The Democratic Unionist Party neurosis - dribbling while Northern Ireland burns
By: Paddy Duffy | Published Saturday, November 19, 2011, 11:00 AM | Updated Saturday, November 19, 2011, 11:00 AM
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| DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson |
There are times when I look at the Northern Ireland I remember as a child and marvel at how far we’ve come, how in so many ways we’ve managed to look beyond old obstinacies and petty rivalries and create a more open, tolerant society.
This week was not one of those times.
Despite making great strides since their bogeymen days, to the point where they seemed positively reasonable during the last Assembly election, the DUP have managed to consolidate all their crazy into one manageable weekly repayment. Exhibit A: the ever-tiresome capital punishment debate.
A recent law in the UK means that if a public petition gets more than 100,000 signatures, it has to be debated in parliament. Inevitably, hang ‘em and flog ‘em got on the agenda, but among those most keen for the debate were DUP MP’s David Simpson, Gregory Campbell, Jeffrey Donaldson, Jim Shannon and Sammy Wilson, who tabled a parliamentary motion on the matter.
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Anti-Catholic insults rife in 'A Very Harold and Kumar 3 D Christmas'----lesbian nuns, topless angels, playboy Jesus all add insult to injuryUS feared global banking collapse if Anglo Irish Bank failedIreland's sovereignty is probably gone for goodNever mind the fact there isn’t a shred of evidence that the death penalty does anything but regularly kill innocent people, never mind the fact that the state reflectively killing people is an inherently bad idea, not least in a state with its fair share of ruthless killings over the years, never even mind the fact that the death penalty is expressly against the rules for any country in the Council of Europe. Then again, if some of the DUP MPs weren’t known for being mad, they wouldn’t be known for anything at all.
One of those MP who’s never had a problem with notoriety is Jeffrey Donaldson, Enoch Powell’s apprentice and Daniel O’Donnell lookalike. For most of his career he’s been known as one of the great intransigents, although he’d mellowed somewhat in recent years. That was, at least, until he took issue with a new rule affecting the Royals and their marital choices. Basically, Jeffrey isn’t happy future monarchs can now marry Catholics, so much so that he and a group of other Orangemen delivered a letter to Downing Street about the matter on Remembrance Day. This is in the same week that a Spotlight documentary on Northern Ireland TV revealed that the Orange Order reprimanded two senior Ulster Unionists, leader Tom Elliot and Minister Danny Kennedy, for attending a Catholic requiem mass for murdered PSNI officer Ronan Kerr.
And if that wasn’t enough Peter Robinson gave us a brief glimpse into the past by threatening his resignation this week. The reason? The Justice Minister David Ford is considering a new emblem for the prison service, one that may not have a crown on it or any reference to Her Majesty. That’s it. In an atmosphere of enormous social and economic problems, it’s good to know the biggest party in Northern Ireland have got it covered.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Kilsally | Dec 01, 2011, 05:54 PM EST
`Sweden and Denmark demand that their monarchs adhere to the Lutheran faith; the Netherlands stipulates that succession must be through the Protestant house of King William, Prince of Orange; and the constitutions of Spain and Belgium demand succession through strictly Roman Catholic houses. One of the most interesting observations in this debate is that no mention is ever made of the fact that the ‘King of the Vatican’ must be a Roman Catholic. Certainly, as head of his Church, it seems perfectly reasonable to demand his adherence to the Catholic faith, but as a head of state, as he also is, the limitations are certainly an infringement of his human rights. In fact, in a further infringement, the King of the Vatican is not permitted to marry at all, let alone marry a Protestant.`
seanomelbourne | Nov 23, 2011, 05:35 PM EST
religion is the food of the bigotted classes
Jamcelt | Nov 23, 2011, 08:01 AM EST
Let us just remember him for being the moron he is.
seanomelbourne | Nov 22, 2011, 06:40 PM EST
Bigotry is still alive and kicking in the good old orange lodge /DUP. They are scared of a Catholic consort next to the throne.Maybe someone should tell them this is 2011 not the 17th century.
Kilsally | Nov 21, 2011, 04:03 PM EST
Irelandnorth think you will find Jeffrey Donaldson defected to the DUP because he didn't agree with the initial deal, just as the DUP did not , which is not the same as anti peace process
Kilsally | Nov 21, 2011, 03:57 PM EST
I think Paddy you will find the DUP have been dealing with a great many issues, tomorrow they will be debating fuel poverty in Westminster, Peter Robinson has been promoting integrated education and the new Programme for Government guarantees child care places for pre school kids and they have just releases policy on winter fuel payments for pensioners. I'm sure the DUP conference this weekend in the La Mon hotel (which the IRA fire bombed whilst the the Irish Collie Club members and junior motorcyclists were having dinner ) will have much more. The spotlight documentary on the Orange Order showed the Evangelical Protestant Society, Presbyterian minister and the Free Presbyterian moderator amongst others taking the same stance as the Order on the theological errors of the mass, it is classic protestant theology, Kennedy and Elliot were not reprimanded just as David Trimble wasn't our the DUP Orangeman who attended the funeral if Catholic police officer Stephen Carroll killed by dissidents a few years ago just after dissidents shot the two soldiers and the polish pizza delivery men before they went to afghanistan the next day
IrelandNorth | Nov 21, 2011, 08:07 AM EST
Mr. Donaldson defected to the DUP because the UUP were not hardline enough, only to find that the DUP became markedly more mild on accession to power. When not organising contentious parades in Dublin, he's offering himself as a latter-day Mahatma for a peace process he initially resisted. Funny old world!
