The resignation of Martin McGuinness means that there is no longer any leadership in the Executive Office of Northern Ireland. The jointly-held nature of the position of First Minister/Deputy First Minister means that with Martin’s resignation, Arlene Foster has effectively been dragged kicking and screaming from office.
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Foster trying to hide her incompetence behind her ovaries is not an appealing sight.
"The "clock is ticking" on a Northern Ireland election following the resignation of Martin McGuinness, the Secretary of State has said."
Is he sure it is just a clock???
So gaming it, let's say the election changes next to nothing, the DUP and Sinn Fein are the only parties large enough to go into office together. But it's clear they can't work together at the moment. What happens next?
My (distant) reading is that it's about personalities as much as anything, Sinn Fein just don't like and have found it harder to work with the DUP under Arlene Foster, and the RHI scheme provided perfect cover to do what they wanted to do anyway.
Which MP pulled the alarm?
I thought she was still clinging on by her fingernails? – However, great thread Mr Fletcher, ta.
But ultimately, part of the problem of Norn Iron politics is that it's barely big enough to function effectively as it is, make it any smaller and you might as well turn it into a county council (or a Scottish unitary authority as the unionist population are closer to the Scots historically than the English).
Local pollster Lucid Talk is well worth following on twitter. This is one sharp observation that they made yesterday:
https://twitter.com/LucidTalk/status/818521746374590464
Here's a recent opinion poll on leader ratings which, incidentally, shows just how tribal northern Irish politics is:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/poll-arlene-fosters-leadership-rating-plummets-from-49-to-29-35345193.html
The problem is that they just looked like a group who have received some internal polling news that tells them they are going to lose a lot of seats. Now if I can see that, so can SF.
I read ages ago had the likes of Goebbels not committed suicide, they would have been described as missing by the Allies, but kept alive in secret to use their knowledge.
Le Pen talks of animal rights and markets herself to pet owners, but her party still supports hunting and bullfighting.
I hope Bardot backs Mélenchon. In 2002, Jean-Marie Le Pen got into R2 by winning 16.9% in the first round. Mélenchon is polling 14% now. Who knows? Maybe there will be a tight-knit bunch of practically-second-equal candidates. Maybe Philippe Poutou (New Anticapitalist Party, polling 2%) and Nathalie Arthaud (Workers' Struggle, polling 1%) could withdraw and advocate voting for Mélenchon? Valls isn't likely to be going places if he wins the PS nomination: I will be amazed if he gets into R2.
https://twitter.com/JayneMcCormack/status/818834851444838403
I don't understand why she doesn't just go. It's not like there's not been a revolving door in her position anyway. She's already the 6th, 8th and 10th holder of the office and it's not even been going two decades yet.
Lab "not wedded to freedom of movement" BUT now adds "nor do we rule it out"
Corbyn: These are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
One million people watch 500ft snooker trick shot
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-38573364
He is a dreadful uninspiring speaker and basically clueless
Sky: chasing the Health Secretary down a street
Corbyn: contradicting himself on something else
Err....
very naughty boyf##king idiot.At least they didn't elect Owen Smith.
http://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/ego-in-chief-obama-says-democrats-lost-because-he-was-too-busy-being-president/
*cough*2009*cough*
Throws hand grenade and runs for cover....
I believe the phenomenon is called Poe's Law.
Incidentally, I hope your other half is continuing to recover well.
I don't feel like I know enough about NI politics or the post-GF electoral system. Can anyone advise on reasonably non-partisan reading materials?
My usual goto for irish politics/betting - politics.ie - is crap for analysis/indepth discussion.
Soon Shadsy will be offering odds on Labour polling sub 10%
"Commenting on Jeremy Corbyn’s plans for a salary cap, Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrats' Shadow First Secretary of State, said:
"If the salary cap is just the first idea from the new Trump style Jeremy Corbyn then 2017 may have some much-needed levity. You wonder what is coming next. Building a wall would be the obvious one. Most likely it would be built around to rest of the Parliamentary Labour Party."
In one regard Corbyn is like Trump – they share an utter disregard for how things actually work, whether it is the rest of the world or other people’s money. He is letting down the millions of ordinary people who need a progressive force that is serious about stopping the Conservative Government. That is when the joke stops being funny.
While the Labour Party want to take lessons from the most divisive political figure in the world, Liberal Democrats will continue to champion an open, tolerant and united society. We can only hope that he doesn't start to ape Trump's use of Twitter.""
The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that Jezza, for lack of a better word, is good. Jezza is right, Jezza works. Jezza clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the (R)evolutionary spirit. Jezza, in all of his forms; Jezza for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And Jezza, you mark my words, will not only save the Labour Party, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the UK! Thank you very much.
Alot more.
THAT is a bigger joke than Corbyn, only a swivel eyed Lib Dem could spout such mince and expect anyone to believe it.
https://twitter.com/guidofawkes/status/818859242421678081