Arlene Foster and the RHI scandal

nice_guy80

Sinn Fein display why they'll never get into power down south

Double standards

GreenFolder2

It's all smoke and mirrors. (You get the mirrors by using the solar panel grant)

FrancieBrady

As predicted and underlined by something out of the blue, Arlene's career is likely to be a short one. She seems to have an uncanny knack of finding cul de sacs and ends up enflaming people rather than doing anything constructive.
http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/newton-emerson-arlene-foster-burns-in-fire-of-own-making-1.2911971

A Little Pony

Sinn Fein completely messed it up. Should have kept out of it, instead they just united the DUP and shut the whole thing down. Mcguinness is an incompetent idiot, he should resign too.

Seth Brundle

A Little Pony wrote: »

Sinn Fein completely messed it up. Should have kept out of it, instead they just united the DUP and shut the whole thing down. Mcguinness is an incompetent idiot, he should resign too.

Dunno. Now the DUP are all coming out to a protect Foster. If and when she is found out, how will the DUP look?
However, I think McGuinness had as deputy to take the stance he did.

Jayop

A Little Pony wrote: »

Sinn Fein completely messed it up. Should have kept out of it, instead they just united the DUP and shut the whole thing down. Mcguinness is an incompetent idiot, he should resign too.

lol, and if they didn't say anything you'd be complaining that they were playing politics or some such nonsense.

A Little Pony

kbannon wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

Sinn Fein completely messed it up. Should have kept out of it, instead they just united the DUP and shut the whole thing down. Mcguinness is an incompetent idiot, he should resign too.

Dunno.  Now the DUP are all coming out to a protect Foster. If and when she is found out, how will the DUP look?
However, I think McGuinness had as deputy to take the stance he did.

It just solidified the DUP base, no one is going to listen to an ex terrorist tell them what to do.

Jayop

They listened to Peter Robinson for long enough.

Seth Brundle

A Little Pony wrote: »

It just solidified the DUP base, no one is going to listen to an ex terrorist tell them what to do.

Nonetheless, it will piss off a lot of DUP fans who will possibly migrate back to UUP. This will erode away at the DUP majority which may result in SF being the majority party up there.

A Little Pony

kbannon wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

It just solidified the DUP base, no one is going to listen to an ex terrorist tell them what to do.

Nonetheless, it will piss off a lot of DUP fans who will possibly migrate back to UUP. This will erode away at the DUP majority which may result in SF being the majority party up there.

Could do, I voted UUP last May but she lost out. The DUP are under more scrutiny in the Unionist community than Sinn Fein are in the Republican community, it seems that way anyway.

FrancieBrady

Were not the DUP the party of fiscal rectitude and moral integrity?

If Bell was guided by God in his answers what is Arlene saying about God's guidance?

FrancieBrady

Despite the fact that the loudest calls for her resignation are coming from the UUP she pulls the 'I'm a victim' of SF card/deflection?
http://www.thejournal.ie/arlene-foster-explainer-3169345-Jan2017/?utm_source=shortlink

GreenFolder2

Apparently it's all just a simple case of republican mysigeniy by the left wing.... [rolleyes]

At least that's what I picked up from the sound bytes the morning.

Seth Brundle

Mysoginy article here...
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/arlene-foster-says-calls-to-stand-down-motivated-by-misogyny-1.2925274

I can see what she means though. Some people are saying that she is incompetent whilst others are saying that she is corrupt. To use the word "she" is a terrible attack on her character!

FrancieBrady

The attempt to rabble raise again is shocking.

It’s not secret that in my childhood the IRA tried to murder my father. It’s no secret that in the past the IRA put a bomb on my school bus. So do I really think that I’m going to step aside at the behest of Sinn Féin? No I’m not.

Prove there is nothing to answer for here Arlene, then point fingers elsewhere.

blackwhite

It's a new low for Northern politics (which is shocking considering how low it has stooped in the past) for a politician to use 1) such a blatant cry to sectarianism, and 2) play the "sexism" card to try and distract from corruption.

Jayop

That sky allowed her to soapbox like that without asking one tough question on the actual scandal is a disgrace. Shows they'd rather have a nice soundbite they can play on repeat all day rather than do any real journalism.

GreenFolder2

They likely had no idea whether any of the claims were true or false as most British media outlets don't know where northern Ireland is and know very little about its internal politics.

