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Martin McGuinness resigns, Stormont in chaos


ICTChris

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Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has resigned as Deputy First Minister in protest at the NI Executives handling of a fuel reimbursement scheme. The scheme, begun under now FM Arlene Foster during her time as enterprise minister to encourage renewable energy use, had massive flaws in its execution and could cost the NIE billions of pounds.

The resignation puts the whole Northern Irish devolved assembly into flux - there will likely be new elections and if SInn Fein and the aDUP can't reach agreement there could be deadlock.

I doubt many people thought that wood burning stoves would end up bringing down the Good Friday Agreement.

Any P&Bers from BUNFIELD-Land been ripping off the government?

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10 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

 

Any P&Bers from BUNFIELD-Land been ripping off the government?

 

The exemplary Radio 4 "The Food Programme" this week was from TFS and is an excellent listen: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087pmd3

I felt hungry afterwards.  No irony, of course.

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2 minutes ago, doulikefish said:

Probably needs a thread of its on,the goings on in the failed statelet,anyway heres the resignation letter in full

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/full-text-of-martin-mcguinness-s-resignation-letter-1.2930429

Quote

 

Robin, a chara,

Over ten difficult and testing years, in the role of deputy First Minister, I have sought with all my energy and determination to serve all the people of the north and the island of Ireland by making the power-sharing government work.

 

Cheerio, Martin.

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Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has resigned as Deputy First Minister in protest at the NI Executives handling of a fuel reimbursement scheme. The scheme, begun under now FM Arlene Foster during her time as enterprise minister to encourage renewable energy use, had massive flaws in its execution and could cost the NIE billions of pounds.
The resignation puts the whole Northern Irish devolved assembly into flux - there will likely be new elections and if SInn Fein and the aDUP can't reach agreement there could be deadlock.
I doubt many people thought that wood burning stoves would end up bringing down the Good Friday Agreement.
Any P&Bers from BUNFIELD-Land been ripping off the government?


There'll be a decent fire burning where McGuinness is heading!!
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1 minute ago, Suspect Device said:

 

You're too easily wound up for this forum then.

Whoosh.

Anyway, in all seriousness, this has the potential for total chaos. DUP & Sinn Fein being even more acrimonious than usual while contesting a snap election that will have concerns about the border related to Brexit thrown in on top of it for good measure.

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6 minutes ago, Dunning1874 said:

Whoosh.

Anyway, in all seriousness, this has the potential for total chaos. DUP & Sinn Fein being even more acrimonious than usual while contesting a snap election that will have concerns about the border related to Brexit thrown in on top of it for good measure.

They'll (probably) still be the two largest parties, so they're going to have to cobble together some solution. Can't see the other parties getting enough seats to form a (cross community) government. And there are 18 less seats up for grabs this time, which, according to experts, favours the bigger parties with their well oiled electoral machines. (Experts - what do they f****** know?) 

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2 minutes ago, doulikefish said:

So if it all falls apart it looks like an election can be as little as 6 weeks ago

If Sinn Fein don't nominate a replacement Deputy First Minister it has already "fallen apart".

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I'm right in saying that the reduction in seats is being achieved simply by reducing each constituency from 6 seats to 5 seats, without any redefinition of boundaries etc.? It is probably more complicated than what I'm about to say due to the voting system: but if you scored off the 6th seats in last year's election DUP, Sinn Fein and SDLP would all lose 5 seats each; UUP and Alliance 1 seat each; and People not Profit 1 seat; so all other factors aside the only real difference would be SDLP dropping badly from their current figure of 12?

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7 minutes ago, HibeeJibee said:

I'm right in saying that the reduction in seats is being achieved simply by reducing each constituency from 6 seats to 5 seats, without any redefinition of boundaries etc.? It is probably more complicated than what I'm about to say due to the voting system: but if you scored off the 6th seats in last year's election DUP, Sinn Fein and SDLP would all lose 5 seats each; UUP and Alliance 1 seat each; and People not Profit 1 seat; so all other factors aside the only real difference would be SDLP dropping badly from their current figure of 12?

Correct.

According to what I heard on the news this evening on the way home, "big names" possibly not getting back include Peter Weir, Education Minister (DUP), Alex Attwood (SDLP), Claire Sugden Justice Minister (Independent) and Eammon McCann (People Before Profit).

It probably isn't more complicated than you say - republicans/nationalists are still going to vote 1 Sinn Fein, 2 SDLP (or 1,2 & 3 SF and 4 SDLP in my constituency) and unionists 1 DUP and 2 UUP (or vice versa, depending on their constituency).

The big unknown is will the 100 000 who voted in the Brexit referendum but didn't vote in the last Assembly elections, turn out this time around.

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