too , which gives them more scope than anyone else. it was the iRA that was actually holding back republican progress and Sinn Fein , in the end. It came into being almost by accident and became a much longer project than anyone could have imagined in 1970. Nobody who lived through the following horror story could have believed it.
Now …if they have simply become a slightly greener version of the old SDLP with no revolutionary intent that can be easily seen by potential voters , they will obviously lose those voters who want real action and want it now! Those voters who are impatient for change.On the other hand , unionist voters appear to want no kind of change whatsoever and appear totally unaware of the potential changes heading their way very quickly in a world that will be radically changed by the likes of Brexit…..That ……for a group of people who hate the very idea of radical change ….who have fought hard against any kind of changes or even reforms in the past ….and are very conservative by nature will be very interesting thing to see.
I think Sinn Fein’s modern voters don’t really care about things that happened some twenty or thirty years ago. ….other than the laws they think the state might have broken. I might be wrong, of course, but it’s mostly those who have been victims of the past that worry about it most…on either side of the division.Most of the population doesn’t really care much about anything at all.
I’d tell Arlene, just like any other politician in her position, to stand down temporarily. What does she have to fear from a neutral inquiry? surely she would relish the opportunity to have her name cleared and re-instated as First Minster? to prove her enemies wrong, including her partner in Government Sinn Fein, and to prove to the public that she was Lily White all along?….she would benefit immensely if that were to happen.
But as we know this is just one scandal of many to haunt the DUP. Red Sky, Irisgate, Robinson’s Land Deal’s, NAMA, Nepotism, extortionate expenses, etc and now RHI.
Forgive the pun but….there’s no woodchip smoke without fire (see what I did there?)
I don’t think Arlene is going to survive this unless she is proven via an independent inquiry that she’s blameless, that requires her to stand down first. I think Jonathan Bell was the political death blow for Arlene, only a senior DUP figure could’ve dealt her that much damage and he did. I think Bell went public because he realized he was going to be the fall guy for this scheme and he was having none of it.
Whether it was incompetence or corruption or both on Arlene’s part is irrelevant, she has to go for good if an inquiry proves it was her fault.
Daithi McKay said on twitter recently that an election would be most damaging for the DUP but I think that’s where we’re heading if Arlene doesn’t listen to SF’s repeated demands for her to step down temporarily. The next few weeks should be very interesting…..
PS: I think 2017 will see McGuinness stepping down. Many commentators have noted that his successor, whoever that will be, will more likely not be so willing to turn a blind eye to DUP antics nor willing to play second fiddle just for the sake of the institutions. I think that would be a very welcome change…..
meanwhile everybody is on holidays.lol.while as we speak every £1 put in the fires are still churning out £1 pound sixties.nolan being the only hope of exposing this is what the people have been left with,not a bit of wonder they fear elections and the disruption of the gravy train.then again they can always get their paymaster mrs may to hold their hands in troubled times.wonder what odds the bookies are giving for under 50% turnout if an election is called.
People generally have a difficulty in distinguishing between what is in the best interests of the people here and what Arlene sees as the best interest of “her people” here!
The people whose interests Arlene wants to look after are the big house unionists who migrated to the DUP fold around the same time she migrated along with other notables such as Donaldson and Weir.
The cannon fodder of the unionist working class are not impressed by Arlene’s antics so watch how quickly she convinces them that pulling the plug on Stormont is a Popish plot aided by Lundy, Protestant enemies of Ulster to destabilise the institutions and force the God-fearing people of Ulster into an idolatrous, Pro-European Republic!
grave consequences = graduated response.remember how that turned out.
Gio, far be it for me to speak on Paddy’s behalf, but you appear to have missed his point about the SDLP. It doesn’t seem to matter to unionism which nationalist party they abhor. The terrorism tag is just flannel to suit their selfish needs, it would appear. Now it is of course possible that we have misjudged unionism over the past century.
Freddie
The point about the SDLP is arguably true I think. Unionism has always and still has difficulty sharing power.
But my point was that paddy seemed (and it may not have been his intention) to be saying that unionist voters uniquely would overlook any wrongdoing or incompetence by their representatives as long as they were sticking up for usuns against themmuns
To me Sinn Fein voters seem equally prepared to overlook all kinds of stuff as long as their party stand up to the unionist hegemony. That they are not doing too well in standing up to the DUP at present could prove to shake some voters from their loyalty in a way that dirty secrets from the past or financial wobbliness have never done.
So if paddy is saying that unionist voters are somehow more blindly loyal than republican ones I would be interested to hear why he thinks that.
The determination of Sinn Fein faithful never to utter a word of criticism (take a bow Jude) is every bit as impressive as the same devotion in unionists.
