Browse content similar to 11/12/2012. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello and welcome to Stormont Today. A beautiful view from here on the | :00:28. | :00:30. | |
Hill this afternoon, but while Christmas may be firmly behind us, | :00:30. | :00:36. | |
the seasonal spirit of giving was still in the air. | :00:36. | :00:43. | |
Over �200 million was announced for new school builds. | :00:43. | :00:45. | |
�17 million was unwrapped for new buses and road improvements. | :00:45. | :00:48. | |
�10 million extra was given to health. | :00:48. | :00:51. | |
It wasn't all good cheer as the Agriculture Minister faced pressure | :00:51. | :01:01. | |
:01:01. | :01:19. | ||
And no stranger to goings-on up here on the Hill, the political | :01:19. | :01:22. | |
commentator, Alex Kane, is with me in the studio. | :01:22. | :01:24. | |
More on financial giveaways, questions to the Agriculture | :01:24. | :01:27. | |
Minister, Michelle O'Neill, and the rest of the day's business in the | :01:27. | :01:30. | |
Chamber a little later, but let's begin tonight with the other big | :01:30. | :01:32. | |
debate in the corridors and cafes up here. | :01:32. | :01:35. | |
Sinn Fein's call for a border poll and the DUP's response to it. | :01:35. | :01:39. | |
The commentator Alex Kane is with me. What have you made of the DUP's | :01:39. | :01:43. | |
reaction today to Sinn Fein's demand? Surprised by. It when this | :01:43. | :01:46. | |
debate has been had before, when it was mentioned by Sinn Fein 18 | :01:46. | :01:51. | |
months ago that they liked the idea of a border poll the DUP was | :01:51. | :01:55. | |
dismissive, unionism generally was very dismissive. They needed a | :01:55. | :01:58. | |
response to the official launch to the campaign, contingency was on | :01:58. | :02:02. | |
Saturday. Most people thought it would be fairly dismissive look, | :02:02. | :02:06. | |
it's not going to happen anyway, the conditions aren't right, there | :02:06. | :02:11. | |
are more important things. People were surprised when Arlene Foster | :02:11. | :02:16. | |
suggested they would be in favour of tsm they seem to have rowed back | :02:16. | :02:21. | |
slightly. She seemed to be clearer in one of the radio interviews, not | :02:21. | :02:25. | |
quite so equivocal later in the day, is that fair? She got caught on the | :02:25. | :02:30. | |
hop. She gave a gut reaction, yeah, if they want a poll bring it on. We | :02:30. | :02:34. | |
are ready for. It they had a chat with her in the back rooms of the | :02:34. | :02:39. | |
DUP afterwards and said, we don't want it at this time. I think that | :02:39. | :02:43. | |
is what happened. Have unionists anything to fear from a border | :02:43. | :02:47. | |
poll? They don't. If you look at the census and all the other | :02:47. | :02:51. | |
polling figures it's absolutely clear there would be a comfortable | :02:51. | :02:55. | |
majority for the union, from Catholics, nationalists whatever | :02:55. | :03:01. | |
you want to call them as well as unionists. How the unionists | :03:02. | :03:09. | |
reacted against a poll DUP seemingly for. It UK IP for. It | :03:09. | :03:14. | |
they start on day one when this debate started Euniceism is already | :03:14. | :03:20. | |
divided. My fears would be Euniceism would mix its message. | :03:20. | :03:24. | |
might be something for unionists to unite behind. Something that would | :03:24. | :03:28. | |
allow them to banish the flag debate which has been divisive? | :03:28. | :03:33. | |
one day wonder. That would have worked if Euniceism had a united | :03:33. | :03:37. | |
response to Sinn Fein's campaign and demand for a border poll. They | :03:37. | :03:40. | |
came out today with Arlene surprising the media, surprising | :03:40. | :03:44. | |
her own party and the rest of uniononism not where it stands. | :03:44. | :03:50. | |
It's a bad day for them. Do you think the average unionist voter | :03:50. | :03:55. | |
would relish calling Republicans bluff on the issue or would rather | :03:55. | :03:57. | |
their representatives up here at Stormont and Westminster were | :03:58. | :04:02. | |
