Fair Deal's blog

Fair Deal (Slugger O'Toole): The Northern Ireland Executive met last month for the first time since June. Two letters signified an agreement between the DUP and Sinn Fein on policing and justice (Letter 1 and letter 2 (pdf files)). Many are questioning what the 150+ day hiatus was about?

The Northern Ireland peace process is an instrumental one, consistently agreeing a limited number of issues with more difficult ones left for a later date. The hope is that successful implementation will make difficult issues resolvable later without a crisis, something the NI process has rarely managed.  In terms of hegemony in the process, the party with something still to give has an advantage.

When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister, Northern Ireland was not uppermost in his mind.  He inherited the St Andrew's Agreement as a result of Blair's scramble for a success story before he left office.  While devolution has been restored it has not bedded down and if Gordon comes to call on Tuesday (as predicted) rather than talk about progress he will be faced with what Blair dealt with for a decade.

Fair Deal (Slugger O'Toole): The Barnett formula has fundamental flaws and failed in its aim of equalisation. The IPPR report Fair Shares attempts to offer a new way forward for the UK, but the alternative has its own flaws, key questions are sidestepped and it will probably be Alex Salmond who determines whether Barnett reaches 40 years of age.

Fair Deal (Belfast, Slugger O’Toole): Sinn Fein is trying to engage mainland opinion in favour of Irish unity but what are Ulster’s Unionists going to do?

Throughout the Troubles, Unionism failed to engender significant public or establishment support in Great Britain.  Equally, Unionism failed to engage in the battle of ideas.  Northern Ireland was presented primarily as a security problem with a security solution.

Fair Deal (Belfast, Slugger O’Toole): In the battle for 42 days and courting DUP votes, Gordon Brown chalked up a success (of sorts) with the DUP playing the reluctant bride to the very end but what were the motivations?

Fair Deal (Belfast, Slugger O’Toole): The Northern Ireland nomination faux crisis is over but it will mean an earlier than expected visit to Downing Street for Peter Robinson as Northern Ireland’s First Minister.

As Robinson crosses the threshold, a Prime Minister in the need of new friends will be there to greet him. The fact Brown has had to court the DUP over 42 days will be fresh in both their minds. However, the Labour backbench in varying degrees of panic and a cabinet of the dubious means Brown should have the sense to realise it may not be the last time he will seek DUP favour.