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Blog January 21st 10
Apparently the DUP were sitting up at Stormont Castle on Thursday waiting for the Shinners to come and talk to them. Strange. This Blog had told Peter Robinson late the evening before that that phase of our discussions was over. I told him there would be a Sinn Féin national officer board meeting on Thursday and a report from Martin McGuinness on the negotiations would be discussed.
The failure of the DUP thus far to come up to the plate during the current round of negotiations shouldn’t come as any great surprise.
The DUP are looking over their shoulder at Jim Allister and then there are the ‘secret’ talks between the UUs and the DUP and talk of electoral pacts. That’s their own business and nothing to get too excited about. Except to note they told us they couldn’t do any business on the Sabbath – the very day they were busy on unionist unity business.
But lest we forget the DUP was born out of the anti civil rights politics of the late 60s and the firebrand unionism of the 19th and early 20th centuries that is rooted in sectarianism and a belief that Catholics are the problem – and the enemy. Hence the desire by some unionists, best exemplified by the Traditional Unionist Voice, not to have a Catholic about the place.
For this brand of unionism every compromise is a defeat; every conversation with a Shinner is weakness; every concession must be the last.
For these unionists and even others less hardline shaking hands or passing the time of day is too much. You wouldn’t believe the number of times this Blog has been alone in a lift at Parliament Buildings only for unionists to refuse to enter. Many a time this Blog has been tempted to stay in the lift as it goes up and down several times just to see what would happen!
Even their slightly less straight-jacketed colleagues think that just talking to a Shinner is a concession we should be really pleased and excited to receive.
Now let me be clear. Not every DUP’er behaves like this. In private many of them are relaxed and friendly. Maybe not great company in a pub but cordial nonetheless, pardon the pun.
The fact is that people are shaped by the political conditions in which they live. Underlying the politics of unionism is the affect of centuries of colonialism and of partition and a determination to maintain their status as top dog. They know the game is up. But it’s not over. So delay, delay, delay is the game plan.
This means that so far no unionist leader has acknowledged the role of the orange state and of unionism in creating the conditions for conflict. For them it’s everyone else’s fault, but especially the republicans!
Partition gave unionists a little Orange State. The glue that held it together was the Orange Order and other ‘loyal institutions’.
Even today most unionist politicians are in one or other of the loyal orders and those that aren’t listen attentively to what the Orange wants. And what is that in 2010?
They want the scrapping of the Parades Commission and progress on the ground – in other words marches through Catholic areas.
It’s sad that even now sectarianism and triumphalism still has such a huge grip on a large section of the unionist psyche. The orange card, played so often in the past to get their own way, is being played again as the DUP try to get the Orange Order what the Orange Order wants.
Sorry folks - it doesn’t work like that anymore. Those days are gone. The orange state is gone. The remnants remain and its legacy of institutionalised bigotry will take a long time to eradicate but change has taken place and the clock is not for going backwards.
The power sharing institutions have demonstrated their capacity to work, make local government more accountable and accessible and change peoples lives for the better.
But no one should underestimate the determination of unionism, allied to the political system – the so-called permanent government - which is still mainly unionist at its most senior levels – to prevaricate and stall and delay. To oppose change.
So, where are we now? There has been no product thus far as a result of the negotiations.
The Ard Chomahirle meets tomorrow and will hear a report on all this. The time has long passed for the transfer of powers on policing and justice. There can be no preconditions to that. Not on the Parades Commission; not on marches; not on equality and partnership government.
Apparently the DUP were sitting up at Stormont Castle on Thursday waiting for the Shinners to come and talk to them. Strange. This Blog had told Peter Robinson late the evening before that that phase of our discussions was over. I told him there would be a Sinn Féin national officer board meeting on Thursday and a report from Martin McGuinness on the negotiations would be discussed.
The failure of the DUP thus far to come up to the plate during the current round of negotiations shouldn’t come as any great surprise.
The DUP are looking over their shoulder at Jim Allister and then there are the ‘secret’ talks between the UUs and the DUP and talk of electoral pacts. That’s their own business and nothing to get too excited about. Except to note they told us they couldn’t do any business on the Sabbath – the very day they were busy on unionist unity business.