dealing with more pressing issues like the state of the economy, and | :04:02. | :04:06. | |
the unresolved flags issue? there was a real opportunity for | :04:06. | :04:11. | |
the debate to happen, under the existing legislation it requires | :04:11. | :04:14. | |
the Secretary of State who dismissed it. She is not keen. Most | :04:14. | :04:19. | |
unionists and most nationalist woos compare the government to get on | :04:19. | :04:23. | |
and govern to hands on relevant necessary legislation instead of | :04:23. | :04:28. | |
flags debate, parades debate, we hate you more than you debates. | :04:28. | :04:32. | |
They want them to govern and not get bogged down on side issues. | :04:32. | :04:37. | |
now, thank you very much. Now, good news for some schools as | :04:37. | :04:39. | |
the Education Minister, John O'Dowd, approved 22 new school building | :04:39. | :04:43. | |
projects worth a total of �220 million. | :04:43. | :04:45. | |
Making the announcement in the Assembly, the Minister said | :04:45. | :04:51. | |
substandard accommodation has to be tackled. Last June I made it clear | :04:51. | :04:55. | |
the capital budget available meant we had to do more with the existing | :04:55. | :04:59. | |
estate. In support of this I announced the establishment of a | :04:59. | :05:04. | |
new schools enhancement programme which would make �4 million | :05:04. | :05:10. | |
available for refurbishing or sustaining schools. I will have the | :05:10. | :05:13. | |
first call for projects under that programme. Information on the | :05:13. | :05:17. | |
scheme and details on the ap pry kaition -- application process has | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
been issued to the relevant managing authorities and schools. | :05:19. | :05:23. | |
Details of the programme have been placed on the department's website. | :05:23. | :05:26. | |
It is anticipated that the first projects selected under the | :05:26. | :05:33. | |
programme will be announced before the end of the school year. After | :05:33. | :05:37. | |
�20 million will be made available for this programme at each of the | :05:37. | :05:43. | |
two financial years coming. The School Enhancement Programme will | :05:43. | :05:49. | |
prioritise projects aimed at facilitating amalgamations, | :05:49. | :05:53. | |
improving facilities and structural changes needed across the estate. I | :05:53. | :05:57. | |
highlighted the funds being ringfenced to tackle the backlog | :05:57. | :06:02. | |
across the estate, �40 million has been invested in the current | :06:02. | :06:05. | |
financial year. This focus on maintenance will be continued over | :06:05. | :06:09. | |
the coming financial year and taking with the investment in minor | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
works the new programme as well as the investment in new builds should | :06:12. | :06:17. | |
go a long way to addressing the long outstandinging accommodations | :06:17. | :06:22. | |
issues across the estate. In relation to work on education | :06:22. | :06:27. | |
campus, the department has taken recipe of the outlining business | :06:27. | :06:31. | |
case and is progressing with the examination of this as a priority. | :06:31. | :06:36. | |
I'm committed to delivering on the programme for the government | :06:36. | :06:46. | |
:06:46. | :06:47. | ||
flagship project as soon as prabgkabl. -- I'm announcing a | :06:47. | :06:51. | |
further 22 projects to be advanced in planning. This represents a | :06:51. | :06:56. | |
potential investment of some �220 million. These projects have been | :06:56. | :07:02. | |
drawn from priority Jects identified by the various managing | :07:02. | :07:05. | |
authorities. The process is available on my department's | :07:05. | :07:09. | |
website. All the projects have been considered within the context of | :07:09. | :07:16. | |
area planning. Work being undertaken and forming part of a | :07:16. | :07:26. | |
:07:26. | :07:33. | ||
long-term provision within their Of the 22 projects I'm announcing | :07:33. | :07:39. | |
