A Tipping Point?
Yesterday's Stormont Live made for interesting viewing for anyone interested in the deteriorating relationship between the DUP and the SDLP. Neither Peter Robinson nor Margaret Ritchie pulled their punches as they sat next to me on the blue bench in our studio.
When I opened up my inbox today the row simmered on via press release. "SDLP - Ritchie. Smash and Grab Raid on Housing Budget." "Sinn Fein - Concern at Ritchie reaction to Executive respobse to economic hardship." "DUP MLA Simon Hamilton - SDLP should stop party politicking and welcome the good news for Northern Ireland.""SDLP. Ritchie responds to Robinson's dubious remarks." "DUP. Deliberately Misleading SDLP Comments".
In the context of recent rows about fuel poverty and the ministers' previous confrontation over the UDA related Conflict Transformation Initiative this might be all too predictable. But seen over a longer timespan it's remarkable that the SDLP is increasingly viewed as the opposition to a DUP-Sinn Fein axis.
DUP policy remains that they would prefer a voluntary coalition to a mandatory coalition. The assumption is that Sinn Fein would resolutely oppose any move to, say, weighted majority voting on the basis that unionists, given the chance, would permanently exclude republicans from power and seek to govern in alliance with the SDLP.
But could we be reaching a tipping point? Who would now guarantee, if we did move to a voluntary coalition, that the DUP would pick the SDLP over Sinn Fein as their nationalists of choice?
I'm 
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Mark,
I think in your opening sentence you mean the deteriorating relationship between the DUP and the SDLP.
It seems the relationship between the DUP and Sinn Fein has never been better.
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Pity the story that seems to have made the news is the disagreement between SDLP/DUP/Sinn Fein. What about what's brewing in OFMDFM behind closed doors between Sinn Fein and DUP about not signing off two controversial Peace III ex-prisoner projects (over £6k for repbulican ex-prisoners and over £3k for loyalist ex-prisoners?) This has been going on since beginning of August whilst community groups in that funding round are suffering as a result. I know DUP and Sinn Fein are trying to keep a lid firmly on this one - maybe the media should take this further. Glad the BBC reported this news story online and on Newsline. Delve deeper please and expose the real problem between DUP and Sinn Fein.
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Mark,
Who knows what goes on in OFMDFM? One day they appear to have a love in the next they don't speak. They are like an old married couple. Could it be that the DUP are now getting back at Ritchie over the funding for the DUP last year? Surely the court case decision will be announced soon.
From what Margaret Ritchie says about a - ?smash and grab?, "my money being robbed" and a "heist" you would nearly think the DUP and Sinn Fein broke into her headquarters in the early hours of the morning. If the Police find green finger prints then Robinson is banged to rights!!!
For years Margaret has lived off the Eddie McGrady name. Now she has come out of his shadows she is clearly out of depth. Where does the SDLP find these people?
She is out of her depth. If she can?t stand the heat, she knows what she needs to do.
Stormontspy
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Thanks Blue Fish. I have amended the post accordingly.
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