The Political Thread

[JOE SOAP]

It just goes to show that May and her cadre care not for the stability of the UK and especially the delicate politics of NI – seriously, siding with the DUP is a political disaster for everyone – but only for their own political survival.

[TordelBack]

My optician (a nordie who fled to Dublin some years back) had a bright take on things today as she unironically squirted orange goop into my eyes: "at least now Britain might realise what we've had to put up with: it's not all the Chuckle Brothers".

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Aye, that's how I'm looking at it Mister Tordels. The DUPers have taken a serious misstep into the spotlight. NAMA, Redsky, RHI and the abuse of the PoC, the mainstream British media might start taking an interest in all of it. Prominent DUPers may find find themselves in interviews, not with their old chums like Mark Davenport, but attack dogs like Paxman and Snow. I'm looking forward to watching them twist in the wind before being hung out to dry by whoever replaces May.

At the same time, I'm concerned that The Brits will think they are representative of us here in the North. Not an unreasonable assumption since the bastards keep winning elections here. A situation which is a source of constant bafflement to me. Then again, The Tories got the most seats in That election

[Tjm86]

That link from the Independent makes interesting reading, thanks Tordels.  I think the scrutiny that the DUP now receive is, as has been said, going to make for some incredibly interesting revelations.  And no, Mister Pops, we don't consider them representative of you guys.  Please remember Nigel Farage, Michael Gove, Boris Johnson, .... to name but a few.  As you say, some of the muppets we keep electing don't really cast us in a good light.

Everything that the Tories have done over the past few years, from the referendum to this election, has been about their own interests.  This deal with the DUP has nothing to do with what is in the best interests of the British people and everything to do with hanging on to their incredibly tenuous grip on power.  That said, it already seems that Arlene Foster is trying to do the same to May as she did in Stormont.  Last night: we have a power sharing agreement.  This morning: ah, no we don't.  I think however that she will find that playing with the big boys in Westminster is a whole different league, even with the level of incompetence that they are currently demonstrating.

So it seems that we have:
- a prime minister that has lost her party the majority she had in parliament.
- a prime minister that is now completely isolated in her own party.
- a junior partner in power that has a track record of blowing apart coalition deals through intransigence.
- a junior partner in power that has more skeletons in its colleague than a psychotic mortician.
- a government that has been potentially fatally weakened about to embark on insanely complex negotiations over the future of our relations with our main trading and political partners.

I think that when the history of this period is written, future generations are going to dismiss it as farce and refuse to believe it happened.   

[Eamonn Clarke]

At least Nick and Fiona can take that holiday now.

[Rately]

Aye, that's how I'm looking at it Mister Tordels. The DUPers have taken a serious misstep into the spotlight. NAMA, Redsky, RHI and the abuse of the PoC, the mainstream British media might start taking an interest in all of it. Prominent DUPers may find find themselves in interviews, not with their old chums like Mark Davenport, but attack dogs like Paxman and Snow. I'm looking forward to watching them twist in the wind before being hung out to dry by whoever replaces May.

At the same time, I'm concerned that The Brits will think they are representative of us here in the North. Not an unreasonable assumption since the bastards keep winning elections here. A situation which is a source of constant bafflement to me. Then again, The Tories got the most seats in That election

So many good points.

Its embarassing to think they are the biggest party in Northern Ireland. The sad thing is, this is a lovely country, with the majority, whether Catholic or Protestant or other, being some of the kindest, most decent people you could ever meet. It's just a shame that some people feel that they are a viable option for a vote, though i'm sure many Catholics feel the same when voting for Sinn Fein.

Ah well, i can at least take some small, terrible joy from the inevitable Jeffrey Donaldson interview when the media ask him, the committed Christian, about his hotel room TV entertainment bill.

[TordelBack]

The sad thing is, this is a lovely country, with the majority, whether Catholic or Protestant or other, being some of the kindest, most decent people you could ever meet.

So very true. It's incredibly hard for an outsider to square the people you meet, and the beauty of the place, with what you see on the TV, and particularly its 'representatives': NI as a whole is one of my favourite places to go. Obviously as visitors we aren't delving into the darker corners where the monsters dwell, but that's true of every country, every city.

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

I should have voted for Lord Buckethead all along. He'll save us! 

[Mikey]

It just goes to show that May and her cadre care not for the stability of the UK and especially the delicate politics of NI – seriously, siding with the DUP is a political disaster for everyone – but only for their own political survival.