today, 14 are required to deal with previous or planned amalgamations | :07:39. | :07:42. | |
orational ications within the estate. This is consistent with the | :07:42. | :07:44. | |
drive towards viable and sustainable schools and the | :07:45. | :07:49. | |
principle of area planning. Mr Speaker, I do not believe that a | :07:49. | :07:53. | |
modern, forward looking society we should accept a situation where | :07:53. | :07:57. | |
children receive their entire primary school education in | :07:57. | :08:01. | |
temporary accommodation majority of which is clearly outdated. We are | :08:01. | :08:06. | |
not in a position to resolve all situations at this time, six profit | :08:06. | :08:16. | |
:08:16. | :08:16. | ||
jects taken forward will provide permanent accommodation. | :08:16. | :08:19. | |
Well, John O'Dowd wasn't the only Minister opening his purse strings | :08:19. | :08:20. | |
today. Sammy Wilson, the Finance Minister, | :08:21. | :08:25. | |
had some good news of his own. Executive agreed to �10 million of | :08:25. | :08:28. | |
resource expenditure to the Department of Justice for the | :08:28. | :08:33. | |
prison officers exit scheme. This allocation will help to drive | :08:33. | :08:36. | |
forward ongoing Prison Service reform and members should also note | :08:36. | :08:46. | |
:08:46. | :08:49. | ||
that this allocation will be more than matched by DOG -- DOJ | :08:49. | :08:52. | |
surrendering capital, that should help the Executive address the over | :08:52. | :08:56. | |
commitment in that year. �10 million also allocated to the | :08:56. | :09:00. | |
Department of Health and social services and public safety. This | :09:00. | :09:04. | |
allocation allows the department to address additional demand on | :09:04. | :09:08. | |
emergency departments and other acute hospital services which | :09:08. | :09:13. | |
result from winter and unscheduled care pressures. It provides some | :09:13. | :09:17. | |
additional resources for family and childcare services, general dental | :09:17. | :09:20. | |
services and further work on infection control in our hospitals. | :09:20. | :09:26. | |
I think that should be welcomed by the Assembly. The Executive agreed | :09:26. | :09:31. | |
to allocate �17.7 million of capital investment funding to the | :09:31. | :09:36. | |
department of regional development and that will allow the department | :09:36. | :09:44. | |
to purchase 42 new buses. I have got good news for the Green Party | :09:44. | :09:50. | |
who don't turn up at a total cost of �6.7 million. Furthermore, it | :09:50. | :09:55. | |
provides an additional �10 million towards roads structural | :09:55. | :10:01. | |
maintenance and �1 million for the replacement of 600 street lighting | :10:01. | :10:04. | |
columns. That brings expenditure to structural maintenance on this year | :10:05. | :10:14. | |
:10:15. | :10:22. | ||
Earlier I caught up with Danny Kennedy to find out his reaction. | :10:22. | :10:32. | |
:10:32. | :10:49. | ||
It is very good news for road that we will be getting the basses. | :10:49. | :10:59. | |
:10:59. | :11:37. | ||
They will be very pleased. -- We have 130 gritters in operation. | :11:37. | :11:45. | |
300 staff were actively employed. Resources are given to the | :11:45. | :11:55. | |
:11:55. | :11:56. | ||
maintenance programme. You did say we are ready for the winter, bring | :11:56. | :12:06. | |
it on. Some people are not very happy with the way the network was | :12:06. | :12:16. | |
:12:16. | :12:20. | ||
acquitted. What to do have to say to them? I am aware. I was a | :12:20. | :12:30. | |
:12:30. | :12:36. | ||
casualty of the road conditions. If Road agencies are working hard to | :12:36. | :12:46. | |
:12:46. | :12:54. | ||
provide the grit. Up for her to disruption. -- that led. Moths due | :12:54. | :13:04. | |
:13:04. | :13:04. | ||
She made the decision and she's standing by it, that's the attitude | :13:04. | :13:07. | |
of the Agriculture Minister, Michelle O'Neill, as she hit back | :13:07. | :13:09. | |
at criticism over the decision to relocate her department's | :13:09. | :13:12. | |
