25/09/2014 The View


25/09/2014

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Is the DUP in rebellion against its leader, or has Peter Robinson

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re-asserted his grip and thwarted a possible challenge to his position?

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It is clear that some babe or so puffed up by their own importance.

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-- some people . But with dire warnings

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of financial meltdown looming, what will it take to get the

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Stormont train back on its tracks? We hear the Finance Minister's

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solution to the difficulties confronting

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his party and the Executive. And with talk of crisis

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and collapse, can other parties come Plus, the fallout from the Scottish

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independence referendum rumbles on. If we don't give the English affair

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voice, there would be a union, England will say enough. To save the

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union, they must be devolution for everyone.

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And familiar faces in the new-look Commentators' Corner.

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Tonight I'm joined by Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan

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And you can, of course, join the debate on Twitter -

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There was a Twitter torrent of support

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for Peter Robinson this afternoon from DUP MLAs and MPs after renewed

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That speculation was fuelled by Edwin Poots the day

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after he'd been replaced as Health Minister in a major reshuffle.

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And the First Minister didn't hold back today branding some, un-named,

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party members "lemmings" for causing disunity.

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Our Political Correspondent, Gareth Gordon, has been reviewing

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The DUP prides itself on an image of being a happy family. But like all

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families, especially one that is getting bigger, there are records.

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It is just that those on the outside already -- hardly get to hear of

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them. That is changing. This week, Peter Robinson decided to rearrange

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the furniture, showing who is boss. I am here taking three meals a day,

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happy in the job I'm doing. The message did not get through to with

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one -- to one who has reason to be so. That is public knowledge.

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It is generally taken to be less than a year. Edwin Poots was slapped

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down. Though it seems that silence is no longer golden. After

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Tuesday's reshuffle, a few more people have not been silent. But it

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is not the DUP way, is it? Gareth Gordon posing that question

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and Peter Robinson answered it It is clear there are some people

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who are so puffed up by their own importance, people who have the

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strategic vision of a lemming and we have to deal with those people and

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they will not take us of course, it is clear where the party's direction

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is and the party has choices to make. It can follow people down the

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road to destruction, let's have a proper analysis of what was had.

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Some people in the media want to stir stuff up and there is a small

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group of people who want to whisper behind backs and try and stir things

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with the media. The party will deal with them.

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Peter Robinson in robust form this morning.

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So, difficulities within the DUP and division around the Executive table

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The DUP's Finance Minister, Simon Hamilton, is with me.

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So Peter Robinson now concedes, at last, that there is a rump of

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malcontents in the party stirring up disunity who need to be dealt with.

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It is clear there was a small number in the party who are seeking to

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divide the party. What is more clear now is that there is a huge amount

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of overwhelming support for Peter Robinson remaining as leader of the

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party, not just through the general election, but the assembly election

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and beyond. Why'd you think the individuals who are set upon causing

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disunity are acting the fold? As a matter for them to explain, but what

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is clear, particularly given the difficult times were written in

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Northern Ireland, with pressure is respective of the budget and getting

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a budget agreed with the need to reform the institutions, and Pete

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has been clear about that. We all come onto that. Peter is absolutely

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the right way to lead -- right person to leave. Quite damaging to

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him as a leader and damaging for the DUP to hear about puffed up

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lemmings, full of their own self-importance you have to be dealt

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with. It is not the way the DUP does its business, we are apart that

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prides itself on being a family. You were. It isn't helpful that people

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are talking quietly and buy-backs and trying to undermine the leader.

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What is absolutely clear today is that there is overwhelming support

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for Peter Robinson and the direction he is taking the party and it is

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clear that that is where the party, whether MP or MLA, that is where

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they want to go. What if he hasn't put the rebellion down? What if his

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comments have wounded people like Edwin Poots and perhaps others and

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their wants to fight back? I think it is clear today, at the risk of

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repeating myself, at the amount of support that has been offered from

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every level in the party for Peter Robinson, that his position is

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secure . It looks a bit manufactured. Over 20

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MPs and MLAs hooting their support for Peter Robinson.

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Jim Allister was amused by what he saw

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as 'orchestrated tweets of undying loyalty to 'Our Dear Leader''.