But lest we forget the DUP was born out of the anti civil rights politics of the late 60s and the firebrand unionism of the 19th and early 20th centuries that is rooted in sectarianism and a belief that Catholics are the problem – and the enemy. Hence the desire by some unionists, best exemplified by the Traditional Unionist Voice, not to have a Catholic about the place.
For this brand of unionism every compromise is a defeat; every conversation with a Shinner is weakness; every concession must be the last.
For these unionists and even others less hardline shaking hands or passing the time of day is too much. You wouldn’t believe the number of times this Blog has been alone in a lift at Parliament Buildings only for unionists to refuse to enter. Many a time this Blog has been tempted to stay in the lift as it goes up and down several times just to see what would happen!
Even their slightly less straight-jacketed colleagues think that just talking to a Shinner is a concession we should be really pleased and excited to receive.
Now let me be clear. Not every DUP’er behaves like this. In private many of them are relaxed and friendly. Maybe not great company in a pub but cordial nonetheless, pardon the pun.
The fact is that people are shaped by the political conditions in which they live. Underlying the politics of unionism is the affect of centuries of colonialism and of partition and a determination to maintain their status as top dog. They know the game is up. But it’s not over. So delay, delay, delay is the game plan.
This means that so far no unionist leader has acknowledged the role of the orange state and of unionism in creating the conditions for conflict. For them it’s everyone else’s fault, but especially the republicans!
Partition gave unionists a little Orange State. The glue that held it together was the Orange Order and other ‘loyal institutions’.
Even today most unionist politicians are in one or other of the loyal orders and those that aren’t listen attentively to what the Orange wants. And what is that in 2010?
They want the scrapping of the Parades Commission and progress on the ground – in other words marches through Catholic areas.
It’s sad that even now sectarianism and triumphalism still has such a huge grip on a large section of the unionist psyche. The orange card, played so often in the past to get their own way, is being played again as the DUP try to get the Orange Order what the Orange Order wants.
Sorry folks - it doesn’t work like that anymore. Those days are gone. The orange state is gone. The remnants remain and its legacy of institutionalised bigotry will take a long time to eradicate but change has taken place and the clock is not for going backwards.
The power sharing institutions have demonstrated their capacity to work, make local government more accountable and accessible and change peoples lives for the better.
But no one should underestimate the determination of unionism, allied to the political system – the so-called permanent government - which is still mainly unionist at its most senior levels – to prevaricate and stall and delay. To oppose change.
So, where are we now? There has been no product thus far as a result of the negotiations.
The Ard Chomahirle meets tomorrow and will hear a report on all this. The time has long passed for the transfer of powers on policing and justice. There can be no preconditions to that. Not on the Parades Commission; not on marches; not on equality and partnership government.
Comments
Fully supportive of everything you say.
If DUP agreement to P&J means orange men marching up and down the Garvaghy Road, in Rasharkin, in the Ardoyne, or any other places where their presence is nothing but deliberate provocation and "rubbing themums' noses in it" then it isn't worth signing up for.
Did you not really miss your moment when Robinson first brought parades into the negotiations for policing and justice? Wasn't that the time to tell him to get stuffed? Instead, you have been talking about it as if it is an idea with some merit he can be met half way on.
Now you have to gamble: in an election you might suffer a loss of support over the continual coverage of your management of complaints to Sinn Fein about child abuse.
Or you might strike now while the SDLP has no leader and top the poll.
But how can you shirk an election now and not look like you've marched to the top of the hill only to march down again?
Fascinating times.
Seems like some of the antics in Stormont wouldn't be out of place in the Downshire Hospital lock-up wards.
Some day, Gerry, you should do a blog post from the lift at the Parliament Buildings and tell us what happens. With a laptop, cell phone & camera, you could work there for hours!
I think now would be a very good time to have an election, theres to be elections to Westminister anyhow, and no one to replace Gerry Adams in west Belfast, so why wouldn't he want one.Or SF for that matter, they've as much to fear or lose or gain as the DUP. The problem is after the elections, then what? Will it be back to talks and more talks or will elections break the deadlock and allow for policing and justice to be devolved? I doubt it, infact since its such a central SF demand its doubtful these powers will come in the life time of the present assembly.
Take them on in an election by all means, but then what? Same old same old....meanwhile nothing done on bread and butter issues.
The problem with your analysis Malachi is that you take the willingness to go the last mile as a sign of weakness. Time you woke up and smelt the roses. If the executive collapses Malachi it won't be for the want of trying, on the part of Sinn Fein, to keep it afloat.
