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Mark:

Sorry, for the staff to send out to London; But, you always want to get to the point of the story......

-Dennis Junior-

Mark, you most definately deserve Wednesday's off! or a pay rise?
Id much rather give you my money then all of them MP's and their expenses!

Back on topic, how near are the parties to brokering a deal? and...just out of curosity, why do all of these ground breaking deals tend to happen in the dead of night? e.g. the Good Friday Agreement. or the early hours? Are politicans naturally nocternal and do all of their (best) work at night?

Mark,

The peculiar way it has added momentum is down to the fact that the already intangible "community confidence" thing that the DUP used to use as a block to devolving P&J has in fact disappeared entirely - post Iris scandal.

Because it is actually the community that has lost confidence in the DUP (and will likely continue to lose more confidence if further revelations come out it) after Iris. The DUP acted clan-like when it took on this puffed-out moral role as absolute speakers for the unionist community (despite not holding all unionist votes), it was this almost moral guardian-like manner that has undone them today. The "We know best for our lot" and then bang - enter Spotlight and Iris. The Iris scandal and hypocritical behaviour and conduct by a key DUP party member, MLA MP and wife to party leader cancelled out such moral authority.

Outcome: "community confidence" argument has now been zapped out of the DUP lexicon.

Thanks to Iris's and Peter's non-disclosure of personal and family involvement in sex and financial scandals the community confidence stance melted away like ice in the white hot media spotlight. "Community confidence" is no more. SF spotted the right time to move in as if community confidence were to be evoked SF would call elections and set this "community confidence" thing to the test.

The DUP realised their community confidence notion had been fully rumbled as well and they weren't prepared to have this election given the circumstances. The DUP clan have been protected now as a result of suddenly having to do the deal that, to be frank, was long overdue anyway. To say No would mean that the party and its MLAs would be put to the test via an election.

Pure opportunism all round, on both sides of the house. Clan DUP and Clan SF.

Has anyone ever stopped to ask these parties what they intend to do with such powers and how the parties envision sentencing and law making to pan out once powers taken on in full - are they social conservative on sentencing or more liberal in their values re non-custodial sentencing and more restorative justice-minded?

Push them out onto this ground if possible to move the debate on a little, as I'm fed up with having to let these parties go on to the back foot of history, wanting these powers for cultural reasons (anti-Britishness and off Westminster's hands) and not wanting these powers due to SF's past culture of lawless political violence.

WHAT PROCESS, MR COWAN?

It defies logic that devolution of Policing and Justice will somehow instantly dissolve the dissident attacks - more likely they will intensify. History repeating itself and to endure once more 'an acceptable level of violence'.

Pandora

Tonight I am totally disgusted at the ´óÏó´«Ã½; why on earth is Jim Allister allowed TV time??

Why, if Mr Allister is present in your Hearts and Minds debate, did you not invite the Green Party or the 32 CSM or even Eamon Mc Cann of the SEA???

No room in a TV studio for unelected has beens out to destroy unionism as we know it!!!

Mark

CASTLEREAGH COUNCIL GIVES CONSULTANTS LICENSE TO PRINT MONEY

Given that the Council have included the following clause in the Terms of Reference for the Robinson investigation:

"Revise these terms, where necessary, arising from the findings of the investigation."

Castlereagh Council have given the Consultancy employed to undertake the assignment carte blanche to rack up the bill by finding more and more to investigate.

In my experience, best practice dictates that the client never permits Consultants to have an input into the ToR under which they carry out their remit.

Whoever advised the Council on this investigation needs urgent basic training on the employment of Consultants.

Meantime they'll be dancing tonight in the aisles of whichever Consultancy has been engaged.

There's one born every minute.

Susie
Carryduff

A little good news.

UUP trash DUV in Craigavon.

Is anyone watching Question Time?

How funny was that joke about the tourist board and it's new attraction?

I can imagine it now, the double decker buses going by The Robinsons then on to the Shankill then up the Falls then up the...

DisgustedinDERRY,

It was funny!!

Make sure you read the Sunday Times this Sunday!!!

Stormontspy