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People have wanted to going behind Peter and show clearly, people

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wanted to show the wider world who backs and people wanted to show

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those in the media, in the wider world that they also supported him

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and they want to take us forward. Let me ask you finally about the two

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tweets we saw from Edwin Poots and Paul Givan. They seem to be going

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through the motions. They do not make it clear that they personally

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support Peter Robinson. They say he has a mandate. It is clear from what

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has been said today that Peter Robinson has the support of the

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party. People in the party at all levels wants to see Peter Robinson

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take us through the difficult times ahead. I2-mac you think yes button

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to the sword? -- he has put them -- they have put into the sword. He is

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taking the party forward. You wanted to table a paper

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taking the party forward. You wanted difficult the budgetary situation is

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and that was dealt under any other business.

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I was upset that it was not taken, because I

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I was upset that it was not taken, system and it was the best guess

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that we can ensure that we live within our budget. People know our

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budget is under pressure, that is within our budget. People know our

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compounded by the fact we have two page ?87 million in welfare reform

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compounded by the fact we have two penalties and a paper I put forward

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was the best guess about not spending the block grant. But it

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wasn't discussed? You have to put the question to Sinn Fein, they

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refused to... I want to... I wanted the issue discussed. It was welcomed

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by other members. They respected there was a need to have a proper,

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sensible adult conversation about a serious issue. We hope to Sinn Fein

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would be here, but unfortunately nobody has been available from the

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party to join us. When you talk to people in the party, they make it

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clear that you did not people in the party, they make it

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niceties and protocols as you are meant to table papers like that in

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advance, and I think this one was tabled yesterday. It was, but what

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most people have installed you is that -- have installed you is that

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what was in the paper is what was outlined a fortnight ago. It was

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contained within a briefing that was given to members of the

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contained within a briefing that was last Thursday. This is information

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that the Deputy 1st Minster and everybody else in Sinn Fein have had

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from a fortnight ago. What's the Deputy Minister say? He said that he

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would have to look at it, but that is what he said today. It

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underscores the reality that we understand, that he is not in charge

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of his party, that it is Gerry Adams was calling the shots and saying

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Martin McGuinness, who wanted to do a deal, cannot move forward and show

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leadership. So we have leadership problems into parties now? I think

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it is clear that Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, it is Sinn Fein in

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Dublin who is called the shots. It is a nice sound bite, but you don't

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have any evidence. It is clear from comments that have been made in the

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last 24 hours from Gerry Adams that he is asserting his authority and

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that is putting above the interests of Northern Ireland the interest of

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people in the Republic of Ireland, that is very damaging. It is a

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situation well if we do not cut our spending quickly, the risk every day

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that passes that we will overspend our budget. If that is the case,

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what happens is the Treasury takes the money we overspend of our budget

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for next year for stop and next year's budget is already under

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pressure. Are you saying that Gerry Adams is trying to undermine the

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leadership of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland? I think you're it has

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leathery pulled the rug from under Martin McGuinness on welfare reform.

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Quickly, or to ask you about details on Ian Paisley's memorial service.

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What form will that take? Will it be a political or religious events? It

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is a family event and it has been run by the Paisley family and I

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think it would be an opportunity for those of us who respected and loved

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Doctor Paisley to show our respect for him and to show our comfort to

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the family as they grieve his passing. I will certainly be there

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and I think many from the party will be there to show our respect on the

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passing of a great man. Thank you very much indeed.

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For now, thank you. Joining me are the Alliance leader David Ford,

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Dolores Kelly and the TUV leader Jim Allister. We did have Sinn Fein to

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provide a representative for the discussion but we were told no-one

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was available. David Ford, first the biggest financial crisis to face

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Stormont was under any other business. Which is not surely, the

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way that we should be treating it It is not. The point that I made back

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in July, we weren't treating it properly. We needed to have a proper

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mature discussion among executive minister, we had a briefing a week

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ago, it was clear the general area where things had to be dealt with,

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but we simply couldn't get agreement round the table to have that

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discussion properly. That bit of the fault is almost entirely with Sinn

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Fein, because other parties were prepared to discuss it. We went

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there intending to have a serious discussion expecting to have a

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serious discussion, hoping to have a serious discussion. Dolores Kelly

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were you interested in a serious discussion about this major issue? I

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was at a public meeting where they are faced with the closure of a

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college. There was an angry set of parents, there are many young people

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in temporary fixed contract jobs so there is a lot of uncertainty round

