THE WEEK THAT WAS
Poor Gordon Brown. That’s not a phrase you hear too often, but compared to ‘Teflon Tone’ he really is the ‘Velcro PM’. When you’re down, you’re down, and everything which can go wrong, does go wrong; sticking to him with a suffocating voracity which is snuffing out the life of his tenure on office.
One thing which the PM will be desperately trying to avoid is a devolution crisis in Northern Ireland – not on my watch. So, after much give and take with the First Minister (mostly give it would appear on the Treasury’s part), the PM was able to scrape together over a billion pounds from the wreckage of the UK’s public finances to pay for Policing & Justice.
Alright, so the chances of Policing & Justice actually being devolved this side of an election look decidedly iffy, but it wasn’t a bad result for Gordon. Did anyone care? Not a bit of it, the nation was more concerned by the fact that he’s apparently so out of touch with real life that he was unable to say what his favourite biscuit was during an online Q&A session on the parents’ website Mumsnet. To think he waited 10 years for this.
Having stumped up the cash the PM may be wondering what the problem is. Although there are still issues of principle at stake, the electoral cycle isn’t an inconsiderable consideration. With both the TUV and UUP waiting in the wings in the run-up to a Westminster election, it’s an issue which the DUP will be wary of being outflanked on. The political dangers for them are manifold. If they make a decision too soon they may fail to take their base with them, if they leave the decision too late, the next election may turn into a mini-referendum among the unionist electorate; a prospect which the TUV would relish.
For their part the SDLP is still aggrieved that the mechanisms for selecting Ministers have been set aside to ensure that Alliance rather than they will bag the Department, while Sinn Fein is becoming increasingly irritated that an issue which they have promised to deliver on is still outstanding. All in all, a bit of a mess really.
Anyone for a garibaldi?
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Oral Questions
The First Minister declined ‘kind opportunities’ to reveal the financial package for policing and justice and noted that it was his hope that a local bank would help the plight of the Presbyterian Mutual Society. Jnr Minister Newton was unable to shed any light on the still missing Cohesion, Sharing & Integration strategy.
The DRD Minister is considering a Translink paper on Irish usage on public transport while the DCAL Minister is doing his bit to cut costs by holding North / South Council meetings in departmental offices rather than hiring “plush premises” with “extravagant lunches”.
Written Answers
OFMDFM noted that the NSMC secretariat cost £1.7m last year, DCAL doesn’t have the remit to sponsor a reception to mark 100 years of Girl Guiding and Education has spent £6.5m to date on the new Education & Skills Authority.
DEL reported that there are 24,000 undergrad places in QUB and UU, DETI stated that InterTradeIreland created 127 jobs last year and disclosed that 17 INI staff earn more than £60K. DoE dealt with constituency complaints about racing at Nutts Corner, Health is considering regulating sun beds and DRD removed 372 illegally erected flags last year.
COMMITTEES
A rather tedious and uneventful week at the Committee coalface. DARD was considering guidelines for developments on floodplains, DEL was briefed on UU’s plans while the Minister briefed DRD on the Water & Sewerage Services Bill.
Education was considering an ‘Inclusion Review’, Environment went west to Fermanagh to be briefed by the Environment Agency, DSD was contemplating an action plan on empty home and DETI had some worthy subordinate legislation to work its way through.
DCAL covered sports’ spectator safety and indigenous language strategy while their colleagues at Health chewed over the Food Standards Agency’s strategic plan.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Halloween Recess until November 1st
AND FINALLY….
Kieran McCarthy (Alliance, Strangford) and Jim Shannon (DUP, Strangford) were getting very excited this week during DRD Question Time on behalf of their constituents in Greyabbey.
Their bone of contention was the parlous state of the village’s main street. Mr. Shannon described it as the “worst road” in Northern Ireland, even worse than those in the “west of the Province”. It was a “potato field”, a “war zone” – it was, in fact, the “worst world in the road”. Really?
Mr. McCarthy was more measured, it was only the worst road in Europe in his estimation. Unfortunately, the Member became so exercised the Deputy Speaker had to ask him to resume his seat.
And they wonder why we can’t agree about complicated things such as Policing & Justice?
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