headquarters from Belfast to Ballykelly. There is a real sense | :13:12. | :13:16. | |
you have moved ahead of your department and officials with them | :13:16. | :13:23. | |
now playing catchup. Can you explain why you took the decision | :13:23. | :13:27. | |
on effectively a political decision on Ballykelly before asking your | :13:27. | :13:31. | |
officials to write the business case? Well, I'm the Minister, it's | :13:31. | :13:36. | |
my job to make decisions. I think that the member will be very well | :13:36. | :13:41. | |
aware in the programme for government we had a commitment to | :13:41. | :13:44. | |
relocate our headquarters to a rural area. All parties signed up. | :13:44. | :13:49. | |
That was the, I suppose, starting point for me to make the decision. | :13:49. | :13:54. | |
Using the criteria I outlined to the member, the 23 local government | :13:54. | :13:59. | |
districts under the recent development strategy we used those | :13:59. | :14:04. | |
criteria alongside the other criteria this area came up as being | :14:04. | :14:14. | |
:14:14. | :14:23. | ||
We have a programme board in place which is very competent, which is | :14:24. | :14:28. | |
looking at all the issues, particularly buildings which can be | :14:28. | :14:38. | |
:14:38. | :14:57. | ||
save money to the public purse. Also the fact there are buildings | :14:57. | :15:04. | |
on the site which could potentially be used. Any that can be used, we | :15:04. | :15:14. | |
:15:14. | :15:25. | ||
A direction is necessary in the case where you want to avoid delay. | :15:25. | :15:29. | |
When you want it reduce uncertainty. Stand standard procedure would be | :15:29. | :15:35. | |
to apraise all options even those which don't make the exactives | :15:35. | :15:38. | |
identify policy as set out in the programme in government to move to | :15:38. | :15:44. | |
a rural location by 2015. In the final analysis wasteful of | :15:44. | :15:51. | |
resources. The decision was taken on the criteria I outlined. Anyone | :15:51. | :15:57. | |
can explore it further. In the further objective criteria where | :15:57. | :16:02. | |
applied. Whether you like it or not the north-west was identified. The | :16:02. | :16:05. | |
top two areas identified as a result of that objective criteria | :16:05. | :16:09. | |
applied. As a result of that the Ballykelly site for the obvious | :16:09. | :16:13. | |
advantages which I outlined being an Executive-owned site was a | :16:13. | :16:18. | |
natural option to take. Next, at the despatch box was the | :16:18. | :16:22. | |
Culture Minister, Caral Ni Chuilin, who dealt with questions on sports | :16:22. | :16:26. | |
as diverse as boxing, tennis and even road bowls. | :16:26. | :16:31. | |
First though, she was asked if progress is being made towards | :16:31. | :16:33. | |
solving the accommodation difficulties faced ahead of the | :16:33. | :16:35. | |
upcoming World Police and Fire Games. Accommodation has and | :16:35. | :16:40. | |
remains a key area of work for 2013 where police and fire games limited | :16:40. | :16:44. | |
and in recognition of this the company has developed an | :16:44. | :16:50. | |
accommodation strategy based on analysis of the acam -- | :16:50. | :17:00. | |
:17:00. | :17:15. | ||
accommodation required for athletes This is a big opportunity for local | :17:15. | :17:19. | |
businesses and local people generally. Is there any specific | :17:19. | :17:24. | |
advice that the minister would give to those who wish to provide | :17:24. | :17:29. | |
additional accommodation to both visitors and athletes? I think the | :17:29. | :17:33. | |
member is right, it's a brilliant opportunity. It's a once-in-a- | :17:33. | :17:37. | |
lifetime opportunity where we will have Games of this size in Belfast. | :17:37. | :17:41. | |
As many as people as possible who feel they can offer something | :17:41. | :17:45. | |
towards the Games in towards of accommodation, we want to hear from | :17:45. | :17:49. | |
you. Every opportunity should be made available to them to make that | :17:49. | :17:55. | |
