North of Ireland Politics

Borussia wrote: bogball88 wrote: This is how I think things will play out over the next couple of weeks. Michelle will step aside temporarily for someone like John O'Dowd whilst police investigate it. Police will come back and say no laws were broken and SF tried as far as was reasonably possible to ensure strict adherence with public health guidance etc at the funeral. Michelle will then be back in post. In other SF executive news, Deirdre Hargey who temporarily stepped aside as Communities Minister is said to have a serious illness. Hope she makes a full recovery. Only in her 40s Did SF encourage people not to turn up in numbers or only to line the street at a social distance and not come to the graveyard etc? Not a loaded question - Just wondering. Might have helped the optics of the situation if they had.

The DUP, or any of the other parties, will not collapse the NI Executive and kill the golden goose, including control over their own expenses. Apart from that option, there is no other sanction available other than the old school pantomime stuff like rotating Ministers, refusing to sign off documents , etc which the public will get heartily sick of very quickly. If the Assembly does collapse again, I cannot envisage it being put back together again. We could be looking at de facto joint authority until such time as a vote for a United Ireland goes forward. Hardly the outcome the DUP would wish for but the elements within the party who escalated this are not exactly renowned for thinking things through. I note there was an Orange march in Belfast city centre last night which hasn't featured on the mainstream media yet and the opening of the pubs tomorrow shortly before the Twelfth is also likely to exacerbate matters. There were already multiple applications in for marches before this kicked off.

Edited by Green Cockade - 02 Jul 2020 at 1:29pm

Sinn Fein supporter or not; you would have to agree it’s a massive own goal that will harm them in the polls. 

It won't alienate the base, but it is an illuminating incident, which the electorate should take note of.

Pipkin wrote: Sinn Fein supporter or not; you would have to agree it’s a massive own goal that will harm them in the polls.  Mary Lou hasn’t come across well either in interviews

So, Mary Lou has come out and apologised which I think is a wise move.

bogball88 wrote: Pipkin wrote: Sinn Fein supporter or not; you would have to agree it’s a massive own goal that will harm them in the polls.  Mary Lou hasn’t come across well either in interviews  Doubtful. 2 years at the earliest until next assembly election, and in actual fact there had been talk about extending the current term of the assembly

Edited by Pipkin - 03 Jul 2020 at 12:55pm

Roberto Baggio wrote: Twitter and WhatsApp rumours emerged last week. There is definitely an element on social media who want there to be a sinister twist to it.   I've just read this interview with a woman who saw him cycling past her house naked. He was found in a drain at the back of those houses, I wasn't aware that he was seen that close to where he was found.   http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/06/30/news/belfast-resident-tells-of-seeing-noah-donohoe-before-he-vanished-1990018/

Edited by Roberto Baggio - 04 Jul 2020 at 11:08pm

Saint Tom wrote: The thing is they need to be bigger than their base.  They now lead the opposition in the Republic. They have ambitions of leading government. I called it as it was, and foresaw the reaction.  Queue another round of northern style whataboutery. "floating voters" tripled their Dail numbers. I want them to succeed but they have to grow up too.