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Northern Ireland election

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Delivery, delivery, delivery

  • Mark Devenport
  • 21 Feb 07, 02:40 PM

Nigel Dodds summed it up - the word "delivery" features strongly in the DUP manifesto. They gathered at the Innovation Centre at the Belfast Science Park this morning for the event. Ian Paisley deflected all questions about whether March 26th is attainable by telling us to go and ask Sinn Fein. Would he serve as a Deputy First Minister to Martin McGuinness is Sinn Fein were the biggest party? No, he replied, the only deputy's badge he wanted was one with a star so he could lock the Mid Ulster MP up in the county gaol. Talk of ultimatums from Peter Hain prompted guffaws.

So we are still in a state of ambiguity. But there was enough talk about the balance of power on a future executive and the DUP not being to blame for any delay that the drift of policy seems clear enough. Certainly the government appears happy with the DUP manifesto - from their point of view what is not there is as significant as what is. In contrast to the 2005 manifesto, power sharing with Sinn Fein is not ruled out of the question. So government sources aren't talking any longer about pulling the plug - this election is going ahead.

Incidentally some people may doubt that Ian Paisley still has any fire in his belly, but I can confirm that it is full of copious quantities of porridge. At a breakfast briefing some days ago, he confided to me his preference for porridge over an Ulster Fry. In recent days, quite unprompted, I have often heard him extolling the virtues of porridge to all and sundry. Whatever else might be said about the DUP leader, he is definitely getting his oats.

Comments   Post your comment

  • 1.
  • At 05:24 PM on 21 Feb 2007,
  • Brendan Mulgrew wrote:

So if the SOS continues to make every effort possible to convince the parties that the deal must be done by 26th March - and the parties (well,lets face it, the DUP) continue to 'guffaw' at such deadlines where does that leave us?

It looks like Hain may have cried Wolf once too often. Nobody - absolutely nobody - believes that he will pull the plug on 27th March if there is the slightest chance of a deal further on up the road.

by the way - the blog is a nice addition to the election coverage. just a pity nobody seems to give a damn about the election!

  • 2.
  • At 08:14 PM on 21 Feb 2007,
  • The Craic Party wrote:

It is interesting that the Irish Government wants to spend 拢800 million on infrastructure in Northern Ireland. All this EU money is to be distributed in nationalist areas west of the Bann and in the heartland border areas of Sinn Fein.

The DUP in its new manifesto has come up with counter proposals under the threat they will not go into any new Assembly administration unless the Chancellor re-calculates his figures and substantially increases the block grant for Northern Ireland. This on top of the 拢2 billion (negotiated earlier by Trimble and company) which seems to have gone missing! No wonder we are having to pay this back via the new Water Rates and increased Regional Rate demands.

So the unionists have one of two choices:

1. They can ask Dr Paisley to put forward the begging bowl he was presented with by the Taoiseach (nice one Bertie) at St Andrews and ask for a financial package to include the unionist areas east of the Bann: or

2. the unionist voters can support the DUP in demanding more money with menaces, which Gordon Brown will most certainly resist 鈥 at least until the Prime Minister leaves office.

Therefore the choice for the unionists is to be either humiliated on the one hand, or lose self-respect on the other. Some deal this is, Dr Paisley!

While Sinn Fein celebrates another Christmas wind-fall, the DUP is looking forward post election to April 1st (All Fools' Day) and another suspended Assembly!


  • 3.
  • At 08:26 PM on 28 Feb 2007,
  • The Craic Party wrote:

THE TAP TAX ALBATROSS

THE FACTS:

Under Direct Rule, the average household bill will be 拢150 year one, 拢300 year two and 拢450 year three.

THE PARTIES DELIVERY:

UUP - 鈥渨ill insist that charges are capped at 拢100 max鈥. May we assume this is in the third year? 鈥 great!! Now can they explain how they intend to make up the short fall? Borrow it from Gordon or a local bank might be generous and provide an annual Christmas grant.

DUP 鈥 (1) 鈥淢eters for all鈥 is their slogan. At a conservative 拢100 per meter installed for 650,000 households works out in anyone鈥檚 money to 拢65 million. (2) 鈥淜eep bills at a level no higher than England and Wales鈥. Is the DUP barking mad? OFWAT has just released figures on charges to be imposed from 1 April 2007 and quote South West Water at 拢650 average (拢54 per month).

SDLP 鈥 The watery solution. It wouldn鈥檛 have any charges but will work out 鈥渁n equitable way of funding our water鈥. What kind of double-dutch is this? We believe Mark Durkan has lost his voice and to cap it all, he has lost his marbles as well!

ALLIANCE 鈥 Has a no leak policy 鈥 鈥渨ater should be paid for on the basis of ability to pay鈥. On the basis of an MLA鈥檚 salary of 拢50,000 Naomi Long will most certainly have the ability to pay. As a gesture to secure our vote, will she pay ours as well?

SINN FEIN 鈥 They have an all-Ireland strategy. They want the Brits to pay 鈥 we kid you not!

UKUP 鈥 Throw of the dice method. Not at the super casino of the Assembly, but on the Monopoly Board. Follow your leader 鈥 don鈥檛 pay and 鈥楪o to Jail鈥. We cannot resist it Mark 鈥 鈥淭he Crumlin Road Six鈥.

Water, water, everywhere and not a pipe will leak,
Water, water, everywhere and let the parties speak.
Who will rid us of this mighty albatross?
For when they get our votes, none will give a toss!

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