What i’m implying gio, is that since Sinn Fein took up their roles in the Executive , to all intents their hands appear to have been mostly clean and they have made great efforts to make the sharing of power evenly , a reality. If there have been whiffs of scandal , they appear to have all been retrospective , usually aimed at a nebulous Gerry Adams’ past which none of us writing here can get a handle on ….and usually to do with events long before the Good Friday Agreement was signed …or at best are clumsy , contrivances to somehow derail the Sinn Fein. project. I ‘d say that would be an observation : Whether you liked their politics or not, theirs is a valid political approach…as valid as unionism’s efforts anyway.
On the other hand there appears to be one scandal after another emanating like some sour stink from the DUP camp and no-one appears to hold their nose. How come ? I think it might be time to weigh in the balance the scandals and ask ourselves where the immorality and the criminality has issued from in this past twenty years.I know little about Gerry Adams , but how could he ever be responsible for every “jot and tittle” of the republican mo,vement’s performance…..as Arlene might say? Who are responsible for the long list of political scandals of even this past ten years ? It makes some reading list.Jude should have a special scandal page which could be updated regularly so that we can all keep up. The war is long over after all and “normal” politics are supposed to be the thing these past twenty years ,but the DUP is still in the trenches seemingly stockpiling money, sponsors and rations for the next war.
It’s clear that Arlene Foster has no desire to step aside and the evidence on record justifies this – to date she is appearing a Paisley like figure with utterances of “Never” and “Arlene says No!” resonating with the same contemptible attitude.
I agree with your rational analysis, Jude, if she has nothing to fear, step aside, allow an investigation that should (in accordance with her side of the story) exonerate her, thus strengthening her credentials and leadership. This would be a sign of a strong and confident leader but her demeanour to date illustrates someone weak with something to hide. The DUP as far as I have heard and seen have rallied behind her in the face of daily damning revelations that she must have known what was going on. What does this tell us about the DUP, in general, and their attitude towards the electorate who will be paying for this mess?
The decision regarding Arlene Foster’s immediate future lies at the doorstep of Sinn Fein. I can only imagine that the Assembly would have been collapsed weeks ago if the RHI scandal had been the fault of a Sinn Fein Minister. But then again, I feel, the DUP control the logistics and mechanisms of power in the North – Sinn Fein simple prop it up to allow the DUP to get on with running the place.
To date, I think Sinn Fein have played a very poor game, tactically – personally, i feel they are all over the place, in fact complacent, confused, ambivalent. They could have and should have walked out of the Assembly on 19th Dec as a matter of principle. I feel this may have resonated well with disillusioned Sinn Fein supporters / voters and perhaps those ex voters of the party – But instead SF took a cowardly way out and refused to stand up to the DUP as they don’t want to antagonise the relationship.
Since then, day after day, more revelations are being exposed about the RHI scheme (digging a deeper hole for DUP) and SF are making daily calls, albeit being ignored, for Foster to stand down. They look powerless and gutless. Their repeated calls are an illustration of a Party hoping for Foster to be sympathetic, rather than playing her as her own ruthless game. If anything Foster’s stance illustrates Unionist dominance over the North and SF thus standing idly by are only serving to facilitating same. Some members in the party are calling for a public inquiry others an Independent inquiry. An Independent inquiry, which the party seems to want, holds nowhere near the same power or privileges as a public inquiry under the Inquiries Act – an Independent inquiry cannot compel witnesses or papers and is conducted in private – why are SF choosing an inquiry that is less powerful and doesn’t have the level of scrutiny needed? SF citing public expenditure as the reason for choosing an Independent inquiry over a Public Inquiry is an insult to their own electorate and the people over the North – when did Sinn Fein become the Robin Hood’s of politics – they’ve called for enough public inquiry’s themselves in the past over state sponsored murders, which I totally agree with – but in this instance Sinn Fein should be pushing for the highest level of accountability and scrutiny into this disaster.
In recent days I have spoken with DUP supporters and they, as much as anyone, are fully aware that Sinn Fein’s lack of clarity and idol threats of “grave consequences” is only serving to damage them electorally than the RHI scandal would damage the DUP. I know it’s early days in making such observations, but I think Sinn fein’s performance to date has not been accepted well within some elements of the electorate and I’ve gathered this by speaking with many people.
Sinn Fein’s problem is they are looking back over their shoulders at the opposition and Southern electorate and not looking forward to their future in the North.
Where’s the Secretary of State been on this? He’s been very quiet – should he not intervene and tell Foster to do the rightful thing and step aside until an investigation / public inquiry has concluded?
