Peter's Platform
| 10:53 UK time, Tuesday, 28 October 2008
As Peter Robinson polishes his debut speech as party leader at Saturday's annual DUP conference, there's one member of the audience he doesn't have to worry about. His predecessor, Dr Ian Paisley, a famously formidable speaker, will not be there.
While the former leader will be there on Friday evening for the conference dinner, the doc has chosen church over party on Saturday. I'm told he's for Liverpool on church business.
I'm delighted however to say I will be along to Armagh - as will my colleagues including Mark Devenport and Gareth Gordon.
PS Thanks to all for your good wishes with my blogsitting - hello RJ.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~34~RS~)
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Martina,
Are you trying to flirt with RJ?
I think the DUP conference will have no impact on anything. The laughable thing is Robinson will criticise McGuinness and Sinn Fein on Saturday yet next Monday he will sit in the Assembly and his office with him. At least Jim Allister doesn’t criticise the DUP and then sit with them in Government.
PS. Check you’re spelling on DUP conference
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Jim Allister criticises the DUP for adhering to the manifesto he helped construct... I'm no fan of the DUP (as they live in the 15th century), but the real problem in local politics lies with Adam's ego, and the fact that he no longer has a bargaining chip to get his way on key issues.
Also, should the SDLP and UUP ever sufficiently get their act together to form credible opposition within their respective communities, the big two would not find hardball politics as successful a strategy as currently seems - the electorate do seem to want normal issues sorted, but have no real strong alternatives to the fascists who currently take centre stage.
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Modernunionist,
You are 100% right when you say Jim Allister criticises the DUP for adhering to the manifesto he helped construct.
Every day Jim engages in a continuing assault on the mandatory coalition he helped create. In his European election manifesto in 2004 on page 8 it clearly states that “there are three potential forms of administration which could be formed”. Guess what? One of those three potential forms of administration was “a mandatory coalition involving all the major parties”. If Jim genuinely believes that mandatory coalition cannot and never will work as he has stated since March 2007 why did he run for election on a manifesto advocating an administration in Northern Ireland that he now claims to oppose so strongly. Did he not support his own manifesto?
Further more if Jim never thought mandatory coalition would work why did he jet off to the United States and pose for pictures with a copy of Devolution Now under his arm?
Did he not realise or did he simply not care that that document, like his manifesto, supported mandatory coalition as a possible system of government?
How quickly he has forgotten what he sold to the unionist people.
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#2
As long as we have a system of mandatory coalition and the UUP and SDLP hold ministerial office there is no possibilty of the aforementioned parties forming a credible opposition.
Apart from that a credible opposition would need credible MLA's and they seem to be in short supply.
With regards the DUP I hope those attending their Annual Conference take time to consider the sorry state the whole of Ireland is in at this time as a result of the credit crunch and decide to park the political posturing for a while and get down to addressing some of the real problems.
That being said when many who will no doubt address the Conference prosper so extravigantly as multi mandated elected representatives, some even employing spouses and other family members and even at least one occupying a family owned office is there much chance....
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Did you see that, Susie?
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'With regards the DUP I hope those attending their Annual Conference take time to consider the sorry state the whole of Ireland is in at this time as a result of the credit crunch and decide to park the political posturing for a while and get down to addressing some of the real problems'
Again, not a fan of the DUP, but the political posturing that is preventing the real problems from being addressed is coming from those who refuse to sign off executive business. I wont even bother to name those responsible
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Martina
LAME EXCUSE FROM PAISLEY
What a lame excuse from the auld dodderer. Paisley simply wants to keep as low a profile as possible in light of the current Assembly mess. That mess is his legacy. His journey to find personal atonement for his past ill-deeds through entering into an all-singing, all-dancing mandatory coalition was doomed from day one. We are watching the death throes of the Assembly and it is only a matter of time before the grieving political relatives in Westminster are forced to turn off the life support systems.
Paisley could just as easily have claimed that his granny had died; that excuse would have been more credible. One consolation for Paisley is that he won't have to endure Sammy's unfunny stand-up routine.
Susie
Carryduff
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RJ
NOBODY LIKES A SMART A**E
All right RJ, don't rub it in.
On a purely physical level it looks like you’ve cracked it but, mark my words, it's all going to end in tears.
So, RJ, cut the gloating, it's so immature.
Susie
Carryduff
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On a purely physical level? I should be so lucky.
You're right about Sammy and his unfunny stand-up routine though.
The only joke I have ever heard him tell was the one he told Ali G about the crocodiles, and it was on a purely crap level.
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Martina (Mark):
I think it is always good thing to have a platform...
~Dennis
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