Rearranging metaphors on the reshuffle
Proof positive that the TUV and UUP are not cooperating over their communications policy. Both Jim Allister and David McNarry reckon today's DUP reshuffle amounts to "nothing more than a rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic".
Both parties seized on the fact that Sammy Wilson is hanging on to his MP, MLA, ministerial and councillor jobs as evidence that the DUP is, in Sir Reg Empey's words, "addicted to double jobbing".
Peter Robinson insists the removal of Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell and Jeffrey Donaldson from his ministerial team shows his party is tackling the issue. But the UUP will now urge David Cameron to make good on his election campaign pledge to legislate against double jobbing.
Whilst the Greens may crack open a bottle of organic fair trade wine to celebrate Sammy's departure, I don't imagine Irish language enthusiasts will be overjoyed about the arrival of Nelson McCausland at the Culture Department. He says he is committed to equality, but may interpret that rather differently from them. He also indicated he'd consider attending a GAA match, but never on a Sunday.
Although the DUP is denying that Robin Newton's elevation as junior minister is pre-empting their selection meeting for the East Belfast Westminster candidacy, it's hard to interpret it in any other way.
Tonight Sinn Fein won a vote backing the the Criminal Justice Inspectorate's latest call for greater equality monitoring by criminal justice agencies. The DUP's Stephen Moutray opposed the move as "section 75 gone mad", something which would lead to "enormous additional bureacracy and red tape".
But when it came to the vote, the motion passed by 31 to 26. Could this have had anything to do with double jobbing, given that the DUP's MPs were over at Westminster choosing a new Speaker? Well maybe, although the DUP claim 11 Ulster Unionists were also absent, even though they didn't have other jobs to go to.
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Mark the Greens will surely be less impressed with the arrival of Poots, who when Culture Minister apparently wanted the Causeway Visitors Centre to have a creationist display explaining how the Giants Causeway was created in 6 days 5,000 years ago!
He could well make Sammy look like Al Gore!
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Mark,
All I can say is that this reshuffle will make no difference as it is a mere publicity stunt. What happened to ending double and triple jobbing? Watching Peter Robinson say on Newsline that legislation is the only way to stop it is absurd. All the person has to do is get their secretary to type out a letter, insert their signature and hand it in to the relevant council. Did the DUP think they would save taxpayer's money when they claimed for curtains, cases and food on expenses? The DUP will still be creaming it at the tax payers expenses and the DUP have brought in a force which is back to Traditional Unionism. By having Nelson McCausland screams anything Irish is on hold until Jim Allister is consigned to the public dustbin. Maybe all Politicians need to learn that the electorate is not stupid and has a memory.
Stormontspy
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Much hot air is spoken of the DUP re-shuffle particularly from Jim Allister and Reg Empey, their real problem is that they do not two jobs between them never mind two each.
Edwin Poots will make an excellent minister for the environment, coming from a farming background he understands the need for looking after the countryside. After all it is the farmers who have for centuries looked after the countryside where they live and make their living. Those few imposters who claim to be concerned about the environment are usually just propagating their latest "scientific" theory which will of course change within a year or two - much like the various theories of evolution.
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darrmont,
"Edwin Poots will make an excellent Minister for the Environment". I hope he does a better job than he did at representing Northern Ireland in Europe. The committee on which he sat on, he only turned up once in 2007 and in 2008 he didn't bother turning up.
Stormontspy
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Darrmont.
Would these be the same farmers who applied for multiple sites for dwellings on their land and then sold them off to the highest bidders? If the farmers had been genuinely looking after the countryside then there wouldn't have been any need for PPS14.
I know your creationist posts from Slugger. The reason why scientific theories change course is usually because new evidence comes to light and the theory adapts. Yes some hard core environmentalists have exaggerated the likely effects of climate change but that doesn't make the central theory wrong. A good scientist is one who is willing to recognise when they are wrong and doesn't stick to discredited theories. Some of us are prepared to think for ourselves and not just slavishly accept what we are told.
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I don't imagine Irish language enthusiasts will be overjoyed
That's true Mark, and Irish speakers are also far from overjoyed at being called 'enthusiasts'!
Irish Gaelic isn't a hobby, and its speakers are members of the Irish language community - a section of the population that I hope Mr McCausland will respect and recognise.
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Thanks for your informative contribution, Mark.
I have to say, however that I concur with RGGuan's comment. I also look forward to the day when you and other commentators describe us as members of the Irish-speaking community.
I work, socialise, converse, read, write through Irish. In fact this is the most english I've used today and I'm not alone in this. c25% of the population in the south are regular Irish-speakers according to a recent survey.
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Mark
REARRANGING THE DUP's HEADCASES
First we had an Environment Minister who is a climate change denier, now we have a Culture Minster who believes there is an Ulster-Scots language. Oh, and dont forget Poots who is convinced that the World was created in six days.
How long before Sammy as Finance Minster denies that there is a recession?
Susie
Carryduff
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Actually Sammy denied that Climate change was man made, not climate change itself.
The european union recognises Ulster scots as a lesser known language, the same as irish.
It has seperate and distinct grammar, structure and vocabulary.
The world was created in six days Susie, the Bible is a accuarte historical and geographical record. You might not like the spiritual bits like God, miracles, hell etc but to say it is made up nonsense belittles yourself, not the Bible. The roman historian records that Jesus was crucified, King David tomb has been found within the past 5 years. King Solomons stable for his 10,000 chariots were found back in 1976. Don't see anyone denying those facts.
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