The NI/ROI Protocol

[M-J-G]

I see a few snowflakes are getting excited about Doug Beattie.
To me he seems like an OK guy. The days of that counting for anything seem to be limited.

 

[The Agrarian]

Story's over already. He had a rough few days there confronting his messages of ten years ago. They were inappropriate and hurtful, and probably confusing for the women he has brought in to the party and encouraged into positions. The reality is, he was in the army. I'm sure it's hard to avoid getting caught up in the hard squaddie culture. What did we expect? He's not Sandhurst...

Nowadays, he promotes equality for women, and the women representatives in his party seem to still like him and support him, which suggests they think he actually is genuine and fair. Ironically, perhaps, the job that gave rise to those indiscretions has possibly also made him the character he needs for the role he is in - belief that people are people, that division leads to animosity and animosity to hatred and war, that we must dig our way out of entrenched opposition back to some sort of normal politics. Early indications would suggest that he has a lot to offer normal politics in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately he has no one on the nationalist side at the moment to meet him half way. Colm Eastwood is in the wrong job and the wrong party.

 

[Ashtree]

Doug Beattie seems like good pragmatic sort, in a party of ever more pragmatism. It would be a shame if this stuff derailed him now, that DUP are vulnerable. UUP won’t get a better chance to seize the upper hand in the unionist politics. DUP are the best weapon SF have in their quest for a United ireland. Far better to them than either Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael. That’s for sure.

Meanwhile Simon and Lizzie, have a bit of a thing going, that will probably put Jeffrey Donaldson in a tight corner. He will have to bring down Stormont or risk losing face, and bringing it down is absolutely no guarantee of electoral success.

'Landing zones' for deal on NI Protocol - Coveney
https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0129/1276562-coveney-brexit/

 

[yin ewe]

But why should Doug get a pass just because he's a 'good pragmatic sort' in your opinion? We are living in an age where all politicians/people are constantly scrutinised over things they said or views they held years ago. Are yous all so naive to think that if the shoe was on the other foot, Doug wouldn't be making hay.
Perhaps those were the times we were living in 10 or 12 years ago and he could be excused, but the Edwin and wife tweets are right up to date and out of order for someone who wants to lead the country. He should have known better, just as they all should.

 

[Ashtree]

Yes, Edwin and wife tweets, were pretty stupid to say the least, but what are the options for unionists? DUP has holed the union below the water line, with their political naivety. Not to mention their religious fundamentalist outlook, which appeals to a rapidly declining cohort of people.

 

[JimAndy]

I personal don't think the Joke was that bad, and have heard far worst being told by some DuP councillors , also the thing that Edwin has said in the recent past about the LGBT has been far more offensive than a the Joke.
I can't help but notice the timing of the "outrage" just after a poll that showed the DuP in the dodo, and jeffery in deep dodo, all these tweets appear from Doug from 10 years ago, so they been in the public domain for 10 years and only now all these "people" are outraged, sound like the NIO are up to there good old dirty tricks again to help wee jeff out

 

[M-J-G]

I think Doug seems OK, mainly because he's actually done something in life and seems like he might actually have the capability to achieve something.

 

[Ashtree]

I think Doug seems OK, mainly because he's actually done something in life and seems like he might actually have the capability to achieve something.

And he has Robin Swann, who just seems to get on with the job, without fuss or drama. I keep thinking the private sector will offer him a job, too lucrative to turn down.

 

[The Agrarian]

I think the joke was a stupid thing to do, and to some degree I was waiting for a faux pas on twitter, because he uses it too casually for someone in his position. I think the result is a steep learning curve in how to operate politically. If he didn't realise that before, he's had a short sharp education this week. The interesting thing, as jimandy says, is that Poots is far from snow white. His party is still driven to a fair degree (as we saw in the recent coup) by a church which keeps women in a particular 19th century box, using scripture to justify it, and Poots is a member of that church. Does he speak out against that source of misogyny? No.

Doug's Nolan apology might actually have turned the who thing back on those hoping to profit politically from the error. That put an immediate end to the matter, with commentators and public alike on twitter being stunned at how uncrafty and unpolitician-like his apology was. It was a slow and painful programme, where no justification was made, just abject contrition. No ass preservation. In the end, it absolutely preserved his ass.

 

[M-J-G]

I think the joke was a stupid thing to do, and to some degree I was waiting for a faux pas on twitter, because he uses it too casually for someone in his position. I think the result is a steep learning curve in how to operate politically. If he didn't realise that before, he's had a short sharp education this week. The interesting thing, as jimandy says, is that Poots is far from snow white. His party is still driven to a fair degree (as we saw in the recent coup) by a church which keeps women in a particular 19th century box, using scripture to justify it, and Poots is a member of that church. Does he speak out against that source of misogyny? No.

Doug's Nolan apology might actually have turned the who thing back on those hoping to profit politically from the error. That put an immediate end to the matter, with commentators and public alike on twitter being stunned at how uncrafty and politician-like his apology was. It was a slow and painful programme, where no justification was made, just abject contrition. No ass preservation. In the end, it absolutely preserved his ass.

That's part of what I like about the man, he's not got that slippery, polished, sly way about him.

 

[le bon paysan]

Hasn’t the EU put forward comprehensive proposals to resolve outstanding issues? But Frosty introduced a new blindsider at the last minute, to scupper practical proposals.
Now Lizzie the remainder, pro European, is sprung from the bench. However, she sees her boss is on the way out, so she has do don the leaver garb, and act tough on EU and threaten to pull article 16, as she has notions on moving into the garishly decorated flat. Bless her.

Irish Sea border checks 'not fit for purpose' - BBC News

An audit finds the system for checking agri-foods entering Northern Ireland does not comply with EU rules.

www.bbc.com

 

[nivilla1982]

Poots/DUP making noise about instructing civil servants to stop checks on goods from GB. (Coincidentally an Assembly election is coming)

 

[le bon paysan]

Good luck with that one . Nice oven ready deal working well.

Brexit: Northern Ireland minister accused of breaching international law after he orders halt to agri-food checks at ports

A row between Northern Ireland's parties, as well as the Irish government, has erupted after Edwin Poots claimed he could legally stop the checks that have been going on since 2021.

news.sky.com

 

[Ashtree]

Poots/DUP making noise about instructing civil servants to stop checks on goods from GB. (Coincidentally an Assembly election is coming)

Maybe he should instruct them, to go out and flatten the world. Can’t be having folks behaving as if the planet is a spherical ball, with a few indentations on the surface.

 

[Danllan]

Maybe he should instruct them, to go out and flatten the world. Can’t be having folks behaving as if the planet is a spherical ball, with a few indentations on the surface.

We'll have to bow to your expertise on this, who're we to argue with the undoubted expert on balls?

 

[nivilla1982]

Paul Givan the NI FM expected to announce resignation from the post this afternoon.

 

[M-J-G]

Bye bye Paul, bye bye Michelle

I hope they are all getting their pay docked accordingly

 

[yin ewe]

Bye bye Paul, bye bye Michelle

I hope they are all getting their pay docked accordingly

Full pay until the end of the week then dole from Monday.

 

[Still Farming]

https://www.facebook.com/228735667216/posts/10159277905387217

 

[nivilla1982]

Full pay until the end of the week then dole from Monday.

The last talks process produced some sort of "cooling off" mechanism, so effectively a number of weeks before any substantive action has to be taken regarding the future of Stormont etc.