that Conservative proposals for English-only Commons votes would "damage the Union".
Which is the truth, but not the whole truth; without the inequities arising from the assymetrical devolved system which the DUP (with other Unionists in Scotland and Wales) have been more than happy to exploit, there would be no need nor demand for any such measures.
But this is progress:
"I can well understand that where we are at the present time is far from satisfactory for people from England, perhaps less from a Northern Ireland point of view and more from Scotland point of view. If Scottish members can stop things happening in England that they enjoy in Scotland then that is a very unsatisfactory state of affairs."
Previously DUPe MPs like Simpson, Wilson and Mr Robinson's worse half have adopted a very arrogant Little Ulsterman/woman attitude on this question; at least now Robinson is admitting there's a problem. But the solution, without dismantling the whole devolved circus?
"Very complex" is the understatement of the year.
Robinson goes onto to stress his own party's conservative instincts:
Despite Robinson's difference of opinion with Cameron over the issue he also said that the DUP would "lean" towards the Tories in the event of a hung Parliament.
Although, to be honest, I'm not sure Cameron's listening anymore.
Asked what his party would do if they held the balance of power in Westminster, Robinson said: "We will do what anybody would expect a mature political party to do. We will look at what is in the interests of the United Kingdom as a whole, we will look at what is in the interests of Northern Ireland and we will make a decision based on that and that alone.
Fine words...but as Unionists, the interests of the United Kingdom as a whole should be paramount, as Unionists, the voice of Westminster should be paramount- is that what Robinson is stating here? Don't think so.
We have a good relationship with the Conservative Party and that might lean us in that direction but as you saw with the 42-day vote issues are important to us.
"We will look at the situation at the time though clearly there would be an assumption in favour of the Conservative Party if the circumstances were right."
As long as those "circumstances" don't freak-out the rednecks back in God's Own Backwoods obviously. As I've said many times before, if you're a Unionist, you don't get to pick and choose which part of the Union you're happy to go along with, "British rights for British citizens" should be our slogan, which means no more opt-outs in especially the areas of social legislation.
Having said that, Robinson realising that there is a world west beyond the Castlereagh Hills is progress; miniscule, but progress all the same and to be welcomed.
7 comments:
Is this a tentative allusion to a new DUP strategy? Attack the UUP for aligning with a party that is damaging the Union? It would be ironic and hypocritical, but then it is the DUP we're talking about.
Is this a tentative allusion to a new DUP strategy? Attack the UUP for aligning with a party that is damaging the Union?
Maybe, but considering their Own Dear Leader's flirtation with the Scottish separatists- that logic even for the most Duped runs a bit thin.
Having said that, it's a strange interview. The site he's given it on is most certainly no longer at the cutting edge; if you genuinely wanted to give an indirect message to Cameron, then ConservativeHome would have been the logical choice (the direct message could have been given by the revolutionary method of picking up the phone).
So, I suspect this is a message for home consumption. The UUPs are dallying with the enemies of the Union whilst we....
It'll be in the DUP news site shortly though, I'm almost sure of that.
Hey guys blogged this over on RS and picked up on the points you have made re home consumption.
I feel all roads lead to the UUP on this one for the DUP
Northern Irish politicians who insisted that English MPs should have no say in how they run Northern Ireland have no right to demand a say in how English MPs run England.
After the lopsided Devolution that deliberately refused any recognition of England via the creation of our own devolved Assembly, no MP for a constituency outside England has any moral right to be there.
You may say "But what about the non-devolved matters?".
To which the reply is simple.
"What about the devolved matters in which MPs for non-English constituencies have been interfering with English decisions?"
We've had to put up with undemocratic decisions foisted upon us. So why shouldn't you?
"British Rights for British Citizens"
Hmm. Lets see, In Britan they have a Gaelic Language Act!
I would like one of them, but I am clearly not British enough.
ggn,
Why don't you get your MP to bypass the Stormont Circus and ask at Westminster for one?
It's not "very complex". You just give each nation a legislative assembly so that they stand in equal relationship to each other and the centre.
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