Jayop

GreenFolder2 wrote: »

They likely had no idea whether any of the claims were true or false as most British media outlets don't know where northern Ireland is and know very little about its internal politics.

So they should investigate before allowing her that platform. Aka journalism.

feargale

I haven't followed this controversy in great detail, but when I hear a female politician playing the oppressed female card I know that that politician is in trouble and that she knows it.

It happened years ago here when Dick Spring wiped the floor with PD leader Mary Harney in an election tv debate. The followiing day Liz O'Donnell was on tv to tell us that Dick Spring had been sexist in the debate.

Any female politician who peddles that nonsense should never get another vote.

DEFTLEFTHAND

People dislike her because she's incompetent not because she's a woman.

It's actually quite demeaning towards women in general the way she has pulled this 'damsel in distress' victim card instead of taking responsibility for her own failings.

FrancieBrady

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

People dislike her because she's incompetent not because she's a woman.

It's actually quite demeaning towards women in general the way she has pulled this 'damsel in distress' victim card instead of taking responsibility for her own failings.

The more dangerous thing is the playing to the DUP/unionist rabble, with the suggestion that SF see her as some sort of target.
Almost criminal that it is allowed.

Seth Brundle

Have the UUP made any public statement on the Cash for Ash scandal?
Did they say anything in the last day or so about Foster's mysoginy claim?

FrancieBrady

kbannon wrote: »

Have the UUP made any public statement on the Cash for Ash scandal?
Did they say anything in the last day or so about Foster's mysoginy claim?

Nesbitt has called for her resignation ( not stepping aside) but Arlene is playing to the rabble trying to suggest it is SF trying to get her.

FrancieBrady

Arlene gets a platform in one of NI's leading newspapers. Curious one.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/arlene-foster-i-want-an-investigation-into-rhi-and-will-work-to-right-what-went-wrong-35350833.html

Floppybits

Martin McGuinness is stepping down as deputy first minister.

Jayop

Floppybits wrote: »

Martin McGuinness is stepping down as deputy first minister.

Wow. Really surprised at that but I guess it had to be done. No way could they just carry on as if nothing happened.

What now? Elections? Is the whole GFA and executive in trouble?

FrancieBrady

Jayop wrote: »

Wow. Really surprised at that but I guess it had to be done. No way could they just carry on as if nothing happened.

What now? Elections? Is the whole GFA and executive in trouble?

Elections I would say.

DUP going to the people after RHI and Arlene's mess re Brexit with Arlene still leading. Political Hari Kari imo.

Jayop

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Elections I would say.

DUP going to the people after RHI and Arlene's mess re Brexit with Arlene still leading. Political Hari Kari imo.

They'll still be the biggest party. They were only ever a one issue party and for the majority of their voters that one issue is the biggest thing.

Anatom

Big political opportunity for SF now. Hard to see Foster surviving this with Brexit and the RHI debacle.

R P McMurphy

Jayop wrote: »

They'll still be the biggest party. They were only ever a one issue party and for the majority of their voters that one issue is the biggest thing.

Maybe not as the UUP might start to make up ground amongst unionist voters. As the reality of brexit sets in and people realise that they are going to be a lot worse off the DUP will be a hard sell. SF could end up the largest party as the DUP and UUP scrap it out

Seth Brundle

I think that SF will push out the spin doctors with a view to helping DUP fans to move elsewhere (UUP?) so that SF become the larger party.
In the 2016 Assembly elections the DUP had 29.4% of votes whereas SF had 24%.

Anatom

R P McMurphy wrote: »

Maybe not as the UUP might start to make up ground amongst unionist voters. As the reality of brexit sets in and people realise that they are going to be a lot worse off the DUP will be a hard sell. SF could end up the largest party as the DUP and UUP scrap it out

SF / UUP coalition probably, with SF most likely in the driving seat. Of course, that all depends on how badly the UUP or any others, want to get into government...

FrancieBrady

Yeh, dogfight in Unionism coming up. Dog will eat dog.

Awaiting the next Gerry Ate My Hamster story or arrest.

