Mr & Mrs Robinson

[Zapatista]

You know there's a lot of merit in what you say there. If you go to the Assembly website you'll see how poorly qualified most of them are.

Fixed that for ye.

Boys, I'd rather have direct rule than that farcical gravy train in east Belfast

Short memory perhaps. 3000 dead means I'm happier the way things are without direct rule.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Seems very convenient to get the major no man out of the way, even if only for 6 weeks, just when the whole thing was about to go off the rails over policing and justice.....

[stew]

Time for SF to turn the screw.

Expect an ultimatum from Gerry very soon.

I dont, I expect that he is going to let things play out over the next few weeks and if that bitch gets the first minister position on a full time basis he will deliver ultimatiums at that point.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Time for SF to turn the screw.

Expect an ultimatum from Gerry very soon.

I dont, I expect that he is going to let things play out over the next few weeks and if that bitch gets the first minister position on a full time basis he will deliver ultimatiums at that point.

Is Robinson's resignation not automatically triggered after 6 weeks after which the DUP would need SF consent to re-nominate a Frist & Deputy First Minister. That's pretty much a perfect bargaining chip for P & J without the Shinners having to take the nuclear option of collapsing the assembly themselves.

[Hardy]

IMO being ruled by a bunch of chinless wonders from London will only hasten the inevitable reunification of Ireland

And what then?

[pintsofguinness]

IMO being ruled by a bunch of chinless wonders from London will only hasten the inevitable reunification of Ireland

And what then?

We'll be begging in the streets with you lot

[red hander]

You know there's a lot of merit in what you say there. If you go to the Assembly website you'll see how poorly qualified most of them are.

Fixed that for ye.

Boys, I'd rather have direct rule than that farcical gravy train in east Belfast

Short memory perhaps. 3000 dead means I'm happier the way things are without direct rule.

Aye, but what was the spark that let the genie out of the bottle in 1968, which took 30+ years and 3000+ lives to put back in the bottle? Stormont...

[red hander]

IMO being ruled by a bunch of chinless wonders from London will only hasten the inevitable reunification of Ireland

And what then?

If I knew that the Euro Lottery would be a cert on Friday night ... we'll have to study the lessons of Germany very carefully, I'd say. 

[THE MIGHTY QUINN]

Seems very convenient to get the major no man out of the way, even if only for 6 weeks, just when the whole thing was about to go off the rails over policing and justice.....

I'm not convinced he was the no man. I'd have thought Jeffrey (who's pretty quiet at the moment), Gregory Campbell and McCrea would be the major no men

[orangeman]

Given the way state of the economy in the south, will they be mad keen to add to their woes by inheriting us ?

More importantly, will the nationalist population in any referendum vote to join up with the south ??


The price of groceries in Dundalk compared to that in Newry might put some people off.

Is that what they mean by bread and butter politics ?

[Zapatista]

I'm not convinced he was the no man. I'd have thought Jeffrey (who's pretty quiet at the moment), Gregory Campbell and McCrea would be the major no men

Same here but I think it's all political games. Robinson had a duty as first minister to stop being a No man much as Paisley had and to a certain degree did. It's much easier for the others who only had to please their own electorate. I'm not so sure if any of the above would be any different as firt minister.

[Hardy]

Given the way state of the economy in the south, will they be mad keen to add to their woes by inheriting us ?

More importantly, will the nationalist population in any referendum vote to join up with the south ??


The price of groceries in Dundalk compared to that in Newry might put some people off.

Is that what they mean by bread and butter politics ?

Not to mention the consideration that having left behind decades of church infestation of the halls of power, some here mightn't be too keen to return to the realm of bible-thumping politics in another form.

[Fiodoir Ard Mhacha]

Some would say East Germany is still to catch up with its western counterpart 20 years after re-unification but it still happened.  At the end of the day, it's devolution for now, or nothing, and leading ultimately, and progressively, to the natural solution for such a small island.

[red hander]

Given the way state of the economy in the south, will they be mad keen to add to their woes by inheriting us ?

More importantly, will the nationalist population in any referendum vote to join up with the south ??


The price of groceries in Dundalk compared to that in Newry might put some people off.

Is that what they mean by bread and butter politics ?

Not to mention the consideration that having left behind decades of church infestation of the halls of power, some here mightn't be too keen to return to the realm of bible-thumping politics in another form.

In such a situation it would be so diluted as to be practically useless ... the Free Ps up here only really have any influence within the DUP ... that's the same DUP which has been tearing itself apart for the last 10 days to the great delight of many people, myself included. The influence of fundamentalist Protestantism and the Catholic church have both waned in recent years for various reasons that are obvious ... Ireland north and south is a much more secular place these days, thank, er, God

[Zapatista]

Given the way state of the economy in the south, will they be mad keen to add to their woes by inheriting us ?

More importantly, will the nationalist population in any referendum vote to join up with the south ??

The price of groceries in Dundalk compared to that in Newry might put some people off.

Is that what they mean by bread and butter politics ?

I'm not sure if this is simplifying it or complicating it. The north and the south would be two equal parts going into reunification. There will be no inheriting of anything.

I think a UI is pretty much the organic state which has been tampered with. It could return to that easily. I can't see any particular day when we go to bed at night partitioned and wake up united with annual celebrations to mark the glorious day. If you want to unite the country peacefully and hassle free you simply remove the the obstales bit by bit. e.g one currency, one health care system, one  education system all harmonising bit by bit. We'd barely notice it happen as it would happen over 10 to 20 years??? It would take longer to change some things and agree on somethings but eventually there would be enough done to be able to call it United and the work could still continue after that.

Re Hardys post..I think this would be making a mountain out of a mole hill. If it were to become a problem it would be due to some making it an issue and by effect it becoming an issue. This would probably be a red herring to suit someone against unification.