The DUP know in their sectarian hearts that the game is up. The old days are gone for ever and the two governments should have put the boot into the DUP long ago, but instead held back in the mistaken belief that they would eventually honour the commitments made under the agreements.
You don't have to worry about the Sinn Fein vote holding up in an election Malachi.
In spite of all the rubbish being spouted by half-baked so-called journalists, I have no doubt the Shinners will perform magnificently. Bring on the election, it can't come soon enough.
Yes, but they're also the product of the armed campaigns, those they opposed and those they opposed less. That is an important psychological factor in unionist willingness to compromise. A serious SF approach to a Truth Commission would be helpful - unfortunately, your record suggests you want something based on the Brazilian model.
"This means that so far no unionist leader has acknowledged the role of the orange state and of unionism in creating the conditions for conflict. For them it’s everyone else’s fault, but especially the republicans!"
You've never made a serious attempt at divorcing the "conditions for conflict" and the conflict. You might have more success if you gave that a try.
"The power sharing institutions have demonstrated their capacity to work, make local government more accountable and accessible and change peoples lives for the better."
You're miles off the public mood. You could have said that despite the obstacles and the global crisis, there is more potential in the agreements than any other arrangement. That it would be a tragic shame to waste that potential. Instead you chose this line, and nobody'll buy it.
You've also wasted 21 months hiding behind a non-enforcable deadline to cover a mistake.
You could have spent 21 months saying that republicans believed in the May '07 deadline - that is fact. That Peter Robinson and the DUP have a responsibility to those very republicans, as accepted in Robinson's first speech as First Minister.
Your inability to admit to mistakes, on top of your disdain for those on the ground, looks like being your downfall. I hope your successor learns from your mistakes.
Local Government is a farce, it is decided mainly by a unelected Manager.Just like in the 26.who manage these Councils.
We are sick , sore and tired of the whole effin lot,Truth Commissions, Enquiries, Money for Lawyers.Stop the payment to all double jobbers, the Whole North is a farce.A sectarian state, Failed, Failed , failed
There can be no doubt that the Unionists are glacial in their decision making, one can only hope that there exists a common ground upon which they feel comfortable. And, what is more important, one that is beneficial for the people of Northern Ireland.
I also wonder when you will tire of scoring points from the lift anecdote?
Paul Doran,
I didn't mention local government. If the North is a farce, how do you propose convincing people to move beyond it?
BRING ON AN ELECTION !.
WE ARE ALL SICK OF DUP POSTURING , NO MORE MR NICE GUY OR TIME WASTING WITH THESE NEANDERTHALS .
IT'S TIME FOR THE SDLP TO GET REAL WITH AN ELECTORAL PACT OR THEY WILL DISAPPEAR FOREVER .
SO LETS SEE THE REAL UUUP WHEN /IF THEY JOIN WITH DUP TO SAVE THE BIGOTS SKINS .
DEMOCRATS HOW ARE YE !
BRIAN /BIFF1 .
Full support for Sinn Fein !
No parades in Catholic areas...been through all that before.
May God guide you Gerry, and the Party Sinn Fein, that has brought us to where we are today. Let that strong political voice, worked so hard for ...ring out loud and strong.
Ta ar la anois
Kate
Digging their heals in for a while longer makes for good political capital.
Would be wonderful if all the games disappeared from northern politics, but we're years away from seeing that - not at least until theres a new political force; one civic minded rather than sectarian, polemic or constitutional.
Institutionalised bigotry, as the Pharaoh set his star ,this as unapproachable within life.The neutral opponent holds little in the nerveless hand , but perplexites of allowance .People in the absurdity of mind look to the sky and not into the samesness, not the monastic sameness ,but the institutional momentous one.The Rain comes and is gone a momentary discomfiture ,nothing like the pause that the doctrine of conditions people call home .The Moldy Doctrine. Enjoy the ride in the lift Gerry.
the Republican Movement.
Indeed, had he gone for an election then, the Representation of the People Act would probably have prevented the documentary about his brother Liam being shown.
You can be as confident as you like but Sinn Fein has only managed to expand by impressing people beyond the core base. These are the people who may not be as easily assuaged by fulsome expressions of confidence with little substance to them.
Or I might be wrong.
