Stormont Assembly Elections 2017

[Ronnie]

"May's hands-off approach to Stormont is directly related to her position in her own party and its reliance on the DUP's MPs. Similar to the DUP's attitude to the GFA, the UK was never fully committed to Europe and the benefits were never fully reciprocated.  These were Treaties, not something to be cherry-picked.  The EU will miss them but the project continues, possibly with even further integration.  A lot of recent decisions wouldn't be tolerated at Westminster:  changing the RHI scheme, the serving of politico-developer interests in planning matters, NAMA and the £7m in off-shore accounts, Red Sky, legislation dictated by religious beliefs e.g. precluding the donation of 'gay blood' and gay marriage.  The vast majority of people who live here are broadly liberal across gender, religion, sexual preference and race.  The problem is that the vast majority also vote with the fear of 'our side and their side'."


I posted this 6 month ago.  Since then I predicted that the DUP would been electorally penalised by the Protestant people of Northern Ireland for being out of touch.  Paisley's words are still ringing.  The unionist majority live in fear.  Now I don't know who I trust less - the political elite at Westminster or the liberal elite in Belfast.  Financial scandals pale in the context of Grenfell.  I hope these public inquiries deliver real truth and justice.  Politicians don't give one iota about the bottom rungs of the ladder.  Another Stormont election should be called.  THE DUP ARE AS ARCHAIC AS THE IRISH LANGUAGE.  It's like fighting over the cds in a divorce.  It's impossible to compare it to a flag or a parade.  It's very dangerous when language gets dumbed down.  About a year ago Obama quoted Yeats in saying that the centre may not hold.  It's got that I lack all conviction.  Perhaps the DUP know what beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born..

[Applesisapples]

Interesting comments from Naomi long earlier on RTÉ, basically that it's not about the Irish language act but parity of esteem

She is on the money, the denial of any legitimacy to Irish by Unionists is symptomatic of their whole approach to power sharing and parity of esteem. If the Shinners and the Stoops buckle on this their are doomed.

[Keyser soze]

As far as I can see the people who voted for SF don't want Stormont, they got a big upsurge in votes when they pulled the plug on it. Unionists need Stormont, nationalists don't.

NI never has and never will work and no matter how many times they rearrange the deckchairs it never will. Why SF would try to make it work is unfathomable.

Ironic though that the people who want to make it 'a great wee place'  are the also the people who do the most to make it a completely unworkable entity with their flegs and drums etc.

[Dire Ear]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40450895  Unreal!

[manfromdelmonte]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40450895  Unreal!

nothing surprises me up the north

[Tony Baloney]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40450895  Unreal!

Surprised?! The full truth was never going to see the light of day.

[Hereiam]

They were never going to be inspected, and to be honest after seeing the list it really wasn't one side of the house benefiting more than the other as it was a real mix, so both parties wouldn't really have been pushing for these inspections.

[yellowcard]

They were never going to be inspected, and to be honest after seeing the list it really wasn't one side of the house benefiting more than the other as it was a real mix, so both parties wouldn't really have been pushing for these inspections.

Have you got the full list and was the breakdown split out between nationalist/unionist? The list I seen wasn't and there were a large proprtion of claimants names witheld.

[Taylor]

Both sides lined their pockets on RHI.

One of the many reasons this place is fastly resembling a cesspit. Replace the violence with corruption at every corner and you get the idea

[T Fearon]

I will retell this story.A few years ago,I witnessed the DUP Mayor of Craigavon welcome guests from its twin town Ballina,in Irish,away from the camera.We are still tied up in the zero sum redundant toxic allegiances to two sovereign states who neither want nor understand us.This results in paralysis,and prioritises a Language Act over more pressing needs like Health and Education.

Like it or not nationalist Ireland at the time of the GFA freely consented to British Rule in the North.The next logical step is to make this form of government effective and accountable.There is no alternative I'm afraid,only direct Tory rule with a distinct DUP tinge.

[Taylor]

I will retell this story.A few years ago,I witnessed the DUP Mayor of Craigavon welcome guests from its twin town Ballina,in Irish,away from the camera.We are still tied up in the zero sum redundant toxic allegiances to two sovereign states who neither want nor understand us.This results in paralysis,and prioritises a Language Act over more pressing needs like Health and Education.

Like it or not nationalist Ireland at the time of the GFA freely consented to British Rule in the North.The next logical step is to make this form of government effective and accountable.There is no alternative I'm afraid,only direct Tory rule with a distinct DUP tinge.

This is the problem.
Very few on the hill are effective and no one is held accountable

[BennyCake]

Both sides lined their pockets on RHI.

One of the many reasons this place is fastly resembling a cesspit. Replace the violence with corruption at every corner and you get the idea

And fair play to them for lining their pockets. If someone gave me the same deal to heat my home, I'd have taken it. People are only looking after themselves. Nothing wrong with that. If there's a system there to be abused, abuse it.

[Taylor]

Both sides lined their pockets on RHI.

One of the many reasons this place is fastly resembling a cesspit. Replace the violence with corruption at every corner and you get the idea

And fair play to them for lining their pockets. If someone gave me the same deal to heat my home, I'd have taken it. People are only looking after themselves. Nothing wrong with that. If there's a system there to be abused, abuse it.

And ultimately who will pay for this abuse?

[BennyCake]

Both sides lined their pockets on RHI.

One of the many reasons this place is fastly resembling a cesspit. Replace the violence with corruption at every corner and you get the idea

And fair play to them for lining their pockets. If someone gave me the same deal to heat my home, I'd have taken it. People are only looking after themselves. Nothing wrong with that. If there's a system there to be abused, abuse it.

And ultimately who will pay for this abuse?

If you're implying that it was taxpayers money that was spent on RHI, that's hardly accurate.

It was money. Not your tax money or my tax money, it was just money. If you work and pay tax, you have no say how much is taken from your wages. I'd imagine you're unhappy at the tax taken from you, but can you do anything about it? No. The mafia take their slice and there's feck all anyone can do about it.

So if there's 500 million spent on RHI, who gives a feck? It's not taxpayers money. It's just money. Not yours or mine. If RHI hadn't have happened, would the taxman have gave you and everyone else back a slice of that 500 million? No.

Like I said, if there's a system/scheme there to be abused, abuse it. Look after yourself, because those that govern you certainly wont!

[armaghniac]

It was money. Not your tax money or my tax money, it was just money. If you work and pay tax, you have no say how much is taken from your wages. I'd imagine you're unhappy at the tax taken from you, but can you do anything about it? No. The mafia take their slice and there's feck all anyone can do about it.
/quote]

Which parts of public expenditure do you disagree with?