Justice and the US Peace Dividend
The Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has taken on Shaun Woodward over his assertion that devolving justice is the key to attracting further US inward investment. She says that, having met hundreds of potential investors, "not one single business figure has ever said to me: 'I am holding off investing in Northern Ireland because the devolution of policing powers to the Assembly has not happened yet'."
I spoke to the US Economic Envoy Declan Kelly a couple of hours ago and he tried to steer a middle course through the matter by arguing that political stability and progress in the Stormont institutions was important, whilst adding that there is no reason progress cannot be made on the economic front as the political process continues.
Incidentally we had expected the Envoy to announce Hillary Clinton's visit, but by the time he spoke to us he'd already been beaten to the punch by the UK Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward. Maybe Mr Kelly should announce when Gordon Brown is likely to visit here as a tit for tat.
So do you buy the "devolve justice, get investment" argument?
Here's another one I'm not entirely convinced by. If we don't devolve justice then dissident republicans will fill the vacuum by intensifying their violence.
At the margins I suppose you could argue that achieving the transfer of powers might bolster Sinn Fein and therefore stop some leakage of support to dissident groups. But set against that aren't the dissidents more interested in ending partition and following the example of 1916 than analysing which areas Stormont exerts power over? Much as I might hope that having a local Justice Minister might dampen down any dissident violence, I cannot convince myself that it will make such a great difference.
I'm 
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Northern Ireland is still in ferment. The pot's not actually boiling over, but it's on a steady simmer.
With continuing acts of terrorism (politically described as "lawlessness") continuing on a regular basis, who in their right mind would make substantial business investment in that troubled country ?
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Mark,
Our Executive has demonstrated yesterday like every other day why they are not fit for Devolution. It is time for Direct Rule to return.
Stormontspy
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MacScroggie and Stormontspy, I agree you both !
There does't seem to be a way forward !
Arlene Foster joining Gregory Campbell in
"the Deepthroat" responses to the policing bill!
No wonder Martin(DFM)goes to bed with a smile on his face,
and,suprise suprise, the smile is still there in the morning!!!
Robinson trying to hold DUP together. Having done the dirty on
others,it's comes around! A tooth for a tooth and all that !!!
Sinn Fein might see Christmas Pressies before their eyes !!!
The Unionist "vote" split into at least 7 groupings.
Sinn Fein largest party in Stormont,followed by SDLP.
Now that should focus minds !!!
I'm assuming MLA's have an IQ greater than 100!!!
Those below Degree Level include Jeffery and his family films,
and poor Ian Jnr,from Planet ??? and his"crash in the fast lane"
What could these 2 do outside playschool politics ???
Answers after 9pm 2mor.Children may be online!!!
Goodnight U2.
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Arlene,your standing for Parliament !
DUP policy 1 member 1 job.
Where do you go if elected ? Better expenses in London !!!
@1st October. Why are you supporting G Campbell in opposing policing !!!
Grow up,wise up, Sinn Fein facing 5/6 Unionists parties !!!
Grow up and keep your dulcid tones at Stormont !!!
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Maybe gonne some time ! Stop cheering !
Some little cheating,thieving little BBBBBBB'rd
is logged into my WiFi.
Peter/Martin stop behaving like kids !!!
I'll be back!!!
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The DUP big guns are bailing out for London watch for the flow of other parties' senior members who follow. The Westminister election could look like the Assembly Executive in session with a few other MLA's thrown in.
The DUP is finished in the Assembly, riven by internal dissent it needs to get the Assembly suspended to regroup and reposition and wait for the TUV to fade away.
The UUP would lose much of its income and be totally reliant on its big brother for funding.
SF would have no political platform since it doesn't take Westminster seats.
The SDLP would decline into oblivion.
So from the DUP point of view a collapsed Assembly could be just what they need to consolidate and do down their enemies including the UUP. However if they tried to bring it back in future would they relish the propect of a stronger CU, who would benefit from having a Tory SOS and ministers in place and an even more beligerent SF.
The DUP may have passed their highpoint and like Labour be set for a period in the wilderness.
Interesting times for all parties but not the Assembly I fear
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Good News Tonight !!!
Cameron tells NI to get on with it.
Resolve policing and justice. No more money.
Please inform the DUP/TUV if they don't get "real"
then the two biggest's partys will be Sinn Fein and SDLP.
RIP Peter Robinson !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Mark,
I would like the real Peter Robinson to please stand up.
1. Peter said a few weeks ago that whatever deal was offered he would have to take it to his party officials to see what they made of it
2. In New York Peter said that if a good deal was offered he would sell it to his party. (I suspect that if anyone disagreed their letter of resignation held by the party would be activated)
3. On Friday in an interview with Gareth Gordon Peter has back tracked completely and showed just why McGuiness has thrown his tantrum. Peter is now saying a lot needs to be done to finalise an agreement and then when it is his party need to discuss it, examine it, consult with the Conservatives and then give it out to public consultation.