A Little Pony

He only resigned because he is ill, nothing to do with scandal, just a perfect chance to get out. Thankfully that is the last we will see of this idiot.

whatstherush

Imagine the **** that will hit the fan if elections are called and in the meantime before they happen, the UK supreme court rules NI executive has an veto on article 50 notification #FunTimes

Jayop

The unionists will not accept SF as the biggest party if it were to happen. No way and they'd collapse the institution rather than see McGuinness as first minister.

A Little Pony

Jayop wrote: »

The unionists will not accept SF as the biggest party if it were to happen. No way and they'd collapse the institution rather than see McGuinness as first minister.

Who cares, the system is broken anyway, nothing gets done. It is probably the worst form of government in the Western world. I am not voting this time, they are all incompetent idiots.

Jayop

A Little Pony wrote: »

He only resigned because he is ill, nothing to do with scandal, just a perfect chance to get out. Thankfully that is the last we will see of this idiot.

Haha, you must be worried when you're posting this level of nonsense.

FrancieBrady

DUP man not voting?
I'm sure SF will be delighted to hear that. That is as good as a vote for them.

Anita Blow

A Little Pony wrote: »

He only resigned because he is ill, nothing to do with scandal, just a perfect chance to get out. Thankfully that is the last we will see of this idiot.

I'm a bit surprised by this tbh. I don't pay too much attention to NI politics but he always seemed eager to at least moderate his views to reach out to Unionists. I mean just this month he had an approval rating among unionists within 10% of Arlene Foster. Meanwhile she single handedly orchestrated the absolute disaster of an RHI scheme that amounted to 5% of the country's GDP which is absolutely astronomical.

Jayop

Anita Blow wrote: »

I'm a bit surprised by this tbh. I don't pay too much attention to NI politics but he always seemed eager to at least moderate his views to reach out to Unionists. I mean just this month he had an approval rating among unionists within 10% of Arlene Foster. Meanwhile she single handedly orchestrated the absolute disaster of an RHI scheme that amounted to 5% of the country's GDP which is absolutely astronomical.

If you read some more of ponys posts very little will surprise you.

FrancieBrady

Anita Blow wrote: »

I'm a bit surprised by this tbh. I don't pay too much attention to NI politics but he always seemed eager to at least moderate his views to reach out to Unionists. I mean just this month he had an approval rating among unionists within 10% of Arlene Foster. Meanwhile she single handedly orchestrated the absolute disaster of an RHI scheme that amounted to 5% of the country's GDP which is absolutely astronomical.

ALP can't think of anything else to try to deflect from the crisis facing the DUP now. And Unionism in general.

McGuinness is ill, but if he was going to resign because of it, he was far sicker at the start of Dec.

Anatom

He has insisted today that the resignation has nothing to do with his health. Do with that what you will.

I suppose it, if untrue or even partly untrue, is designed to focus on the DUP story rather than create a new, SF and healthy candidates, one.

Not Propaganda

He is ill and doesn't look well but that's not what has triggered this. Just absolute arrogance from Arlene Foster with this whole situation. The Shinners handed it on a plate as well! Just step down temporarily while the investigation is carried out, not even a full public inquiry or anything. But no. What a fool.

FrancieBrady

Not Propaganda wrote: »

He is ill and doesn't look well but that's not what has triggered this. Just absolute arrogance from Arlene Foster with this whole situation. The Shinners handed it on a plate as well! Just step down temporarily while the investigation is carried out, not even a full public inquiry or anything. But no. What a fool.

I was fairly sure she was going to destroy her own career, but she seems intent in destroying the whole party.

A Little Pony

Jayop wrote: »

A Little Pony wrote: »

He only resigned because he is ill, nothing to do with scandal, just a perfect chance to get out. Thankfully that is the last we will see of this idiot.

Haha, you must be worried when you're posting this level of nonsense.

https://twitter.com/BBCMarkSimpson/status/818480087183953920

I was told he was seen in a cancer unit by someone well before Christmas.

Jayop

I'm not denying he has health issues. It's still nonsense to say it has nothing to do with the RHI scandal.

A Little Pony

FrancieBrady wrote: »

DUP man not voting?
I'm sure SF will be delighted to hear that. That is as good as a vote for them.

I voted UUP in 2015.

A Little Pony

Jayop wrote: »

I'm not denying he has health issues. It's still nonsense to say it has nothing to do with the RHI scandal.

Perfect chance for him to do it now. And besides, nothing will change in an election anyway.