process as easy as possible.. Games anticipate 23,000 visitors. | :17:55. | :17:59. | |
Account Minister provide some details of how the plans that she | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
has in place or is putting in place, how that accommodation is going to | :18:03. | :18:10. | |
be met? If all 25 visitors come to Belfast this August, there is an | :18:10. | :18:15. | |
estimate shortfall of between 5,000-70,000. That is where the | :18:15. | :18:22. | |
idea of campus hotels, campus and student accommodation come. In the | :18:22. | :18:25. | |
assurance given is that the accommodation must be of a certain | :18:25. | :18:29. | |
standard. That is why the work is starting now with the tourism board, | :18:29. | :18:34. | |
with the Belfast Visitors and Convention Borough so all the | :18:34. | :18:43. | |
requirements are in place as soon as possible. Bowls is important in | :18:43. | :18:48. | |
my constituency. Would the Minister join me with me in supporting the | :18:48. | :18:55. | |
association in seeking recognition from Sport NI. I am very aware of | :18:55. | :19:00. | |
road bowls. I met someone from Cork. It's Cork and Armagh are the two | :19:00. | :19:03. | |
main counties that are prominent. Other sports who hadn't received | :19:03. | :19:06. | |
recognition have came to the department and we have made | :19:06. | :19:12. | |
arrangements with Sport NI getting recognition, as a member for North | :19:12. | :19:18. | |
Antrim will know will weightlifters, is a long process. We have to make | :19:18. | :19:22. | |
sure there is transparency is all on board. I' happy to support it. | :19:22. | :19:26. | |
I'm hoping that other counties take up road bowling. It's one of those | :19:26. | :19:31. | |
sports that is very much linked to a loft our cultural and heritage. | :19:31. | :19:37. | |
Could the minister explain how the funding package for boxing can go | :19:37. | :19:41. | |
forward fairly at this time given the Assembly's commitment to | :19:41. | :19:45. | |
equality and fair treatment being in -- bearing in mind the abuse of | :19:45. | :19:51. | |
Sandy Row Amateur Boxing Club? Would she agree that the governing | :19:51. | :19:55. | |
body needs to look at it is own systems and get it is house | :19:55. | :20:02. | |
urgently in order? I don't agree that the Irish Amateur Boxing | :20:02. | :20:06. | |
Association urgently needs to get its house in order. I don't agree | :20:06. | :20:09. | |
with. That I don't agree of the accusation that the member has made | :20:09. | :20:14. | |
in terms of well documented systematic abuse. Despite my offers | :20:14. | :20:18. | |
to meet this member and indeed other members in relation to this | :20:18. | :20:23. | |
club, neither of which, for some reason, haven't accepted that offer. | :20:23. | :20:31. | |
I'm assuming you are afraid to step into the ring! Can the Minister | :20:31. | :20:36. | |
inform the House as she had any discussions with the Education | :20:36. | :20:42. | |
Minister in respect of trying to introduce tennis in schools or | :20:42. | :20:48. | |
reintroduce it, I know it used to be when I was at school there were | :20:48. | :20:54. | |
tennis clubs and a lot of issues around tennis. Has she had | :20:54. | :20:58. | |
discussions and if not, will she to encourage people to get back to | :20:58. | :21:02. | |
playing tennis? I haven't had any discussions with the minister of | :21:02. | :21:06. | |
education about tennis. I am I would ignore your colleague abouts | :21:06. | :21:13. | |
their jibe abouts how long ago was it you were playing tennis? I have | :21:13. | :21:16. | |
spoke to the Department of Education and the Minister for | :21:16. | :21:20. | |
Education around making sure we do what we can to open up sports | :21:20. | :21:25. | |
facilities and and grounds during school and after school hours. The | :21:25. | :21:28. | |
Department of Education are involved in the sports monitoring | :21:29. | :21:32. | |
and implementation group we are looking at sports provision in | :21:32. | :21:36. | |
school that the whole community can benefit from. No particular | :21:36. | :21:41. | |
