Not quite a direct comparison, but in terms of "cute hoor-ness" the DUP have clearly now moved well in front of the previous Masters of Spin from the other side of the Northern Irish political pond, Sinn Fein.
There are two recent examples illustrating this. Firstly, Robinson's thoughts on Unionist Unity which become much more nuanced after closer inspection; whilst the Orange Order typically continues to stomp its Size 12 hobnails all over the flower bed, the erstwhile E.Belfast MP delicately tip toes around the roses in order to achieve what is (perhaps) the same target. There's clever tactics at work, read it here and guess where you think they are leading.
In a similar vein:
If the government can get the support to introduce the 55 per cent vote requirement for a vote of no confidence, then that will make it even more difficult for a crisis, which could lead to the fall of the coalition, to emerge.Actually not factual in one part (there's a coalition government in Scotland?) and the reasoning is garbled - never mind its inherent undemocratic nature, "weighted majority has been disastrous for governance in Northern Ireland: why should it then be tolerated at Westminster? But more importantly, if I'd had to put money on which of the 650 Honourable Members had said this, Sammy Wilson wouldn't have made the Top 10...or 640 for that matter.
I must say I find the fury which has been directed towards this measure rather strange, since the same parties and individuals who rail against it imposed a far more rigorous weighted vote requirement on the Northern Ireland Assembly and in order to keep the coalition government alive in Scotland there is a 65 per cent voting requirement.
The coalition is aiming for a five-year term, a change in the confidence vote requirement will help achieve this but it can be no substitute for working to devise policies which can command the support of a majority in the House of Commons. That must be the first priority since the last thing the country needs at this time of economic crisis is unstable, uncertain and unworkable government.
No more of the "England's weakness is Ulster's opportunity" nonsense which was being bandied about a few weeks ago. Nope, instead what we (collectively, the United Kingdom) need is a "stable", "certain" and 'workable" government, which if it lasts the next five years, will be exactly the same Conservative Government which we were warned less than a month ago by the DUP would be sending in commandos from the Bullingdon Club to steal the pensions from Ulster's grannies. Tied in with the eulogy to "our" parliament's traditions at the beginning of the piece, a most un-Sammy-like piece of unregionalist, pragmatic, UK Unionism and... and, like Robinson's piece initially, it just doesn't add up.
6 comments:
Rather than something stirring what about your ulster nationalist claims being simply wrong?
No,when, just to take 2 examples, a DUP MLA spoke disparingly of the English Tories and we heard talk of "England's weakness being Ulster's opportunity" we're looking at a very peculiar type of Unionism indeed.
But if they've truly seen the light, then I will be the first to post it;)
The first statement has been and is an electoral fact and even Scottish tories are telling us the characterisation was correct. It may be something you wish were different but it isn't.
"“Many of them now regard Scotland as a Lib Dem problem and have washed their hands of us,” said one party official in Edinburgh.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/7798197/Scottish-Tories-fight-for-financial-survival.html
As regards the second chill and develop a sense of humour. In the last election both the UUP and DUP sought infuence (insider v outsider strategies) it was the means that were different not the goal.
"The first statement has been and is an electoral fact and even Scottish tories are telling us the characterisation was correct."
"*A* Scottish Tory is telling us" is probably more accurate.
The Scottish Tories at this present moment in time are in even more disarray than the UUP. Nevertheless, in terms of % vote they were only 3% behind the SNP, 2the Lib Dems. In wales there was an even more credible performance, 8 MPs returned.
As regards the second chill and develop a sense of humour. In the last election both the UUP and DUP sought infuence (insider v outsider strategies) it was the means that were different not the goal.
Was the statement in question really an attempt at humour?! In a true Union, then England's weakness is Ulster's weakness.
Yes it was.
"England's weakness is Ulster's weakness."
Supplication if ever I saw it. A true Union is about balance and serving the individual and collective interests as best as can be acheived.
"A true Union is about balance and serving the individual and collective interests as best as can be acheived."
"United we stand, divided we fall" isn't a definition of "supplication"; in true Union how can hoping to take advantage of another region or country's problems build the collective unity and strength?
Also "balance", as you say, needs the occasional consideration of the collective as opposed to individual- how many times have we seen the DUP publicly recongnise that it is not only inevitable but morally correct that NI takes its share of the economic burden?
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