I think Sinn Fein are playing it spot on TH.
Stormont is not a government and the north is not as important as them being in control in the south.
That is where the rot needs to stop and the north dealt with from Dublin from a government with Irelands interests at heart.
So long as Fine Gael and Fianna Fail lead from Dublin the north will amount to nothing and divisions in Ireland will grow deeper.
If Sinn Fein lose support and votes in the north then so be it, that is the way it has to be.
Just as if they lose votes in the south over doing the right think as with the stack family, so be it.
As for a public enquiry, it would take too long, possibly longer than Stormont has life remaining.
A judge led investigation based on the enquiries act would have all the power needed and could deliver a preliminary report within 6 weeks which would have enough evidence to know whether a criminal investigation was needed or not.
That is the point I want to get to as soon as possible. They have got this one right.
Sinn Fein are proving themselves a mature and responsible party fit to lead Ireland and their steadfast determination and resolve to maintain a 32 county perspective is inspiring to me and I hope to many in the south.
They have matured beyond the petty 6 county politics and the rest of us will eventually catch up.
Jessica, when you say “I think Sinn Fein are playing it spot on” what do you mean? How have Sinn Fein played it spot on? SF have said they would not engage in the DUP pantomime, but they are certainly creating their own.
I think as this crisis plays out Sinn Fein’s “flip flopping” clearly illustrates a party in disarray and great difficulty – it’s clear, principle has been superseded by an ambition of clingining to power,
For the sake of power. Sinn Fein in the past few weeks have been through numerous iterations. The Declan Kearney debacle yesterday whereby the press office referred to the wording of his article as a “typo”, further exasperates the crisis within the party – he came back lack night and emailed media outlets his original article – so no typo happened – a number of representatives have called for a public inquiry, namely Mary Lou, Conor Murphy, but the Party seem content on a watered down, merely powerless independent investigation – why? What have Sinn Fein to gain from wanting an Independent inquiry over a public inquiry? Have Sinn Fein something to hide? Are they fearful a public inquiry could expose the DUP to the point of no return to power? It’s interesting that the only two parties opposing a Public Inquiry are the DUP and Sinn Fein – wonder why this is? Have deals been made between both parties to try and minimise the damage of the RHI scandal?
“A judge led investigation based on the enquiries act” A public Inquiry can only take place under the Inquiries Act as far as i am aware.
“would have all the power needed” – An Independent inquiry does not have the power to compel witnesses or papers – how’s this all the power needed? An Investigation would not be able to force any of those abusing the RHI scheme to come before investigators – seems very convenient.
A full public inquiry would be the most rigorous and robust investigation – if it takes longer, so what? Why is there such a concern over the time scale? Surely getting to the bottom and to the truth of this scandal supersedes the timescale? I’m assuming also a time scale can be put on a public inquiry – This being the biggest financial disaster in modern times in the North. I just don’t get how Sinn Fein would support a less transparent and robust examination, at the expense of the DUP.
If FG or FF in the South were involved in such a scandal – would SF be calling for a watered down investigation or a full and rigorous public inquiry?
“Sinn Fein are proving themselves a mature and responsible party fit to lead Ireland” Can you elaborate on this point – Where’s the evidence that Sinn Fein are fit to lead Ireland – they’ve never been in power in modern times in the South and in the North are continually fedding of the scrapes of Unionist rule in the North.
TheHist
You make some good points here
It is interesting to see SF supporters such as Jude suddenly declaring ‘the time has come to take no more’. But what has changed since they refused the opportunity to support the no confidence motion in December?
Nothing in my view, except now it is the shinners trying to take the lead and no doubt looking other parties to follow. Playing politics in other words.
I agree the SOS has been far too quiet on this. If all parties had supported the no confidence motion,then even if the DUP nobbled it with a POC i would have expected him (the SOS) to be telling Arlene it was time to go.
Thanks, Gio. Point taken. F
It is point of view TH.
I think walking out would have created an even greater pantomime, bearing in mind the crisis is not of their making.
Add to that how people felt about unionists walking out and closing stormont over republican caused crisis and it really seems to be a damned if you do and damned if you don’t situation.
Had there not been a knee jerk reaction to call for her dismissal and instead a thought through coordinated approach to getting an investigation agreed before the break, we would be further on. As it is, we must wait until the 15th for the process to begin.
If Stormont falls before then, will the investigation proceed or be dropped by a London government who may opt to keep direct rule?
We don’t know is the truth.
The only way to guarantee a thorough investigation goes ahead, is to ride it out until the next motion goes through, hopefully with all party backing.
Will the DUP fail to support a reasonable investigation?
What will the public think of them if they do?