In any event, Sinn Fein must go for an election now and stage it as a confrontational one, putting the DUP in the frame - as Gerry's blog suggests it will - for to impress the electorate at the due time, next year, with so little to show of key demands being met, would be a lot harder.
Serious question to Mr Adams.
Spell it out and convince me.
The DUP are running scared and were aiming for damage limitation by trying to get the bigots walking down the Garvaghy Road. No chance!
I think Gerry's analysis is spot on, on the fact Unionist's still refuse to admit their own sins of the past with regard pre-1972 Stormont, and comes from a position of frustration, of one of not want of trying. With regard Damian, considering the 'struggle' it is understandable how some issues have to be dodged, underplayed and so forth, one cannot gave away weakness, but at the same time must move the 'process' forward. Nationalists have given much ground, and now at this stage are making no gains for their own rights in terms of language rights etc. It is a battle of power, that is politics.
There are two reasons I see support for the agreement:
1. It cannot succeed without constant movement on equality and constitutional issues - and only in one, democratic, direction.
2. The complexity of the national issue. Some elements would like to maintain in effect that 1 million protestants should/could just be pushed out, in effect, genocide. The only way is a democratic, inclusive process.
By forcing an election at this stage, where no 'democratic' progress is possible, I am pretty sure even those disenfranchised with Sinn Fein's present strategy will rally round to support the 'democratic' struggle and gave Sinn Fein a mandate. It is also clear that there is no room for re-negotiation.
One area for criticism, I would agree with Mr Reality, is socio-economic concerns. The few on the left do feel betrayed by Sinn Fein on this at the moment. If a clear strategy, even of SNP social democratic quality, within the strait jacket of Stormont would be welcomed with open arms and be popular. I realise, the struggle for the implementation of the agreement has dominated and there is an issue with regard the 'balance of forces', but as Connolly established, "The cause of Labour is the cause of Ireland, the cause of Ireland is the cause of Labour."
agree with malachy a bit though. the unionists are stalling for the conservatives to get in to power in britian. the windows very thight. might have been better doing it months ago.
When the wee boy playing in the park goes home and takes his ball with him he spoils the fun for everyone and this is exactly what Sinn Fein are doing. Behaving like spoilt kids. Maybe the fact that the DUP aren't prepared to roll over and give in to every whim is starting to irritate those on the opposite side of the house.
As Sinn Fein continue to preach, there must be equality across the board and beleive it or not this should include Unionists. Failure to reach an agreement with Unionism might just be seen by Sinn Fein supporters as the straw that breaks the camels back, at a time when the leadership is under its greatest pressure yet to deliver to these same supporters both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland, where its poistion has remained stagnant.
There can be no negotiations regarding the Parades Commission - the DUP need to realise that the Nationalist community will not be subjected to sectarian parades through their own areas.
If the DUP continue to refuse then we should pull the plug.
They are the people who will lose out in an election. Not us.
A purely practical response, which did not concern itself with dignity and pride, would be to swallow hard, accept that the devolution of Policing and Justice is not going to be granted in confrontation and simply wait it out. Refuse to concede on parades and let the DUP be seen as the party holding everything up. In time, when the DUP has to devolve Policing and Justice, even if in months or a year from now, they will be the ones in the humble position.
Or the break might even come in weeks from now when Robinson has to be replaced.
The gamble is you lose the whole house.
I believe the time is right for the nationalist / republican electorate, and indeed all those who cherish equality, to send a powerful message to the neanderthals within unionism that the back of the bus days are over, gone, and never coming back because we wont allow them to.
Unionism needs to accept the realities of todays world.
I would be concerned however where their obsession with selfish personal and party interests could lead the whole lot of us.
They are certainly not listening to their base voters within loyalism who in recent times have displayed more political and social maturity than their political masters in working on a daily basis with republicans to solve issues that affect working class communities. One need only look at how the loyalist communities in East Belfast have been treated with contempt by their political representatives in relation to Titanic quarter to realise that they care little for their sustainability.
Loyalism is waking up to the realities of their future, their political leaders sadly lag light years behind them. Bring on an Assembly election and let us deliver a fatal blow!
If you go for an election now the DUP will put the blame on Sinn Fein and then the unionist parties will come back looking for a wholesale renegotiation of the workings of the executive - not just P&J - to 'resolve all the outstanding issues once and for all'.