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welfare reform and the possibility of cuts never mind the redundancies

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that will happen right across the public sector so I think it is

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incumbent on all parties to have rational mature debate and

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conversation and have all the facts laid out for us, so we can discuss

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the best way forward in the interests of everyone in Northern

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Ireland. Why did your party not support the suggestion made by David

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Ford and Steven that you clear your diary, come back tonight, tomorrow

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until the matter is resolved? I don't think it a case of clearing

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your diary. Why not? Well, we could look at clearing the diary, our

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party is, our party... Why didn't you support that? Our party is on

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record at wanting to look at everything that is in dispute in

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Northern Ireland, not only in relation to the budget but on the

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wider issues about settling down, fissioning the failed relationships

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round the executive table. -- fixing and have the two Governments in the

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room. So, you know, the SDLP has taken the mature approach, taken

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risks over the many year, to find the best way forward. All right. Jim

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Allister, it is easy to be critical from the outside. This is a complex

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issue. There are differences between the various parties sitting round

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the table and that is why, as yet, there has been no resolution to this

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difficult issue discovered? The reason there is no resolution is

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because the system of Government is unworkable. Anywhere elsewhere you

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have a coalition there is a basic thread of agreement between the

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parties before they tern Government. In Northern Ireland because of the

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import of mandatory coalition, where every party of any reasonable size

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is automatically guaranteed a place in Government, they don't have to

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agree thinking. That is for reasons to do with the history of Northern

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Ireland. Reasons that are strangling good Government. This is a totally

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failed and failing system. They are making it difficult, does that not

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mean the politicians have to redouble their efforts to make it

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work? No it means we have to fix it. The First Minister told us they had

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a fair deal for Northern Ireland, they had fixed all the, damage and

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the Belfast agreement, now it admits the system is unfit for purpose. Now

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last week we had the Scottish referendum. The Prime Minister came

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out and said there must be constitutional reform. Yes, there

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must. But where he needs to start in Northern Ireland is restoring to

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Northern Ireland the democratic imperatives that everyone else has,

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the right to have an opposition, the right to change your Government.

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Unless and until we get a system based on that where you a coalition

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of the willing, who will deal with the issue, and those who aren't

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willing will be the opposition, unless and until we get to that

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situation, Government in Northern Ireland is not going to work. And

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here we are, in a situation with deep, deep, financial crisis, and a

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Finance Minister who can't get his paper on the executive table,

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because of the Sinn Fein veto. Of course Sinn Fein aren't in

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Government to give anyone in good Government. They don't believe in

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Northern Ireland. No surprise that they are strangling Government at

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every opportunity. OK. Simon Hamilton do you want to come back

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in? It will not probably be a huge surprise to hear you Jim saying the

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it is the way the First Minister is handling the situation, it is the

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strangulated form of Government in Northern Ireland, rather than

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specifically Sinn Fein's refusal to o kiss the issue of welfare repom. I

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find it amusing when Jim criticises the system. I can remember in 2007

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Jim wanted to wait another six months. That is a lie. And Jim would

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have us, and I accept Peter Robinson said the system isn't fit for

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purpose, we have done many good things in Stormont over the last

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seven year, it does need reform but it is better than what Jim's option

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is which is a return... It is not working. OK... It is not fit for

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purpose. It is not time to find an alternative? It is not Jim who is

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suggesting that, Peter Robinson suggested what we need is a set

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piece negotiations where this is the issue that is on the table and that

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we all the parties sit and negotiate a better way forward. It has served

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us not perfectly but for the last number of years and we need

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something new to Mo forward on. It is fit for purpose. They need to...

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you think we should be doing to put our best foot forward. There are

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institutional issue, the Good Friday agreement set up arrangements to

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move away from the past. It fulfilled that purpose. It is not

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providing good Government now. That is why the Alliance has been

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talking... Is it put for purpose It is for

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talking... Is it put for purpose It That is why we need to change that.