discussion on tennis. The Environment Minister, Alex | :21:41. | :21:45. | |
Attwood, spent a considerable amount of time on his feet this | :21:46. | :21:48. | |
afternoon extolling the virtues of his new Planning Bill. | :21:48. | :21:54. | |
He told the House that a trip to Belfast City centre last weekend | :21:54. | :22:00. | |
had reminded him why economic benefit should be a factor in | :22:00. | :22:03. | |
planning policy. It does not say, as PPS24 suggests, that economic | :22:03. | :22:06. | |
consideration should be given. That is not the intention of the Bill. | :22:06. | :22:13. | |
What the Bill will do is recognise, I think it is appropriate to | :22:13. | :22:20. | |
recognise, that the planning system, not least in these difficult times, | :22:20. | :22:24. | |
I spent two hours on Saturday afternoon, Mr Speaker, in this | :22:24. | :22:30. | |
Belfast City Centre, I hadn't spent that length of time in Belfast City | :22:30. | :22:36. | |
centre... Sorry. Protest? I was doing what a lot of other people | :22:36. | :22:41. | |
did over Friday, Saturday and Sunday and reclaiming the streets | :22:41. | :22:46. | |
for true purpose in terms of the city centre, to shop, drink, have a | :22:46. | :22:50. | |
coffee to eat and to do some business. And there were many other | :22:50. | :22:56. | |
people who did so. I was struck, I have to say, when you walk the | :22:56. | :23:02. | |
streets of Belfast down town and spend a couple of hours walking the | :23:02. | :23:12. | |
:23:12. | :23:12. | ||
streets in lawful activity about the scale of vacancies. It's only | :23:12. | :23:16. | |
when you spend time on the streets that you see the scale of the issue. | :23:16. | :23:21. | |
In my view, it is timely and it's appropriate and it is reasonable | :23:21. | :23:28. | |
and it is legal to send a message without compromising the wider | :23:28. | :23:32. | |
purposes and principles of the planning system. It's entirely | :23:32. | :23:36. | |
appropriatable, necessary and timely to spend -- send a message | :23:36. | :23:41. | |
through this Assembly, through the Planning Bill that a material | :23:41. | :23:46. | |
consideration, when it comes to a planning application, our planning | :23:46. | :23:52. | |
policy is economic considerations. After 40 years in existence, the | :23:52. | :23:55. | |
Housing Executive was given its notice by the Social Development | :23:55. | :23:59. | |
Minister last week. Nelson McCausland said the move is | :23:59. | :24:02. | |
part of a restructuring move by his department. | :24:02. | :24:05. | |
He was asked though if the changes would result in a reduction in | :24:05. | :24:11. | |
staff, as we can hear now in our weekly look at committee business. | :24:11. | :24:16. | |
Change is about to have an effect, but the reassurance I'm giving, I | :24:16. | :24:19. | |
will give it to the trade unions directly, autumn the function that | :24:19. | :24:23. | |
is are now happening will still have to happen, it will require the | :24:23. | :24:26. | |
same amount of time for somebody to do a function probably in the | :24:26. | :24:30. | |
future as it does now. It will require ruffle the same number of | :24:31. | :24:37. | |
people, but it would be premature at this point to speculate exactly. | :24:37. | :24:41. | |
This is not about cutting jobs. I want to emphasise that as much as | :24:41. | :24:45. | |
possible and will do that to the unions. Core function also have to | :24:45. | :24:48. | |
be done and it will require ruffle the same number of people. Are you | :24:48. | :24:53. | |
able at this early stage again to indicate you, you know, say in the | :24:53. | :24:58. | |
two or three year period post the shake down, is it likely that there | :24:59. | :25:05. | |
will be rental freezes or just in line with inflation? People are | :25:05. | :25:10. | |
looking for reassurance there won't be inflation-busting rental | :25:10. | :25:15. | |
increases post the change? Well, as the member will be aware, annual | :25:15. | :25:19. | |
rent increases have been a feature of social housing over many years | :25:19. | :25:29. | |
