Happy New Year
I am hoping to slide away from the office for the next fortnight. However I suppose whether I get to take my holiday may depend, as in previous years, on the news agenda. As things stand, though, I am hoping this blog will go into hibernation until 2009. So I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Earlier today I recorded an interview with Nigel Dodds for tomorrow's Inside Politics. Inevitably the programme is something of a counter blast to Margaret Ritchie's contribution last weekend in which she accused the DUP and Sinn Fein of attempting to bully her over fuel poverty.
Aside from exploring the DUP-SDLP dynamic, I question the Finance Minister about the prospects for the local economy, the UUP/Conservative partnership and the remarks about Bobby Sands by the Education Minister Caitriona Ruane.
I also try a few enquiries regarding the North Belfast MP's possible candidacy in next year's European elections, although his answers seem notable more for what he doesn't say than what he does.
As usual you can hear the programme tomorrow on BBC Radio Ulster at 12.45 pm or, subsequently, via the listen again facility.
Tomorrow's programme is the last Inside Politics of 2008. The programme is due back on air on January 10th.
UPDATE: Today is January 5th, and I'm back at work. However several blogs written today have not yet appeared at the time of writing (1700) due to a technical logjam which appears to be holding up all the BBC's blogs. Hopefully they will materialise soon.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~27~RS~)
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Enjoy your break, and have a very merry christmas too, Mark.
Thanks for another great year of blogging, and I look forward to it happening again next year!
To all the contributors - Susie, Pandora, Redflyfisher, Traditional_unionist, Dennis Junior, and everybody else who I can't remember right now (sorry), a very merry xmas to you all, and here's to more of the same in 09.
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HAPPY CHRISTMAS
Mark
Thank you so much for making my blogging year so enjoyable and have a lovely restful time with your family at Christmas and New Year. Please pass on Christmas greetings to Ms Purdy too.
RJ - Thank you for your greeting. It has been such fun with all the banter between Susie, you, Patrick78 and me and getting to know how most of the regular bloggers 'tick'. You are all such a great bunch.
And I hope Stormontspy gets a response from Jim Allister about his expenses in 2009!
Cheers (hic!)...my withdrawal symptoms have started already!
Love
Pandora
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Mark,
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you. With Politics in Northern Ireland never dull I look forward to more of the same next year.
I thought maybe Martina would cover for you so she and RJ can have a bit of running banter!! RJ and every other contributor on here Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone.
Stormontspy
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Pandora,
I hope I do get a response or I may get more from Jim!!! Check out http://www.tuv.org.uk/
It is worth a look. Type in the search box "expenses". See what happens.
Enjoy!!!
Stormontspy
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Back at ya Pan-dora and merry Christmas to everyone else here too! Thanks for a great blog Mark!
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Mark
All the best for the festive season and the year ahead. Thanks as always for the excellent blog during 2008. I read it every day and look forward to continuing to see your insights - and the comments about them, including from the regular contributors - in 2009.
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To Mark, Gareth and Martina
A very merry Christmas and a happy and peaceful New Year.
Thank you all for keeping the politicians on their toes and their egos in check.
The Devenport Diaries gives a voice to views and insights generally filtered out by the elected reps. Good work all round.
A special festive thanks and seasonal best wishes to the contributors; Susie, Pandora, RJ, Traditional_unionist, Dennis Junior and other regulars without whom politics would be forever bland.
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Hey Stormontspy, can't believe I forgot about you. I too hope we get your questions answered in the new year!
Merry christmas, my friend!
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merry solstice holiday and christmas. this is my first comment here .
In the new year I will be interested at how professor bamfords review has been sidelined after all the hard work that went into it.
Maybe 2009 will be the year that we get to respect mental health difference. I hope so it my new years wish especially given that a societies' humanity is judged on how well it treats it people with mental health problems.
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Mark:
Merry Christmas to all of your friends and family....
Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all of the other contributors,
________-RJ-________ ; Susie, Pandora, Redflyfisher, Traditional_unionist and any one....I forgot to mentioned....
Also, to be included: Martina Purdy, who also contributed to the system here on The Devenport Diaries.....
Also, Mark: I hope that you can have an enjoyable holidays....
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Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all. Hope the break goes well; look after yourselves, have fun and don't get too drunk! :)
Yes, Mark, that applies to you too; see you next year!
- Anna (HND BJ student, BMC)
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Hi Mark,
I like your style in interviewing; enjoy your well earned break. Have a Merry Christmas and A Happy and Peaceful New Year
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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too Mark, and to all the regular contributers including:
________-RJ-________ Susie, Pandora, Redflyfisher, even StormontSpy ;)
and anyone else I forgot to mention. I hope all believe and part take in real democracy (so that excludes the DUP and SF/IRA obviously) have a peaceful, joyful and "traditional" Christmas :)
enjoy the time with your family and friends and celebrate the birth of Jesus
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dennisjunior1 excuse my ignorance for leaving you out of my last message. Merry Christmas to you too. Have a good one :)
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Mark
WHAT I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS
I have been unable to post for a while. I've had a torrid time. For the past fortnight I've been in and out of bed with flo.
No matter, I wish to send heartiest Christmas Greetings to you, Ms Purdy, the Moderators (take note, RJ) and of course all my Blog chums, in particular, Pandora, Patrick_78, RJ, Redflyfisher, Stormontspy,Traditional Unionist.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Susie
Carryduff
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Who's flo? Where did you meet her? How long has this been going on, Susie!
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No problem traditional_unionist; Happy holidays to you also....
Since, I also, forgot to mentioned a lot of the others here on The Devenport diaries....
~Dennis
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RJ
You know me, I tell it like it is.
Ho! Ho! Ho!
Susie
Carryduff
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FLO HO HO!
Thanks for cheering me up Susie and for the links. I still can't master how to do that, even though RJ gave me specific instructions.
Hope your stockings are full of all good things...
Till next year!
And by the way, I didn't hear any Christmas greetings from those Scrooges on the Hill!
Pandora
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Mark,
Final thought for 2008.
Long runs the fox.
Today Peter Robinson announces that the DUP's decision to back the government's plan for 42-day detention of terror suspects helped deliver major investment for Northern Ireland.
Even with that Robinson says no deal was done. But in an interview he says that since the 42 day vote "I think we have seen since then that if you act responsibly with government, government in turn will act responsibly with you."
In July Bombardier Aerospace received investment from Brown worth half a billion pounds providing 800 jobs Peter Robinson's East Belfast constituency.
In November Peter and Nigel received £900 million? Peter says "Would we have got the £900 million if we had been irresponsible in the way that we behaved at Westminster?"
Sounds to me like the deal was done and the tax payers are paying for Brown staying in power. Hopefully 2009 will see the year Brown is no longer Prime Minister.
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