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But we have a much more pressing need, which is to resolve the

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financial issues and that requires people to get real about where the

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economy is, to deal with the issues that face us and to not run away

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from them and not push them out of line. Do you pull the plug? How much

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longer can we him. On like this? That is an issue which will have to

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be faced rapt rapidly if we start to get letters from the Treasury. I

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know what question do in the Department of Justice, I know what

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we have done over Department of Justice, I know what

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years managing a difficult budget. We have

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years managing a difficult budget. protected frontline services but if

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others are not prepared to live up to things we won't be able do the

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kind of job I want to do. Dolores Kelly do politicians need to face up

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to the reality unless this can be fixed and fixed quickly, actually,

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we would be better not having devolved authority in Northern

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Ireland? I don't accept that, I think devolution works better for

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the people. How would you fix the shambles? Can I reflect and remind

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people, four years ago, three-and-a-half years ago at the

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start of the mandate Peter Robinson in a speech to the assembly said

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that no more them and us, that this executive would be judged on

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delivery and it is some time we delivered for the public. It's the

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public's interest that we must put before party interests. Tell me what

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that means in policy terms? You won't get anything anybody to

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disagree with that. The question is, how do you convert that into real

:20:12.:20:17.

politics and political progress? We need to start dealing with some of

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the tough issues. The SDLP can talk about it. Other parties have to

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can't for themselves. And I note they are missing this evening. The

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SDLP has not run away from the tough decision and we put the people

:20:32.:20:35.

first. We have not dealt with sectarianism and about a shared

:20:36.:20:41.

future and working together. As Mark Durkan said it's the ugly

:20:42.:20:43.

scaffolding of the Belfast agreement you need to deal with. The SDLP has

:20:44.:20:50.

walked away from that and wants to sustain that cannot work, will never

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work and subject the people of Northern Ireland to a system

:20:56.:20:58.

incapable of working. Let me ask Simon about that scaffolding. Is it

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time to take it down and actually look at building for what it is?

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Absolutely it needs to be taken down. We have been saying that for

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over a decade, that while the structures we have had have served a

:21:13.:21:17.

purpose for a period of time, they were not the long-term

:21:18.:21:20.

settlementment we need to move on in terms of the structures. You can't

:21:21.:21:23.

agree on the process of how you are going to look at that scaffolding.

:21:24.:21:29.

Your party leader met Theresa Villiers today. She can't get all

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the parties round the table to discuss the outstanding issue, there

:21:33.:21:36.

is no sign of any progress on flags, parades and the past. I have heard

:21:37.:21:41.

from Sinn Fein saying they think the system is unviable as well. So I

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think there is a growing consensus the structure isn't working Nobody

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can agree on what to do about it I think we will make progress in

:21:51.:21:57.

terms, as you have identified Peter Robinson has identified them. And I

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think it is something that is imminent and we can make progress

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that will ensure that devolution can work in Northern Ireland. What about

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the Commission of inquiry? That is something again which we have been

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discussing and we would encourage the Secretary of State to move

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quickly. Sinn Fein don't want to take part in it It needs to happen,

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it is something the media have been calling for. I don't think the media

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have been calling for it The Belfast telegraph. That is one newspaper.

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The media doesn't make policy commands It called for the praise

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commission itself. So I think a committee of inquiry is the right

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way to gone and the Secretary of State should move forward quickly.

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We must leave it there. Time has beaten us. Thank you very up many

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for joining us. Here is is a question, should Northern Ireland

:22:48.:22:50.

MPs be allowed to vote in Westminster on English only matters?

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That is one of the pressing questions facing us now the

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referendum in Scotland is over. Our political correspondent has been

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investigating. No, 19,036.

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Scotland gave its answer, but now the Scottish question has given way

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to the English question. I have long believed that a crucial

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part missing from this national discussion is England. We have heard

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the voice of Scotland, and now the millions of voices of England must

:23:26.:23:30.

also be heard. Those English voices are now

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demanding English votes for English laws. I tell you something, if we

:23:36.:23:40.

don't give the enlast lib a fair voice there won't be a union.

:23:41.:23:45.

England will say enough is enough. We have to have devolution that

:23:46.:23:49.

works for everybody. The vast majority of MPs are English. 533.

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There is 59 from Scotland, 40 from Wales and 18 from Northern Ireland.

:23:57.:24:01.

