Restoration of Stormont

FrancieBrady

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

About bloody time.

No doubt they decided to start on a Sat so they could get the double time OT weekend rate.

Let's hope they can actually make some progress on the issues affecting the country going forward.

No. They need a working functional executive before the deadline on Monday.

Sinbad_NI

FrancieBrady wrote: »

No. They need a working functional executive before the deadline on Monday.

You've obviously a much higher opinion of the lot of them than I do.

FrancieBrady

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

You've obviously a much higher opinion of the lot of them than I do.

No, just a high opinion of 'facts'. That is why they sat today.

L1011

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

About bloody time.

No doubt they decided to start on a Sat so they could get the double time OT weekend rate.

Let's hope they can actually make some progress on the issues affecting the country going forward.

There is no such rate

Sinbad_NI

FrancieBrady wrote: »

No, just a high opinion of 'facts'. That is why they sat today.

I don't know these facts, but if be interested to find out...

How many of them didn't take their pay when they weren't actually doing their job? If I stopped working I wouldn't get much pay. What about you?

Was their pay capped similar to the nurses the last several years?

FrancieBrady

Sinbad_NI wrote: »

I don't know these facts, but if be interested to find out...

How many of them didn't take their pay when they weren't actually doing their job? If I stopped working I wouldn't get much pay. What about you?

Was their pay capped similar to the nurses the last several years?

Those are different points.
I was just pointing out the fact that they had to sit today due to a deadline set by the SoS.

On the actual point you made, I am not sure it would have been right to suspend the pay of MLA's who couldn't do anything to resolve the issues. The Alliance, SDLP UUP etc.

I lay some blame at the feet of Westminster here too because I think we would have gotten to Smith's deadline far quicker but for the sweetheart deal the Tories had with the DUP.

Anyone can see what happened as soon as the Tories didn't require them anymore.

Sinbad_NI

FrancieBrady wrote: »

...
On the actual point you made, I am not sure it would have been right to suspend the pay of MLA's who couldn't do anything to resolve the issues. The Alliance, SDLP UUP etc.

I lay some blame at the feet of Westminster here too because I think we would have gotten to Smith's deadline far quicker but for the sweetheart deal the Tories had with the DUP.

...

Yes, agree and agree.

James Brown

zimmermania wrote: »

On the contrary,she is desperate to hold on to the leadership after a couple of dreadful elections.

Sinn Fein have compromised for a long time now and their "republicanism" is just a flag of convenience.

One time they did not recognise the government,the courts,the police and the army of the republic,now they recognise everything including the border.

The leadership gave half hearted support to the liberal agenda pushed through by Vrad even though many SF supporters ,particularly away from the urban centres are conservative,catholic nationalists .

NiRiada's vote and the very poor vote received by the party in the European and local elections shows that voters do not know what to make of the party now and the overwhelming desire by the leadership to be accepted by FF and FG as coalition partners is difficult for supporters to stomach.

It's the taxpayers loss to let Foster off the hook.
I'd say many a concession was made by both sides to get this far.
The only babies remaining firmly in their pram sans toys are the DUP.
The main criticism SF get on here is for being petty and stubborn, now it's something else.
Falling afoul of the higher bar than we set FF and FG.
They'll get what ever votes they get.

L1011

Interestingly, two of NIs 3 MEPs are now MLAs - Naomi Long has taken her own seat back with her replacement resigning; and Diane Dodds has taken the vacancy caused by Carla Lockhart's election to Westminster. Long has got the Justice ministry.

The Dual Mandate ban does not apply here as it isn't the national legislature and anyway, there's 20 days left probably.

The Executive is quite sensible except for a climate change denier in Environment (Poots) but he'd cause damage anywhere he was put

BluePlanet

Apparently Jeffrey Donaldson is out claiming the win that the DUP will have a veto over the Irish language, because that's the important stuff - stopping the IL.

https://www.derryjournal.com/news/politics/dup-has-veto-over-irish-language-standards-says-jeffrey-donaldson-1-9197648

Slideshowbob

Is the cash for ash scandal forgotten about then?

Scoundrel

Slideshowbob wrote: »

Is the cash for ash scandal forgotten about then?