:25:29. | :25:31. | ||
and that needs to happen to maintain standards. I think in | :25:31. | :25:37. | |
future - future rent levels will need to be better aligned to | :25:37. | :25:43. | |
provide funding requirements. I consider should - we need to have | :25:43. | :25:48. | |
some convergence over a period of time, this is over a period of time. | :25:48. | :25:52. | |
It's not suddenly. The housing executive have spent a lifetime | :25:52. | :25:57. | |
building up a connection with people that they rent houses to. | :25:57. | :26:03. | |
Housing Associations are estranged from most of their clients. Unless | :26:04. | :26:09. | |
we get this right, we have the task now of setting housing on a | :26:09. | :26:15. | |
platform for the next 40 years. If we get it wrong, we have done a bad | :26:15. | :26:20. | |
job. I think if we remove the community cohesion that exists and | :26:20. | :26:28. | |
social housing, then we have lost a lot? Yeah. There is an opportunity | :26:28. | :26:33. | |
here to get this right for a long period of time. Yes. There are | :26:33. | :26:37. | |
things, people have identified them here, that are not as it should be | :26:37. | :26:41. | |
with the presence system. Problems that arise otherwise I wouldn't | :26:41. | :26:44. | |
have people coming to my door raising problems and issues. There | :26:44. | :26:48. | |
are things that need to be worked on. There is a huge opportunity, | :26:48. | :26:55. | |
with a huge responsibility. Alex Kane is with me. We talked quite a | :26:55. | :27:00. | |
bit on prot gram last night about Basil McCrea's position in the | :27:00. | :27:04. | |
Ulster union party. He is facing a disciplinary hearing on Friday. How | :27:04. | :27:08. | |
do you read what is going on there? I think Basil is clear he is on | :27:08. | :27:13. | |
solid ground. He thinks he has not been in breach of party policy. He | :27:13. | :27:16. | |
would accept he should have contacted the press office before | :27:16. | :27:20. | |
going on Nolan or any other programme, he is fighting it on the | :27:20. | :27:25. | |
basis he was defending party policy. That the three councillors involved | :27:25. | :27:30. | |
didn't discuss anything with the leadership. They are not being | :27:30. | :27:34. | |
disciplined. There may be a surprise there. What are the | :27:34. | :27:39. | |
options open to the party in terms of sanctions? Does it come down to | :27:39. | :27:42. | |
whether the party allows him to stay or kicks him out? Is it as | :27:42. | :27:45. | |
simple as that? It will be that simple. Other thing is, because | :27:45. | :27:49. | |
Mike Nesbitt has withdrawn the whip already, anything that stops short | :27:49. | :27:53. | |
of expulsion will look like a kick in the teeth to Mike Nesbitt. | :27:53. | :27:58. | |
People will say, you withdrew the whip and your own discipline | :27:58. | :28:04. | |
committee say that is is too much. If he decides to leave, other also | :28:04. | :28:07. | |
follow across the party officers in constituency and members. It's a | :28:07. | :28:13. | |
win, win for Basil and a lose, lose for Mike. It's not good for him | :28:13. | :28:17. | |
personally. The party won't make to Kay Kay a martyr on Friday, | :28:17. | :28:23. | |
presumably? They will choose not to be. Basil is prepared to be a | :28:23. | :28:27. | |
martyr. The difference between Basil McCrea and Dave individual | :28:27. | :28:34. | |
McNarry and Ken McGuinness, if he is thrown out he will demand why he | :28:34. | :28:38. | |
has been thrown out much he wants the party and media to understand. | :28:38. | :28:43. | |
In that understanding I think he hopes martyrdom lies. He is saying | :28:43. | :28:47. | |
to people, if this party is no longer a comfortable place for | :28:47. | :28:51. | |
people like me, it's no longer a comfortable place for people like | :28:52. | :28:55. | |
you. Is it a unionist realignment here? We are witnessing the very | :28:55. | :29:01. | |
beginning of the final end of the Ulster unionist party. Realignment | :29:01. | :29:06. |