The notion of a two tyre chamber is controversial. -- tier. Our high

:24:02.:24:08.

feeling MPs are used to go to London to vote on UK-wide leg lakes, there

:24:09.:24:13.

are calls there shouldn't be allowed to vote own English matters. They

:24:14.:24:18.

say that is reasonable but it is not straight forward. Take for example

:24:19.:24:25.

the issue of Heathrow expansion. That has a direct impact on my

:24:26.:24:29.

constituency. And in terms of the economy. Yet it would appear on the

:24:30.:24:33.

surface to be an England and Wales question, it is a question that

:24:34.:24:36.

affects the whole of the UK in terms of how we connect to the rest of the

:24:37.:24:42.

world. How do you define English only legislation? There are lots of

:24:43.:24:47.

grey area, take for example if there was to be a changes in welfare,

:24:48.:24:52.

proposed for England only. Given that the Treasury has to pay for

:24:53.:24:58.

those changes, and if the changes weren't reciprocated in Scotland,

:24:59.:25:03.

Northern Ireland, or Wales, then there will be a consequence for

:25:04.:25:06.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales any way, so the argument would be

:25:07.:25:11.

should we not have some say in the debate on that? Order, order!

:25:12.:25:19.

Indeed, there are significant concerns about how to monitor or

:25:20.:25:24.

police the system. It would be like on a driving license where we have

:25:25.:25:29.

the different categories of vehicle, they would have to check on who is

:25:30.:25:33.

allowed to vote on what. It is is a debate that won't go away. It is

:25:34.:25:36.

leading to calls for wider reform, of how we are governed.

:25:37.:25:42.

What I can't understand is why people who are now campaigning very

:25:43.:25:47.

hard to stop elected members in the Commons to vote on matters seem to

:25:48.:25:51.

be content to have a lot of unelected members from all over the

:25:52.:25:54.

place the the House of Lords deciding legislation, so if you are

:25:55.:25:58.

going to move to change and reform things, in the House of Commons, I

:25:59.:26:02.

think it makes the case for reform or even abolition in terms of the

:26:03.:26:05.

House of Lords. Some say the solution is giving cities greater

:26:06.:26:11.

powers. Others argue for an English assembly separate from Parliament.

:26:12.:26:15.

Leaving MPs to deal with issues such as defence and foreign affair, but

:26:16.:26:20.

even that has its critics. I don't think that there is a case for an

:26:21.:26:23.

English Parliament, because if you have an English Parliament it seems

:26:24.:26:28.

to me you have to have a separate English executive with an English

:26:29.:26:32.

First Minister, then you will have a UK-wide Prime Minister, and they

:26:33.:26:35.

could be drawn from different party, and that would be a recipe I suspect

:26:36.:26:43.

for conflict, disarray, confusion. There are warnings we could lose out

:26:44.:26:48.

financially. If political reform leads to change on how the UK money

:26:49.:26:55.

pot is shared out With a low taxable base, with you know, an

:26:56.:27:00.

underdeveloped private sector, that could lead to the gradual further

:27:01.:27:04.

improve Irishment of Northern Ireland. I think, I am not being a

:27:05.:27:09.

Cassandra here, but that is a risk. There are opportunities though if

:27:10.:27:12.

the Commons moves to a two tier system. Perhaps more time for our

:27:13.:27:18.

MPs to raise and debate issues, one thing is certain, the Scottish

:27:19.:27:22.

referendum has changed things utterly.

:27:23.:27:26.

The Northern Ireland-born MP for Vauxhall who has made it very

:27:27.:27:30.

You don't think non-English MPs should vote on English-only matters?

:27:31.:27:40.

I think English representing English constituencies, but I think there is

:27:41.:27:56.

a principle involved. This has been an issue for some time, the Scottish

:27:57.:28:01.

referendum has really highlighted it, because immediately before they

:28:02.:28:03.

were offered extra powers and of course immediately those of us in

:28:04.:28:11.

England who have seen in the past certain legislation go through

:28:12.:28:14.

specifically because -- because of the votes of Scottish MPs when it

:28:15.:28:19.

does not affect them at all. Foundation Trusts for example. That

:28:20.:28:26.

went through because of Scottish Labour MPs. We had no say in the

:28:27.:28:32.

health service in Scotland, so I think I can understand the feeling

:28:33.:28:38.

of some Members of Parliament for Northern Ireland or Wales or

:28:39.:28:41.

Scotland who will feel maybe that they would like to be voting on

:28:42.:28:45.

everything, but at the moment the reality is they don't. Quite a few

:28:46.:28:49.

don't vote when it comes to an issue that does not affect the area.

:28:50.:28:52.