There's a report due out on that soon that'll be the end of Foster i'd say.

ancapailldorcha

BluePlanet wrote: »

Apparently Jeffrey Donaldson is out claiming the win that the DUP will have a veto over the Irish language, because that's the important stuff - stopping the IL.

https://www.derryjournal.com/news/politics/dup-has-veto-over-irish-language-standards-says-jeffrey-donaldson-1-9197648

I suppose that it's all they really have. I mean, they've just undermined the foundation of the UK which is their entire raison-d'etre so they have to present something as a win to their base.

I don't know if this is true or not but that's how I'd read it.

James Brown

BluePlanet wrote: »

Apparently Jeffrey Donaldson is out claiming the win that the DUP will have a veto over the Irish language, because that's the important stuff - stopping the IL.

https://www.derryjournal.com/news/politics/dup-has-veto-over-irish-language-standards-says-jeffrey-donaldson-1-9197648

Talk about reconciliation.
Just looking to get a rise out of the troops.

beggars_bush

Have unionists got a problem with Scots Gaelic?

As in the protestants and Presbyterian in Scotland who speak Scots Gaelic

WomanSkirtFan8

FrancieBrady wrote: »

It's the bottom line really. It's only heading one way...to a normal society.

Indeed. You only have to look at the results of the recent UK General election to see the evidence of an emerging nationalist majority in North, South and west Belfast.

weemcd

Seems Northern Ireland aren't getting nearly the amount of money in a handout they were expecting. 1-2 billion instead of 5. With Brexit beginning I think this will be the status quo from now on. London's purse strings will be tied and I'd expect anyone who recieves EU subsidies to be the first casualty - farmers and infrastructure investment spring to mind.

Much of this has to sit with Dodds and Foster, their histrionics during their confidence and supply agreement have left them shunted and disowned. Discarded and useless to the Tories.

Also decades of financial mismanagement in Northern Ireland has come back to bite the entire Stormont executive. They have not made a good start this week.

RHI incoming, and Brexit. Hold on tight.

beggars_bush

weemcd wrote: »

Seems Northern Ireland aren't getting nearly the amount of money in a handout they were expecting. 1-2 billion instead of 5. With Brexit beginning I think this will be the status quo from now on. London's purse strings will be tied and I'd expect anyone who recieves EU subsidies to be the first casualty - farmers and infrastructure investment spring to mind.

Much of this has to sit with Dodds and Foster, their histrionics during their confidence and supply agreement have left them shunted and disowned. Discarded and useless to the Tories.

Also decades of financial mismanagement in Northern Ireland has come back to bite the entire Stormont executive. They have not made a good start this week.

RHI incoming, and Brexit. Hold on tight.

How soon will the blame game start?

SF will stay quiet until after the GE down south

weemcd

beggars_bush wrote: »

How soon will the blame game start?

SF will stay quiet until after the GE down south

It's inevitable, I think you're right though SF will probably keep their nose clean for about a month. But trust when RHI enquiry does come out they will hound Foster. Would bet 50/50 on a collapse after that if she doesn't step down.

FrancieBrady

weemcd wrote: »

It's inevitable, I think you're right though SF will probably keep their nose clean for about a month. But trust when RHI enquiry does come out they will hound Foster. Would bet 50/50 on a collapse after that if she doesn't step down.

In fairness Conor Murphy signalled this before the parties reached a deal and is not being silent now either.

https://www.thejournal.ie/stormont-funding-package-4967540-Jan2020/

maccored

weemcd wrote: »

It's inevitable, I think you're right though SF will probably keep their nose clean for about a month. But trust when RHI enquiry does come out they will hound Foster. Would bet 50/50 on a collapse after that if she doesn't step down.

she deserves to be hounded and she should have already stepped down

Nika Bolokov

Ulster scots has it's own quiz book you can get on Amazon.

It is therefore a true language and warrants holding up democracy in Northern Ireland.

maccored

"Forenenst" is a word my dad used to use a lot. Never realised it was ulster scots til relatively recently:

http://www.ulsterscotsacademy.com/words/hamely-tongue/f/fornenst.php