The republican community are behind you and Sinn Fein.
Don't let others get at you. We can all see what they are at with their politically motivated attacks.
The days of Orange marches on Garvaghy Road and second class citizenship are over, and it is great to hear you say it so strongly.
SF has been unbelievably patient; it has gone the extra mile. But what can you do with such a lack of good will or intelligence as shown by the DUP ?
The DUP looks backward. NI needs leadership into the future that its people deserve, all its people not just the benighted bigots. Martin McGuinness has vision.
These Marches are a pathetic demonstration of insecurity and provocation in a modern age. In mainland UK they would all be banned, I believe.
Good Luck NI. You deserve better than this.
Gloria
Could you dispell the rumours that republican activists from Belfast have been seen in the Garvaghy area leading to the belief that they were there to "soften" the news that these Orange dinosaurs will be marching with the support and blessing of SF.If true I for one a lifelong supporter of SF will never ever have anything to do with the party again,and will do all in my power to prevent this return to a sectarian state run by the Orange order.We need to know the truth!
I read your blog, all your blogs actually, as part of my research. And despite an ingrained right footed bias, I cannot find a single issue that I disagree on. I think you represent progress and modernisation - the unionists seem to represent the past and revel in ideology or old triumphs.
But one thing sticks out - why can't politics in NI be more about political ideologies, independence or union, economies, etc. And less about (when viewed from only a little distance) slightly different branches of the christian church.
I wish you all the best in bringing Ulster whatever progress and peace it's people desire.
Very well done Gerry.
I wish the OO would lighten up a bit and see the good in sharing the island, and opening up to the catholic people.
It is my fervant prayer tonight, Gerry, for reconcilliation between Green and Orange. Between Republican and uninest. Between Catholic, protestant and dissenter both. And may God forgive us all for all of our sins, so that Ireland may receive the greatest gift of all for the people; saoirse.
You've secured the dignity of Eireann for all eternity. God bless you and thank you, my happiness is complete.
Cheers
Michael McGonagle
I was born in Scotland with strong family ties to County Tyrone and Donegal. I consider myself to be more Irish than Scottish. I cannot understand that there has been no solution to sectarianism in over 400 years of unrest. The Jews appear to have no axe to grind these days with the Germans, despite the obvious atrocities committed against them in relatively recent times. We've all woken up in the wee small hours with Orange bands trying to demolish the local chapel with their bass drums. Why? This is 2010. The way forward is surely for Ireland to become united and unified. The mistakes made by Britain should be acknowledged and a suitable date arranged for a handover.
I just hope one day we can move beyond sectarian politics and the parties in stormont campaign on domestic issues.
The constitutional issue can only be decided via a referendum.
RE: first post - I would be careful before suggesting cuts are sectarian - they are likely to have more to do with the massive budget defecit.
Years back, other activists and I had a heated email exchange with Roy Beggs, when he demanded to know why Americans were involved in the Good Friday Agreement "after all we did for you," he wrote, invoking George Washington, of all people, and listing all the Scots-Irish-American U.S. Presidents. (I sent him an email thanking him for helping us get our own country and explaining that we're just trying to return the favor). :)
Mr Robinson wont be in charge for too long anyway, this whole Iris thing will surely force his resignation. Sinn Fein could find its moment in light of this.
However, in regards to the talks I dont understand why Sinn Fein don't play hardball and say no to all parades demands. We are in the 21st Century and still we have Ku Klux Klan-like parades through their oppositions communities while the residents are stripped of all freedom and restricted to the confines of their homes by police and army.
This leads me to ask why Sinn Fein are not pushing to make Orange Parades illegal. Surely such an organisation is deemed sectarian and provocative under E.U legislation and only proves to be a burden on the road to peace.
On that note I would also like to ask what Sinn Fein are going to do in regards to these ILLEGAL stop and search operations in nationalist areas and what Gerry's response is to Baggot's statement, in which he clearly defies the European law and sets the unionist police force back into the sectarian frame of which it is renowned for.
Could I also ask Gerry is he pushing for a revision of the DUP's stance on the Irish Language Act and what makes these talks different to those at St.Andrews from which Sinn Fein seemed to emerge with nothing.
The Catholic Church has continually let doemn nationals in General and Republicans in particular over the course of the troubles, i have no faith anymore!