But as we saw in Martina Purdy's package,

:28:53.:28:54.

You heard people saying there are issues that could be at first glance

:28:55.:29:05.

English only, but they are quite congregated and have ramifications

:29:06.:29:12.

asked in Northern Ireland, for example Heathrow Airport. There will

:29:13.:29:16.

always be difficulties, but I think there is a clear principle that

:29:17.:29:20.

obviously the Clerk of the House and Chief Executive of Commons or the

:29:21.:29:23.

Speaker of the House comments or however the format of the was

:29:24.:29:30.

arrived at, there'll be an issue. No one is saying it should happen

:29:31.:29:33.

tomorrow, but I think we want to see an acceptance by all the members of

:29:34.:29:41.

Pollard in different parts of the UK that they recognise this is a real

:29:42.:29:46.

problem. -- Members of Parliament. I just don't think the way to do it is

:29:47.:29:50.

to set up an assembly that will go on for a very long time, cost a lot

:29:51.:29:54.

of money, just to discuss the issue. We may need it later. Would you not

:29:55.:30:01.

be concerned. You busy have a good relationship with a lot of Northern

:30:02.:30:05.

Ireland MPs. Would you not be concerned that people from here

:30:06.:30:09.

would be second-class MPs? We would two tiers of MP.

:30:10.:30:16.

I don't really accept that as a 2 tier issue, some of them will see

:30:17.:30:26.

its like that, but some recognise they won't vote on some issues that

:30:27.:30:31.

don't affect their constituents. But there are ways around it. When you

:30:32.:30:36.

look at it, something like 522 English MPs representing English

:30:37.:30:41.

constituencies, 100 and whatever it is 17 from others, we have an

:30:42.:30:48.

English Parliament a lot of the time in terms of numbers and all we would

:30:49.:30:52.

have to do is for certain issues, those people would not vote. The

:30:53.:30:55.

Scottish house arrests have done that all along, they don't vote on

:30:56.:31:04.

English only issue. -- Scottish Nationalists. Constitutional changes

:31:05.:31:07.

will come as a result of the Scottish referendum and will affect

:31:08.:31:15.

us. Some people who take your position also take the view that

:31:16.:31:19.

there needs to be an English Parliament.

:31:20.:31:20.

Is that not the logical conclusion to your argument?

:31:21.:31:22.

Then would we have an English Executive and an

:31:23.:31:24.

I am not in favour. There are some people, but I do not think an

:31:25.:31:33.

English parliament will happen. It would be ludicrous to set up another

:31:34.:31:41.

machinery of Government. It would needed to separate place to meet, we

:31:42.:31:44.

have a system there, we just need small changes. There will be

:31:45.:31:51.

acceptance that the changes needed, but people will come to it

:31:52.:31:58.

gradually. There is a huge constitutional debates taking place

:31:59.:32:01.

and you have been sitting in the wings watching our politicians

:32:02.:32:07.

debating key issues. Flags, parades, talks and the failure to agree on a

:32:08.:32:11.

budget. There does seem to be a pressing need for somebody to put

:32:12.:32:15.

that right. I know you come here a lot, but what do you make... With

:32:16.:32:26.

seemingly seem to be looking into a bit of an abyss. On well for

:32:27.:32:30.

reform, and people would be horrified and

:32:31.:32:36.

people have got used to certain things, but I do think that it is

:32:37.:32:43.

something that will have to be addressed and addressed urgently. If

:32:44.:32:48.

there is a Labour Government in next May, they will not be coming out and

:32:49.:32:53.

handing out more money for welfare. This has to be sorted and it has to

:32:54.:32:57.

be sorted soon. On all of the other things that I listen to, ultimately

:32:58.:33:02.

I think whoever said it was right, the whole setup was to bring peace

:33:03.:33:09.

and was to get a particular solving of a particular problem. We have had

:33:10.:33:14.

a number of years of fact, now we need an opposition, we need

:33:15.:33:20.

normal,', politics in Northern Ireland.

:33:21.:33:22.

Let's hear what our commentators make

:33:23.:33:25.

Settling into their new home are Professor Cathy

:33:26.:33:28.

Congratulations on your elevation, Cathy, and your new title. We are

:33:29.:33:37.

all very starstruck. You have written a book about

:33:38.:33:47.

political leadership, I know you have looked at the DUP specifically.

