Things getting interesting in Westminster.
Abortion rights and gay marriage, if I read correctly, could get voted through by the end of the evening with the proviso that if or when stormont get back up and running whatever the outcome is can be overturned.
The snp who originally weren't going to vote on it have given members a "pass" as it involved devolved matters which they normally don't vote on.
If either of these get voted through, whether or not you agree with either, this would be a real boot in the balls for the dup.
Seems like Conor McGinn, formerly of here, the driving force behind it.
SF's core support might like it either.
Quote from: imtommygunn on July 09, 2019, 04:48:26 PM
Seems like Conor McGinn, formerly of here, the driving force behind it.
Amazing what you can do when you have people on your side in Parliament. You'd think the shinners would catch themselves on and take their seats.
Its a win win for SF. Can't/won't agree with DUP, those laws are passed anyway. And they'll continue to be paid.
It leaves the DUP in a very tight spot. Their whole spin has been that they are kingmakers at Westminster and have power at their fingertips and here are their friends in Westminster giving them the shaft. They now have an urgent need to get Stormont back to stop gay marriage but in order to do it they will have to accept an Irish language act. Who do they hate more, Irish speakers or gays?
What a difference a year makes.
Quote from: keep her low this half on July 10, 2019, 10:20:52 PM
It leaves the DUP in a very tight spot. Their whole spin has been that they are kingmakers at Westminster and have power at their fingertips and here are their friends in Westminster giving them the shaft. They now have an urgent need to get Stormont back to stop gay marriage but in order to do it they will have to accept an Irish language act. Who do they hate more, Irish speakers or gays?
The question is... what will make dup voters stop voting dup. Could this do it?
(Probably not but we can only hope)
My understanding is this would only be temporary as if/when Stormont got back in action they would have the power to rescind the laws passed, but with Gay Marriage only getting blocked before by the Petition of Concern it would certainly be here to stay, repealing an Abortion act would be more likely depending on how liberal it was.
DUP can turn but make a gaff these days, gay marriage abortion and pushing towards a UI via Brexit, and Direct Rule would only hurt them more, they seemed to have been of a mind set that Direct Rule would be as good for them as being in Power themselves which is laughable. I'm pretty sure they only supported devolution in the first place as it sounds like an opposition to evolution.
While I welcome LGBT rights, it now leaves Stormont dead for the foreseeable future. This suits SF in that these rights will be delivered in the absence of a functioning Assembly. Truth be told it suits the DUP and their base in that they can say that they didn't legislate for them. It's once again win / win for the big parties on an electoral front but will mean no Assembly anytime soon.
Had there been an assembly these wouldn't have been achieved due to DUP intransigence and their veto. While not having local power is damaging, so to is handing the power back to the DUP where they can do as they please. Someone called it a win win situation. Unfortunately I would say it's a lose lose situation at the minute with neither option being particularly attractive (Direct rule vs DUP led Stormont).