This is the thing. I entirely understand the shock for people who haven't been interested or aware of what goes on in Northern Ireland, but it sticks in my craw a bit that it's really about that it's now had a direct and obvious impact on the Westminster government. It's likely that that government won't last through a normal term and the DUP will be cast back from whence they've come, but there is going to be a real and lasting impact in Northern Ireland - my feeling is it's a set back of years (again). It may harm the DUP to have UK wide scrutiny, but they are notoriously bullish regarding criticism, in common with many right wing politicians. They'll stay where they no matter what.

The latest round of bullshit sessions/talks were due to start on Monday. There's no way Sinn Féin will accept a Tory presiding as chair given the situation.  The election results have shown NI is probably more starkly divided than it has been in years with no moderate MPs returned, which demonstrates why our Assembly elections aren't FPTP. I can't see the Assembly returning any time soon so we're stuck with it again - I'm just glad I really don't think there's a real desire to start the killing from most quarters, but who knows. 

Pint anyone?

[JayzusB.Christ]

The sad thing is, this is a lovely country, with the majority, whether Catholic or Protestant or other, being some of the kindest, most decent people you could ever meet.

So very true. It's incredibly hard for an outsider to square the people you meet, and the beauty of the place, with what you see on the TV, and particularly its 'representatives': NI as a whole is one of my favourite places to go. Obviously as visitors we aren't delving into the darker corners where the monsters dwell, but that's true of every country, every city.

Thirded from me.  I love Northern Ireland; it truly has some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen anywhere, and find the vast majority of the people really nice.  The DUP are frothing, ignorant bigots, and it's an awful shame that they will now be tainting the rest of the UK's view of our Nordies like never before.

[TordelBack]

Mine's a Guinness, cheers Mikey!

It is fascinating to see the shift from the Brexit results, where it was very clear that the UK was to all intents and purposes just England, and small-town England at that, to a situation where the 'regions'  hold the whip hand, and people have to acknowledge what the Union actually means. I wonder how many English voters had ever heard of the ghastly Arlene Foster or the frankly impressive Ruth Davidson before, let alone realised that they might have a say in their governance? And how will this realisation play into the English isolationism that gave us Brexit?

(Aside: May, Davidson, Sturgeon, Foster: now there's a change to ponder).

[Professor Bear]

Scrutiny from the rest of the UK won't change the DUP one jot, partly as shame, irony and self-awareness aren't part of their emotional or political vocabulary, but mainly because they've been getting in front of cameras in the House for years spouting their daffy shite and the UK media didn't even bother covering it for lulz.  "I consider child abuse almost as bad as homosexuality" - Iris Robinson said this in public, in front of cameras in Parliament, and the UK media didn't give a shit.

This speculation is moot, though, as none of the usual outlets have said fuck all about the terror links.  Questioned about the DUP's support on the BBC, Michael Fallon said they were a legitimate party and then immediately moved on to talk about Corbyn and the IRA, so we can assume the media's period of introspection and self-evaluation has ended - at least as far as the BBC are concerned - and the DUP, as honorary Tories, will get about as much scrutiny as Theresa May does.

[TordelBack]

Tut-tut Bear, everyone knows the Troubles were a straight fight between HM Armed Forces (tanks on the streets) and the IRA (bombs in the shopping centre), which Tony Blair won after Ian Paisley got tired of shouting 'No!' and Gerry Adams' voice actor retired. I can't see how the DUP fit in at all.

[Mikey]

Scrutiny from the rest of the UK won't change the DUP one jot, partly as shame, irony and self-awareness aren't part of their emotional or political vocabulary, but mainly because they've been getting in front of cameras in the House for years spouting their daffy shite and the UK media didn't even bother covering it for lulz...

Yeah, that's entirely my point about them being bullish, for want of any stronger word.

Questioned about the DUP's support on the BBC, Michael Fallon said they were a legitimate party and then immediately moved on to talk about Corbyn and the IRA,

But that's it though - they are a legitimate party, same as Sinn Fein are (That's neither an endorsement or condemnation of either by the way). And frankly if you threw a lump of turf into a crowded room in Norn Iron, apart from causing a security alert, you'd likely hit either a paramilitary or someone with links to them.

The point I'm making is that any links the DUP may or may not have to proscribed organisations strikes me as there cannot ever be discussion about Northern Ireland MPs without bringing it down to terrorism. I understand why that is too, but as I've said in other places over the last couple of days, there's enough in their published manifesto and on record views and actions to criticise them for. Bringing it continually back to hoods I suppose just makes me realise how far we have to go to break out of the shadow of the past.

[Dandontdare]

Looks like Trump's state visit may never happen - apparently he phoned May and said he didn't want to visit if there'd be protests and he won't come until the British public supports him ... so that'd be never then