Iris Robinson was having an affair behind husband Peter's back - story about to break

[factual]

Peter Robinsin has just cleared up a lot of issues in an interview on BBC NEWS. He said he did not know a lot of the alleged details that came out including financial details.

He says other details were wrong including details surrounding the suicide.

He says he has not done anything wrong and has decided on getting a speedy independent legal process to check the specific allegations against him relating to whether he was under any requirement to have done more than he did. Specifically an independently appointed senior Counsel will investigate whether he did anything wrong and he will await the result before making any other decision.

[johnfás]

It is quite an important point that the money never passed through Iris's hands. The money was given directly to this Kirk fella and then was returned directly to the donors. This will be an important technical issue when it comes to whether or not Peter infringed public office in regard declaration of interests which Iris held. The money was never technically held in her name - though there may be an issue in respect of the £5,000 she allegedly took personally.

No question that Iris is finished. I suspect Peter is finished politically but retrospectively will be shown to have not infringed the standards in question.

[mutley]

OK then, 'handsome'. Does that make it any better?



Be grateful it took about 800 posts before anyone admitted the obvious - that the young man is quite fit. Had it been an older man with a hot 19 year old women, the "Yeah, good on him!" stuff would have started on the very first page.



You're seriously saying that you would have no idea that, say David Beckham or Brad Pitt, was good looking until some woman came up and pointed it out to you? I'm not sure how you can say you can tell that someone is ugly, but not that someone is good looking, since the concepts are relative to one another. It's a bit like saying you can tell if someone is short, but not if they are thin.

I don't know why everyone is wetting themselves over this guys looks, if he walked past you in the street you wouldn't look at him twice. (Or maybe I've high standards, or have never been attracted to young blokes )

[factual]

It is quite an important point that the money never passed through Iris's hands. The money was given directly to this Kirk fella and then was returned directly to the donors. This will be an important technical issue when it comes to whether or not Peter infringed public office in regard declaration of interests which Iris held. The money was never technically held in her name - though there may be an issue in respect of the £5,000 she allegedly took personally.

No question that Iris is finished. I suspect Peter is finished politically but retrospectively will be shown to have not infringed the standards in question.

Peters position is weakened. It depends ultimately on what the voters think and opinion is still to play for. If the lawyer says he did nothing wrong then things stabilise. His wife will have to resign and I guess they are deciding when is the best time to announce that from a damage limitation pov.

[Interista]

I don't know why everyone is wetting themselves over this guys looks,

He's no Hugh Jackman or Eric Bana, but he's undoubtably a good-looking young man. Not really my type either - I prefer my men a bit more manly - but I can understand what Iris saw in him. And no, it's not really that important to the overall story, but I don't think it's unreasonable (as some posters do) that on a thread with more than a thousand (!) posts, a few should point out the fact that Iris' toy boy is actually a bit of a looker.

[mutley]

Just seen Peter Robinson on the News, he is very very Gaunt looking, and his eyes they are the saddest eyes I've ever seen

[johnfás]

Peters position is weakened. It depends ultimately on what the voters think and opinion is still to play for. If the lawyer says he did nothing wrong then things stabilise. His wife will have to resign and I guess they are deciding when is the best time to announce that from a damage limitation pov.

If he lasts that long. These things have a tendency to build momentum. There is, in actual terms, very little evidence of any misdoings by Peter. That is irrelevant though, as you have recognised. What is important is how the DUP members think this is effecting their prospects in the next election. From a political point of view, that is all that really matters.

[pete2]

..The money was never technically held in her name - though there may be an issue in respect of the £5,000 she allegedly took personally...

..Mrs Robinson obtains a total of £50,000 from two property developers, Fred Fraser, now deceased, and Ken Campbell to fund the project. Kirk McCambley will later tell the BBC that after he received the money, Mrs Robinson asked him to give her £5,000 in cash.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8448839.stm

The story is Ken Campbell and the alleged bungs from property dealers within the culture of the DUP. Iris is deadmeat, forget Iris. Peter just tried to buy himself some time. Jim Allister will profit and already outlined the course events will take on tonights Radio Oolster.

[johnfás]

She lobbied for it on his behalf, but according to media reports today, the cheques were made payable directly to Kirk.

That will also be why Peter, at the time, was adoment that the money be returned directly, by Kirk, to the donors. Which he did by selling a stake in his business. It would have been important for Peter's point of view that the return of money never passed through the hands of Iris.

As I have said, these issues matter little in terms of perception within the DUP and thus will not save him politically. However, they will likely work to his advantage in any ethics probe. But it is my opinion he will be gone prior to any opportunity for counsel to examine his position.

[eoin smith]

The money was never technically held in her name - though there may be an issue in respect of the £5,000 she allegedly took personally.

.

The money was simply resting in her account.