Monday, April 24, 2006
A “Big Conversation” for Unionists
In its presentation to the British Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body, the DUP delegation has outlined plans for detailed consultation with the Unionist community about the restoration of devolution.
Fair Deal @ 10:55 AM
An excellent idea.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:09 PMthe dance has started and it seems as if the deal is done
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:15 PM“An excellent idea” as long as they give the correct answers.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:22 PMcould they be copying this “grass roots consultation” idea from the provos.
A form of amalite envy I think.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:28 PMHeck - it bears a closer similarity to Dermot Nesbit’s UUP consultation exercise of 1997.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:31 PMheck
Republicans did not invent the idea of consultation.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:32 PMWith the nonsensical condition of ‘no threat to the constitutional future of NI’ this is just feelgood noises with no real committment behind it.
We’ve heard it all before from Trimble. If it meant nothing then, why should it be any more serious now?
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:37 PMInteresting to note that even before they have identified the deal on the table (unless it is the robinson-adams agreement) the dup’s have selected those they will consult with. I wont hold my breath waiting for an open meeting such as those held in the days before the referendum.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:44 PMLooks like a means to gain time, to spin out the process and further delay any movement even post-Nov. 24th…
It is a cynical attempt to give the impression of movement while doing nothing.Open-ended consultations, just what the six counties needs alright. Nonsense.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:51 PMThese DUP boys have been studying Tony’s tactics well.
Public Consultation exercises cover a multitude of sins.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 12:57 PM“Unionist” - tell us more about the ‘open meetings’ held before the referendum. My memory tends more to recollection of UUP meetings where the Trimble faction wouldn’t even allow the wrong sort of Ulster Unionist into the place. Still, better to remember the good times, rather than the bad, eh?
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:08 PMIt’s inspired really. It won’t be the DUP itself that takes the DUP into Power sharing, but the Unionist Community.
The UUP are still afraid to push forward policy for fear the DUP will label them Lundies. Whereas the DUP are more free in their activities. The phrase, ‘Only Nixon could go to China’ comes to mind.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:09 PMHopefully I am wrong, but I don’t expect to see much movement and what there will be will be begrudging and the atmosphere and messages sent out toxic. Time will tell, but the big shift in Unionism will happen post Paisley, that’s when it really gets interesting.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:09 PMunionist
Why would the DUP wan to consult UUP die-hards like you? You clearly despise them and want them to fail. It must be so frustrating for you watching the DUP bring along the Unionist community in a way that the Purple Turtle could only dream of.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:14 PMIMO the deal is done and the DUP are creating the notion that they are listening before moving. The big sop to the dup from the brits has been delaying the elections from may 2007 to 2008. This allows enough time to have elapsed from the big shift to the creation of the feel good factor from a working assembly, to the dup reaping the rewards electorally.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:22 PMJ Kelly - I’ll phrase this gently, as I know that mid-afternoon is a tricky time of day for conspiracy theorists, but ..... leaving to one side why you think a working assembly is going to create a ‘feelgood factor’ (the last one didn’t), how many more electoral rewards do you think there are for the DUP to pick up? I’m hardly Trimble’s biggest fan inside the UUP, but I’ll say this for him, and the mess he left Reg - the only way is up. First official Slugger prediction for the next Stormont elections: the UUP will be up fully 1 whole seat on their close-of-play tally in this assembly.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:29 PMKarl
Rubbish. The Ulster Unionist members (who are fairely senior) I have been speaking to expect to return with 16-20 seats.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:32 PMJ Kelly
An interesting theory but I don’t know about a working assembly bringing a feel-good factor, isn’t that naive?
Catraegus
I used to hold the view you expressed but recent changes in the DUP hae led me to revise my position. I now wouldn’t rule out a deal with Dr Paisley as leader. His party has moved a lot while he has been in charge, he has a strong team there, and I think they see his potential endorsement as strengthening their hand in the deal making process (his endorsement is worth something since so many unionists trust him implicitly). I also sense they’re pretty serious about getting a deal that is stable and can work for them, which does not leave them electorally vulnerable in the way the UUP’s deals did.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:32 PMPS. Delaying the election is not the DUP’s style. The best deal is the right deal and the right time is when the right deal presents itself. If anything, I think the DUP would be happy with an election earlier rather than later than scheduled.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:34 PMOkey dokey “Loyalist”, see you here in a years’ time: I have the UUP closer to 25, you have them closer to 15. We’ll see.
Incidentally “Loyalist”, what would your attitude be to a pre-contest seat-sharing deal? With the thinking being that, a deal would lead to more Unionists in toto (and thus, from your point of view, would sadly also mean more UUP MLAs) elected to Stormont. But no deal leading, again, to vote shredding, thus fewer Unionists overall, but of that reduced number, a larger percentage would be Paisleyite?
I can’t see any argument whatsoever from anyone who calls themself a Unionist for reducing the total number of Unionist MLAs.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:38 PMIt must be remembered that it was Dodds, Robinson and Martin McGuinness who got the good reviews as ministers. I believe that the DUP are of the opinion that once in power they have the ability to make change and deliver thus creating a feel good factor.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:39 PM“First official Slugger prediction for the next Stormont elections: the UUP will be up fully 1 whole seat on their close-of-play tally in this assembly. “
I find that optimistic in the extreme Karl, infact, thats a bit of a Friday Night with Jonathan Ross predection. Holding 24 seats will be a massive victory for Reg. The only two places where it concevible for the UUP to leave the eletion up on seats from where they entered it are Lagan Valley and North Antrim, in the second instance only if little Donny Osmond is told to remain a “London based barrister” where he can’t do any more damage.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:40 PMYou may well have a point. It will also relieve his successors from having to do a deal themselves. Nice to have it out of the way if you were Dodds or Robinson.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:42 PMI’m not sure about the seat sharing thing Karl, but the DUP starting to encourage transfers would be a start. Extra unionist seats in Mid Ulster, West Tyrone (maybe), Lagan Valley, Strangford, Newry & Armagh (maybe) to name the obvious opnes.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:42 PMI’ve been depressed about the UUP’s leadership since 1998. But now the Turtle’s gone, I’m going to be an optimist, so help me Gerrymander.
Posted by on Apr 24, 2006 @ 01:44 PM
