Robinson Claims 'Unanimous' Support for Policing & Justice Deal

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LOL

Sinn Féin said that the Devolution of Policing & Justice should not be linked to the parading issue. But ultimately reform / replacement of the Parades Commission was in the gift of the British government, not Sinn Féin - another reason why negotiating was a far smarter strategy than walking away.

The DUP buckled in the wake of Irisgate and agreed that something which its Deputy Leader had said would not happen 'in a political lifetime' would happen on April 12. Those who are intent on spinning this into a defeat / betrayal by Sinn Féin are even less convincing than Jim Allister. I am glad to be able to counter sectarian scaremongering over parades. No one has been sold down the river!

But Adams’ words will be read for one thing more than any other — his position on parades.

“There can be no preconditions, not on the Parades Commission, not on marches, not on equality and partnership government,” he wrote.

Sounds pretty adamant to me.

I never said it was a defeat for Sinn Fein or betrayal by Sinn Fein, I never said that Sinn Fein had sold anyone down the River, and I have not given a single opinion as to what the effects of the Abolution of the Parades will be for the Nationalist Community.
I said that judging from the outcome of the negotiations, Sinn Fein had no real appitite for an early election IMO.

These negoiations were a victory for the DUP, even under the weight of Irisgate, they bargained hard, theyeven got a veto on the devolution of Policing and Justice, even with the threat of MMG resigning and an Assembley election being called, they stood firm and achieved their preconditions.

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These negoiations were a victory for the DUP, even under the weight of Irisgate, they bargained hard, theyeven got a veto on the devolution of Policing and Justice, even with the threat of MMG resigning and an Assembley election being called, they stood firm and achieved their preconditions.

Spinning for the DUP now!

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Spinning for the DUP now!

Would you like to point out, what is incorrect about what I said?

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Power (no matter how large or small) moving from London to Belfast will be seen by many Unionists as treason, a win for Nationalism which desires all power to be taken from London.

Last election the DUP spoke out of both sides of their mouth, playing to anti-powersharing Unionists as well as those who accepted devolution.
By even being in power they lost a lot of votes, this will damage them more.

Many Unionists do not like the fact that power is coming to Belfast when SF hold power.

Irrespective of who you believe came out best here, the fact remains that these negotiations will not lose SF any voters but it most certainly will lose the DUP voters while also handing the TUV all the rhetoric they need to inflict as much damage on them as possible.

Overall its favoured SF, unless the DUP can put some serious spin on it.
Even then it will not save their mandate.

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If the DUP were to welsh on this deal (and by implication the St Andrews deal) they would be doing so on the issue of Orange parades alone. They would be seen as totally unresaonable, not just in UK and world opinion, but in the eyes of the vast swathes of the unionist electorate which are not actually involved in the Orange Order. They would lose what remaining credibility they had and would be crushed at the Stormont election that would follow.

The Parades Commission is an NIO controlled quango which is subject to political interference (e.g Hain's appointment of TWO Orangemen) and allows Oranges marches through nationalist areas such as the village of Rasharkin. Sinn Féin has never been committed to its retention. The new arrangements have had Sinn Féin input, will have Sinn Féin input and if what eventually emerges is not to Sinn Féin's liking, it can be subject to Sinn Féin veto.

Any suggestion that the Orange Order will be cocks of the walk again is base sectarian scaremongering of the sort that Jim Allister specialises in. It ain't gonna happen!

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An interesting and well-balanced analysis from TUV blogger Turgon over at Slugger O'Toole. I recommend it.

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Never! Never! Never! Later! Not now! Maybe some other day! Ok then.

It looks like the outstanding issues from the St.Andrews agreement will also be tackled by this.

This could mean that the DUP might also have to put their hand to some sort of Irish Language agreement and north/south bodies.

It's hard to see anything of substance that the DUP can take from this, and considering the negotiations seemed to put some manners on the DUP you could easily afford them their silly parade commission reworking nonsence.
Afterall it's politics and the DUP had to come out of this with something, better a superficial thing like this than something important.

I still think that a parades commission reworking could work in favour of Nationalists too.

The DUP are their own worst enemy, they have set themselves into opposition to so many issues that they have made their job impossible.
Everything they do will be viewed as a defeat, as they have opposed and blocked progress.

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In any case the Parades Commission stays until the parties at Stormont agree the form of its replacement!

As you say 'Parades Commission Abolished' is just a fig leaf to cover the DUP's retreat on Policing and Justice. The strategy of blocking things that they've already accepted (at St Andrews) has been shown to be a dud one. They'd be well advised to drop the 'We've binned an Irish Language Act' rhetoric. It's unjust - and untenable.

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Jim Allisters press release on the matter..

Bad and humiliating staging post deal for Unionism | Traditional Unionist Voice

"Make no mistake, the Parades Commission stays. When what is proposed walks like the Parades Commission, talks like the Parades Commission and looks like the Parades Commission, IT IS THE PARADES COMMISSION"


“How many times did the DUP not boast that they had buried the Irish Language issue? It was their greatest scalp in devolution! Now, we find, as I previously warned, that suddenly it is back on the table as part of republicanism’s agenda to sanitise this Province of its Britishness."

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Jim Allisters press release on the matter..

Bad and humiliating staging post deal for Unionism | Traditional Unionist Voice

Typical bombast from Jim - amusing all the same!

He claims that an Irish Language Act would be part of 'sanitising Ulster of its Britishness'. However last time I checked Scotland and Wales, both of which have indigenous language acts, were still very much British. It's shortsighted bigotry of this nature that undermines unionism, not strengthens it.