:33:48.:33:53.

How choppy are the waters that Peter Robinson finds himself in? We could

:33:54.:33:58.

have predicted the reshuffle would happen, they tend to happen when a

:33:59.:34:02.

party leader or Prime Minister is facing an internal party challenge,

:34:03.:34:05.

is facing a party leader or Prime Minister is facing an internal party

:34:06.:34:10.

challenge, is facing their personal popularity stakes at a lower level

:34:11.:34:14.

than their parties. I think the internal review seems to suggest

:34:15.:34:18.

that the party sees Peter Robinson's popularity ratings as

:34:19.:34:24.

lower than the parties, hence the reshuffle. To use a type of language

:34:25.:34:29.

that were used to now from the First Minister, is ungracious words like

:34:30.:34:32.

lemmings and so on about ministers that he saw fit to hold office for

:34:33.:34:37.

important portfolios, shows he himself knows he is in a crisis. Do

:34:38.:34:44.

you think he the rebels? I think it was a clever bit of management, but

:34:45.:34:50.

he has underlit today on television. -- undone it. I think the threat is

:34:51.:34:56.

that there is nobody left who can say don't say that. He has

:34:57.:35:00.

apparently surrounded himself with Yasmin who put on these ridiculous

:35:01.:35:07.

media performances. -- yes men. Why has he not righted the ship? This

:35:08.:35:14.

performance on television is what the public will see. They will see

:35:15.:35:20.

our First Minister and leader of our largest party behaving like a bit of

:35:21.:35:28.

idiots. -- a bit of an idiot. The tweets did not help. It'll suggest

:35:29.:35:39.

the lady. Protest too much. The DUP's official Twitter account

:35:40.:35:44.

was putting out twits for MLA's who do not have their own twitter

:35:45.:35:45.

accounts. -- s it is difficult to know how Peter

:35:46.:35:54.

Robinson handles this. He moved to try to quell dissent.

:35:55.:36:09.

Will that be the case or the rumblings will continue? The

:36:10.:36:12.

conversation is about when Peter will continue? The conversation is

:36:13.:36:15.

about when Peter Wilco have long preceded this about any party

:36:16.:36:24.

leaders. -- when Peter will leave. Its long predated what happened over

:36:25.:36:29.

the last few days and it will continue beyond. What is most

:36:30.:36:33.

interesting is that there are two parallel universes here. The

:36:34.:36:35.

conversation tonight was about being here for the next election and the

:36:36.:36:41.

assembly election in complete isolation of the fact that we have a

:36:42.:36:48.

constitution reform commission, what's devolved powers regions will

:36:49.:36:52.

have, that will throw everything in the air and those things are moving

:36:53.:36:57.

past each other. That is likely to make the

:36:58.:36:59.

past each other. That is likely to Ultimately, there is no alternative

:37:00.:37:05.

campaign. I spoke to a senior member of the DUP who said there is no

:37:06.:37:10.

great love for Peter Robinson in the party, but people respect he is the

:37:11.:37:12.

great love for Peter Robinson in the best man for the job at the moment

:37:13.:37:16.

as he is a good should eject finger and he is a good decision maker.

:37:17.:37:26.

-- strategic thinker. The evidence would show that strategic leadership

:37:27.:37:30.

does not equate to knee jerk reactions and statements to the

:37:31.:37:33.

press that uses unparliamentary language like lemmings.

:37:34.:37:39.

You are the Economist, let's talk about the failure to agree the

:37:40.:37:41.

budgets. How serious is the situation? It is

:37:42.:37:47.

serious politically, but to put it in context financially the paper

:37:48.:37:52.

Simon Hamilton was talking about revealed that Stormont is still

:37:53.:37:55.

getting more money this year than was planned when its budget was set

:37:56.:38:00.

up three years ago. There has been mismanagement all around. But this

:38:01.:38:05.

is a problem they have all course and they all course and they only to

:38:06.:38:08.

sit down and work it out. One sentence on the failure to agree It

:38:09.:38:15.

is the same to a -- it is the same as the failure to agree the system

:38:16.:38:20.

of Government. That is it for this week. Join me for Sunday Politics on

:38:21.:38:25.

Sunday. The word of the day was lemmings and

:38:26.:38:32.

it reminded us of a classic 1990s computer game.

:38:33.:38:48.

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