The All New Northern Ireland

[marksi]

There were to be local elections but they have been postponed, owing to the re-structuring of the local councils. That's gone a bit quiet but I believe the elections for the new larger council areas are to take place in 2011. There was seen to be little point in wasting money having elections for councils that would only sit for 2 years. <insert joke about wasters here>

[pants]

I do wonder what this lady's viewpoint would be if she was in a similar situation and had a gay son. I think a lot of homophobia is from people who have never known anyone that is gay. I've spent several years living with very straight lads at uni - when they first found out that were a bit unsure how to react, but we all became really good mates and it just wasn't an issue.

Could the real issue be that the lady loathes those that are gay because she loathes that in herself?

[Nini]

Bit too zen for my taste.

[pants]

Bit too zen for my taste.

Taste?

[marksi]

The Times has printed a nice article on the DUP, and Sammy in particular.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... t=0&page=1

Anyway, his unorthodox views on climate change would raise no eyebrows in the antediluvian DUP. Only when Robinson’s party took power last year did the outside world realise what far-out views its members held.

Robinson’s wife, Iris, thinks gay people should seek psychiatric counselling, Ian Paisley Jr has professed himself “pretty repulsed” by homosexuality, Mervyn Storey reckons God made the world a few thousand years ago and most of the rest of them would like creationism taught in schools.

[Col]

In Stormont today, Mr Wilson retorted to a Sinn Fein MLA that "I'm not going away, you know". I'm pleased the news report I saw (on the wrong side, sadly) cut away before the nasty cackling from Stupid Sammy's cohorts in the DUP.

And while catching up with what's happening in Stormont the past week on BBC Parliament the other day, a few Sinn Fein MLAs observed that the DUP seemed scared about losing the popular unionist voice to Jim Allister at the Euro election. I think there is a degree of truth to this opinion, as the Dodds/Allister split vote might allow whoever the SDLP, or perhaps Alliance, pick as their candidate, to sneak in and grab the third seat.

[marksi]

While most of you will be used to the point scoring between parties, and between government and opposition, here in Northern Ireland where the government departments are divided among the parties we have the wonderful situation of the DUP departments attacking those of the other parties. Yes, that's various government departments fighting openly with each other.

In every respect, the DUP is odious and run by families who have been mates for years and therefore only looking after each other. It is a party that genuinely disgusts me and which would be entirely unacceptable in any other part of Europe.

[Col]

Ding dong...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8433117.stm

And although I have experienced depression in my life over the past few years, I cannot find it in me to have an iota of sympathy for her.

[marksi]

I've not been feeling right for the last couple of days owing to a nasty stomach bug, but this evening's BBC Newsline bulletin made me feel a whole lot better.

I would put money on them standing Simon Hamilton as her replacement for Strangford at the General Election. He's almost as bad, and is in fact more arrogant.

[GavBelfast]

As I've posted elsewhere - along similar lines - I wouldn't wish a genuine depressive illness on anyone, yet it's impossible for my own human nature not to feel a sense of 'Karma' in this news. Perhaps her psychiatrist friend could help - if he's still allowed to practise?

As a constituent, at a political level I just feel it's good riddance to bad rubbish - though there's more where that came from.

[marksi]

This is like a soap.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8444153.stm

The wife of Northern Ireland's first minister, Peter Robinson, has revealed she tried to kill herself while suffering depression after an affair.
Mr Robinson, leader of the DUP, said they would try to save their marriage.
Mrs Robinson announced in December she was stepping down from politics due to ill health. The couple were married in 1970 and have three grown-up children.
Mr Robinson who has been first minister since June 2008, said he will continue in his job.
In an interview on Wednesday, he said he first learned of the affair on March 1 2009, the night Mrs Robinson attempted suicide.
Mr Robinson, who appeared close to tears, said he had been "deeply hurt" and that his immediate impulse had been to walk away from the marriage.

I must admit that seeing Peter Robinson this evening he appears to be a broken man and I certainly felt sorry for him.