I'm a committed integrationist; I believe the devolution experiments in Scotland and Wales have weakened the Union. I believe the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland has not only institutionalised sectarian division, but has delivered also a dysfunctional form of governnment seen nowhere else in Europe bar Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Devolving of policing and justice? I wouldn't put the shower on the hill in charge of organising the lolly-pop patrol men.
That puts me somewhat at my odds with my party, which largely believes in the concept of devolution, although not the laughable version presently limping along in Northern Ireland. Unlike me, they believe in the devolving of policing and justice, but do not believe it will work at this present time. Any sane person looking at the farce developing over the last three months or so can only agree.
So, in two fundamental ways I do differ from my party, or at least its leaderships' views. Despite that, I stay a member of the party for two main reasons.
First, the vision shown in at least attempting to move Northern Irish Unionism forward out of the ditch- the arrangement with the Conservatives and all it entails is/will be the most dramatic and potentially far-reaching event to occur for pro-Union politics for my generation and we who believe in widening the Union's appeal have the responsibility to do our very best to make it work. Secondly, the UUP is a broad church which is prepared to tolerate those like myself whose views don't always fit into the mainstream- despite the many (and on occasions harsh) criticisms of the party leadership, not once have the Press Office or anyone else at Party HQ attempted a rein-in. On the contrary, I (and I believe also Chekov, another occasional internal critic), are given frequent help with press-releases, explanations of policy decisions and the like. The corresponding lack of cohesion sometimes frustrates, but give me that any day of the week rather than the Stalinist top-down Control employed over their apparachniks by the the two main parties.
Which brings me back to Policing and Justice. The UUP did not believe the present moment was appropriate for its devolution; they were not consulted by DUP/Sinn Fein with regards to the operability of the fait-accompli passed down to them. They decide not to vote for it- in a normal functioning democracy they would be applauded for standing up for their principles. Instead we've had disgusting bullying and moral blackmail from the DUP/Sinn Fein, the NIO (although Woodward's cack-handedness did them a big favour), the US Adminstration, the Labour government, George Bush (but did he get the right Cameron?) the various media outlets and last and most certainly least, from the assorted bigots, apparachniks, loonies, conspiracy theorists and Walker on Slugger.
For what reason? It was a DUP/SF package and if their own MLAs believed in it, then it would be comfortably voted in...if they didn't, why on earth should Robinson have expected the UUP to bail him out of a hole if he couldn't even sell it to his own party? Something else was at play there, I still can't work out exactly why the UUP were so crucial, perhaps it wasn't only Willie McCrea who was expected to have a prior appointment today? Although, to nbe honest, it may well have shored up the Dupe waverers that a NIO requisitioned opinion poll showed a "clear majority" in favour of the devolution of the P & J. Assuming correct and efficient methodology was employed, apparently the DUP will have nothing to fear with regard to today's events at the next ballot box.
Whatever, the UUP today have stood to their guns, on principle.
I have been the first to rail on here against Sir Reg and the leadership but today they have truly done the ordinary party members and ultimately the cause of democracy in Northern Ireland proud.
Well done and I suspect the wisdom of sticking to your principles will be proven in the weeks and months to come. It's been an honourable defeat.
8 comments:
Are the UUP going for the TUV vote now Oneil?
Honestly what a pathetic bunch!
>>Well done and I suspect the wisdom of sticking to your principles will be proven in the weeks and months to come. It's been an honourable defeat.<<
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The UUP have effectively turned a potential 3 way Unionist split into a 1 and two halfs.
The TUV vote will be staying with the TUV, whatever happened with the UUP, they would have reaped a short-term electoral dividend.
Remember, unlike the TUV, the UUP leadership still believe in the devolution of p and j, just that now isnt the relevant time. Look at the events since Xmas and the relationship between the DUP and SF tell me theyre not right in that.
It's also been an eyeopner the amount of immoral pressure put on Reg and Co- we supposedly live in a democracy, the fact that opposition is permitted doesn't seem to have registered.
But I'm confused. What precisely do you (or the UUP) predict will go wrong as a result of P&J being devolved at this rather than a more appropriate moment? Saying that now is the wrong time suggests that there is a sense that some policy or social catastrophe awaits but nobody has said what it is.
While it's true that the UUP's (and SDLP's etc) not being consulted is a disgrace, and that's it's just plain weird that they came under pressure toe the line, none of that explains why this is an inappropriate moment for devolution.
Ooops: that last comment was me but I pressed return at, er, an inappropriate moment: not sure if my name got sent!
C
Not now relates to how the Executive functions. This Executive can't manage to transfer children from primary to secondary school, yet now we expect them to run the police and prisons.
The UUP put Education up as a liitmus test for confidence that the Executive can handle the powers, and they failed.
Saying that now is the wrong time suggests that there is a sense that some policy or social catastrophe awaits but nobody has said what it is.
Ciaran,
It won't even get that far; they can't run their present portfolios that fact needs to be sorted out before something as vital as P&J can be even thought about.
Thanks Michael and O'Neill. I'm sure it's the blow-in in me but I'm just not that perplexed. Sure, education is a mess, but health's not the worst in the circumstances (I'm sure you'll agree!) and while finance could do with a bit less populism it's hardly a catastrophe. Why imagine that the P&J fiefdom will be like education and not health?
And if it's the whole silly fiefdom-esque structure of the executive that's the problem, then the UUP should go into principled opposition entirely. Which would be quite a good thing for NI and the UUP I would say.
"And if it's the whole silly fiefdom-esque structure of the executive that's the problem, then the UUP should go into principled opposition entirely. Which would be quite a good thing for NI and the UUP I would say."
With you 100% on that point Ciaran.
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