If Sinn Fein are seen to be pushing too hard for an expensive public enquiry for example, the DUP will be able to reject it without losing any support.
Calls for an enquiry to report in 6 weeks with Arlene to stand aside in the meantime sounds very reasonable to me.
Lets not give them excuses to play the victim, bearing in mind there is no hard evidence and while it looks very bad and hard to see how gross negligence is the minimum offense, we need it rubber stamped by an investigation and more importantly, a criminal investigation needs to be called if foul play has taken place as is being suggested. We cant have trial by media.
“it’s clear, principle has been superseded by an ambition of clinging to power”
What do you think their principles are?
My preference would be to do nothing in the lightest that will detract from Sinn Fein leading a 32 county republic and growing Ireland into a successful economy.
I don’t give a shit about party politics.
And there is no power in Stormont so you are not even on the same page as I would be never mind Sinn Fein.
Sinn Fein have moved on into an end game of actually building a 32 county republic they are no longer playing lip service to it.
The rest of us need to catch up.
Power rests in Dublin and that is where it should remain.
In spite of everything that has happened and it has been tested, my loyalty remains to Dublin and that is where my allegiance lies. Not to Stormont or even Belfast. If that means occasionally playing second fiddle to pursue true 32 county independence then so be it.
“a number of representatives have called for a public inquiry, namely Mary Lou, Conor Murphy, but the Party seem content on a watered down, merely powerless independent investigation – why? ”
An enquiry based on the inquiries act would have enough teeth to dig out all corruption and could return a preliminary report within 6 weeks.
I would imagine a public enquiry would 1, not be able to report for many times this length of time, 2, would take longer than Stormont has left 3, would allow to DUP to reject the calls without losing support.
If a unionist party added the amendment that it is based on the inquiries act, hence guaranteeing it had teeth to probe DUP and Sinn Fein witnesses and papers, then it would be reasonable for the public to expect it would have full party support including the DUP.
If either the DUP or Sinn Fein reject the teeth being given to the inquiry then that would suggest one or both parties may have something to hide.
An Independent inquiry under the inquiries act will have power to compel not only witnesses and papers but also the backup data from the company where the evidence resides which is in a private company nothing to do with Stormont or government computers should this be needed. If we down the public inquiry route, I doubt the private data will ever be seen again. Time is of the essence in this one im afraid. It is an area I know well.
“If FG or FF in the South were involved in such a scandal – would SF be calling for a watered down investigation or a full and rigorous public inquiry?
“Sinn Fein are proving themselves a mature and responsible party fit to lead Ireland” Can you elaborate on this point – Where’s the evidence that Sinn Fein are fit to lead Ireland – they’ve never been in power in modern times in the South and in the North are continually feeding of the scrapes of Unionist rule in the North.”
FG and FF have cost the south many times more than this TH.
Apple has already paid out 300 million of the tax money held in escrow to Italy and other EU nations are in the process of claiming their cut.
Ireland has refused to accept the 19billion and is still refusing to take the 2 billion annual tax due at the 12.5% taking 10 million instead ion spite the EU declaring it illegal state aid and adding up to 443 million on to the EU annual contribution over Apple moving capital assets into Ireland in 2015 of 24 billion.
That is 24 billion on the GDP which doesn’t actually exist but the public sector are seeking pay rises and back pay for from money which doesn’t exist and will be once again borrowed to pay. And then the pensions have run out costing another 280 million deficit next year.
Add to this that Trump will get his way and repatriate this 24 billion which means there will be a decrease of 24 billion in GDP coming down the road which will out our debt to GDP back in the red and into the IMF crisis zone.
There will be no option but to put water charges back on the agenda next summer and you will hear the first talk of Ireland leaving the EU.
Sinn Fein are putting Ireland first, are behaving responsibly and with cool heads.
If they were play acting, calling for immediate Irish sovereignty, throwing our left wing policies or communist ideals than I would indeed be critical of them as I have been in the past and I would have little confidence in our future.
As it is, they are showing awareness of the greater problems coming down the road and acting sensibly and at all times making sure they do nothing that will harm reunification.
Reunification will be needed to sort out Irelands economy in the not so distant future. We will not be able to afford not to.
Or perhaps the pressure is mounting in the community and people really have had enough of Stormont and don’t even want any more elections, just close it, enough is enough.
I couldn’t bring myself to vote for it last time out, it sickened me to my stomach, I am not sure if I ever could again.
I don’t think the SOS would tell Arlene what to do though, have they ever. He said there was no support for a border poll recently. Perhaps if feelings are genuinely so high against Stormont, then a border poll is the answer. I would rather vote for Dail representation than Stormont.