Sounds like cold feet set in. Maybe it is the thought of a battle with Jim Allister is only 8 months away.
The solution for Peter could be a pair of thermal socks!!
Stormontspy
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Stormontspy,had a long response to you,till system crashed !!!
Your comments I agree/don,t agree ! This FENCE hurts !!! Tell your
friends etc to logon and make their point!!!
If these sites are quiet then less discussion ???
NI has always suffered from "silent"majorities ???
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What do you disagree about. I am just stating what Peter stated. Sounds as if the DUP is in disarray. Question is what happens with Sinn Fein. Do they continue on or do what Peter says they might do “pick up their ball and gho home“. I wish Mark would tell us.
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Is G Brown on your BBC Ulster Radio 2mor?
Want 2 listen via internet !!!
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Mark,
What about this? Today at question time in regards to the Policing and Justice Budget -
Mr Hamilton: Can the deputy confirm that he is not yet in a position to recommend the acceptance of any financial package that is currently on offer, and that further negotiation is required to secure the adequate resources that he spoke of?
The deputy First Minister: First of all, I am not “the deputy”. I am the deputy First Minister in a Department where there is equality between the First Minister and myself, and don’t you ever forget it.
It must be one of the best ever put downs to arguably one of the most annoying and arrogant MLA's.
Stormontspy
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Mark,
As you know I love party conference speeches. Today's from William Hague was a classic. Following Gordon Brown's rant last week William ran of what Labour really have done in the past 12 years and what they have wasted -
- £22,500 of debt for every child born in Britain
- 111 tax rises from a government that promised no tax rises at all
- The longest national tax code in the world
- 100,000 million pounds drained from British pension funds
- Gun crime up by 57%
- Violent crime up 70%
- The highest proportion of children living in workless households anywhere in Europe
- The number of pensioners living in poverty up by 100,000
- The lowest level of social mobility in the developed world
- The only G7 country with no growth this year
- One in six young people neither earning nor learning
- 5 million people on out-of –work benefits
- Missing the target of halving child poverty
- Ending up with child poverty rising in each of the last three years instead
- Cancer survival rates among the worst in Europe
- Hospital-acquired infections killing nearly three times as many people as are killed on the roads
- Falling from 4th to 13th in the world competitiveness league
- Falling from 8th to 24th in the world education rankings in maths
- Falling from 7th to 17th in the rankings in literacy
- The police spending more time on paperwork than on the beat
- Fatal stabbings at an all-time high
- Prisoners released without serving their sentences
- Foreign prisoners released and never deported
- 7 million people without an NHS dentist
- Small business taxes going up
- Business taxes raised from among the lowest to among the highest in Europe
- Tax rises for working people set for after the election
- The 10p tax rate abolished
- And the ludicrous promise to have ended boom and bust
- Our gold reserves sold for a quarter of their worth
- Our armed forces overstretched and under-supplied
- Profitable post offices closed against their will
- One of the highest rates of family breakdown in Europe
- The ‘Golden Rule’ on borrowing abandoned when it didn’t fit
- Police inspectors in 10,Downing Street
- Dossiers that where dodgy
- Mandelson resigning the first time
- Mandelson resigning the second time
- Mandelson coming back for a third time
- Bad news buried
- Personal details lost
- An election bottled
- A referendum denied
It is quite clear that Labour is finished. Maybe Peter Robinson in his quest to stall on Policing and Justice should wait until next May before having any discussions with the Government. That would give him the time to sort out the unrest in his party. People like me and others would love you to come on here and name names but I realise that in order to keep your sources you probably won't say. Can I name 3? Nelson McCausland, Willie McCrea and the man who doesn't know who runs his constituency office Gregory Campbell.
Stormontspy
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Mark,
Have the BBC any comment on -
An investigation into an alleged breach in information security has been ordered in Parliament Buildings. The internal probe follows a suspicion by management that information concerning Assembly members' expenses had been violated. There is a report that a disc containing details of expenses going back further in time has surfaced prematurely. This is now understood to be the subject of careful scrutiny by journalists in the BBC. Several Assembly employees were moved from their desks last Friday following a suspicion by management that information had gone walk about.
Stormontspy
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I wonder if the BBC will publish this comment.
At www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/index/about-ofmdfm/ministers.htm there are pictures of four politicians.
Question 1: Which one of the four mla'S pictured would currently find it difficult to produce the registration no provided by the Information Commissioner Office to those who register as data controllers?
Answer phone the Information Commissioners Office and ask for the notifications section.
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