PaddyDuffy | Nov 20, 2011, 09:35 PM EST
Hi Kilsally, first of all I'm sure there are a host of people variously concerned but the premise of this article was to highlight the combination of things the DUP have chosen to care about in the last week or so. Secondly, Elliot and Kennedy were found not proven by the disciplinary committee but that was appealed by the original complainant, which is being apparently brought to the grand lodge in December. As for the use of the word reprimand, perhaps that was ambiguous, but the Belfast Telegraph themselves used "excoriated" so I'll stand by it. Incidentally, as far as I'm aware since Ne Temere was revoked in 1970 and they introduced Matrimonia Mixta there are certain loopholes you can avail of if marrying someone outside the faith.
Kilsally | Nov 20, 2011, 05:16 PM EST
Quite a lot if inaccuracy in the article for starters the DUP and Orangemen are far from the only people concerned about the role changes on monarchy, indeed the Church of England met with atheist deputy print minister Nick Clegg if the Liberal Democrats and the reforms were rowed back as the planned reformed would affect the head of the church of england, the monarch. Catholic church insists children in a marriage be brought up catholic else the marriage is not recognised. The Orange Order didn't reprimand Elliot or Kennedy either, the charges were dismissed after a complaint was investigated.
maryanna | Nov 20, 2011, 11:43 AM EST
The country for to long is being run by dictators and fascists extremes.Hardliners are at the heart of a very dysfunctional community! NI needs change a more understanding approach. Time for change.People would need to get of their arse of the floor and vote the useless immature kinder garden kids out.
NYCsheridan | Nov 20, 2011, 09:46 AM EST
Sad to see that across the pond you have politicians as stupid and irrelevant as those we have here in the USA!
maireadinmelb | Nov 19, 2011, 06:49 PM EST
Well isn't this an interesting and totally unexpected turn of events!!! NOT!! Changing the logos and the street signs, but not the people!
Towngate | Nov 19, 2011, 05:36 PM EST
The good news, Paddy, is that the House only has to debate the subject of the petition. No further action need be taken. Of course NI is a mess but Ithought ICentral would pick up on our 'returned to the fold' lamb, Marteen, complaining bitterly that the Peace Process was in danger of collapse unless there is a huge injection of funds from Britain. So that's what he means by a United Ireland! - never self-sufficient but always United to England by the need for unending Subsidies and the ever-extended begging bowl! With Monosters layke hom, no wonder God is planning a Tsunami .......
johhnyb | Nov 19, 2011, 05:06 PM EST
Thanks Paddy for a gracious answer. Best wishes, Johnny
seanomelbourne | Nov 19, 2011, 05:06 PM EST
Donaldson and Robinson are no different to other DUP leaders.They are like (dangerous) little children threathening to take their bat home if they cannot get their own way,nothing changes.
PaddyDuffy | Nov 19, 2011, 11:02 AM EST
Fair enough point Johnny, but my problem isn't with the proposal or the badge or anything like that, my point is that the First Minister engaged in sabre-rattling that was a tad over the top to say the least. This from a government that only now has come up with a Programme for Government when they were elected in May. And a C of E marrying a Catholic doesn't make them Catholic too, so naturally the spouse wouldn't be head of the church.
johhnyb | Nov 19, 2011, 10:46 AM EST
However on a more serious note: If politicians shouldn't waste time over such a trivial issue as a new emblem for the prison service, why is it being proposed. Surely your criticism should be directed at whoever proposed it - unless of course it fits your own particular political agenda. Not surely! As to the well-trodden ground of the monarch being a Catholic: The Monarch is head of the Church of England. Would a Catholic as head of the Church of England make any sense whatsoever? Well then, lets have a protestant female pope for a turn, just for the sake of balance, equality and repudiation of religious discrimination. A real vote winner that with the faithful, I bet.
johhnyb | Nov 19, 2011, 10:38 AM EST
Sounds like Rugbyplayer doesn't like anyone very much!
rugbyplayer | Nov 19, 2011, 10:05 AM EST
If the Republic od Ireland has its intrusive and pompous R.C. bishops always wrongly intefering in national politics then Northern Ireland has its hard core Orangemen,Unionists and antediluvian bigots who are an embarrassment to Europe and a dead albatross around the neck of the U.K.