Tyrone man Sean Mallory takes a sidewise look at recent political developments. Sean Mallory is a wry and sometimes caustic observer of politics both nationally and internationally.
Stormont is Collapsing ... Again
After the hiatus of the British general election and the repercussions to the various political parties of fallen votes, lost seats and gained seats, which has inspired our erstwhile extremely demanding politicos to react in varying manners of victory and defeat, Stormont once again (yawn) finds itself on the brink of collapse.
The politicos have fallen out among themselves over the proposed Tory cuts (reforms). Rolling about in the trough of the political wave that is summer, the antecedent that they, prior to this insignificant second-rate political skirmish whose global impact is on the same scale as the recent earth quake off the South East coast of Britain .... chandeliers rattled while Nepal crumbled, was all agreed to in the Stormont House Agreement which was set way back in December 2014.
Recrimination abounds between those who have the determination and foresight to push through the Tory Reforms (cuts) and those who are weedy, pathetic, weak and crassly blind to the need to perform such a brutal but necessary criminal act. Criminal, in that it will quite possibly lead to the depravation of much needed public services, to those who actually need them ....
A devil may care attitude to the welfare of the people, for as long as the cuts encourages economic growth (and to which the link between cuts and growth hasn’t actually ever been convincingly demonstrated) then caring can only be afforded through a strong economy. Something the Tory’s have yet to corroborate with empirical evidence.
While repetitive disparagement and mud-slinging reverberated around the deathly hollows of Stormont, some of those in opposition to Welfare cuts took time out and made the pilgrimage up to the Royal Infirmary to pay homage to the British Unionist First Minister. No stretcher in a corridor for him!
Who unfortunately for many concerned (no doubt much to Iris’s dismay, her voodoo doll proved inadequate to the task), turned down an invite to join his ‘once friend’ Paisley senior for a good roast(ing) instead of a KFC and pulled through to live another bigoted day ... hurrah for the Union.
Paisley, a man who once walked down a country road hand in hand with another man (poor old Poots again....picked the wrong party to join) and whom that very man now, perhaps through feeling scorned, who knows, bestows responsibility of the ‘Troubles’ upon Paisley’s shoulders, negating Irish history down to one person’s liability. But then again, this is from the same person who condoned piracy and murder at the behest of the Israelis. He is co-joined in his condemnation by some old protestant flute playing pensioner from North Belfast of the name Galway who extends his condemnation to include responsibility for murder and who further exacerbates British Unionists by his declaration of Irish-ness, Britain’s immoral presence here and his desire for a United Ireland.
The Arkrights within Unionism immediately retorted through that infamous bigot and racist in the form of Gregory Campbell by implying that anyone over 70 is too old to be listened too. A remark that has earned Gregory an equally sharp retort from the many pensioner groups that abound society ... especially since he is only two years away from being ostracised to the corner of the room himself.
He too, found himself allied by that other well renowned Arkright Nelson McCasuland, who condemned Galway for his ridiculous interpretation of Irish history with reference to Pope Adrian II, who was actually over 70 when elected pope and therefore should be ignored, the senile auld git, and continued to question Galway’s patronage for integrated education and hoping that his view of Irish history was not that being taught in integrated schools which is bewildering when coming from a man who believes history began 6,000 years ago!
To add further spice to the sauce, McCausland earlier in the month is reported as stating that there was no point in officials coming to evidence sessions "if we can't get answers to questions". Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) 28/05/2015. Interesting response from a sectarian racist weasel with his unresponsive past to Stormont Committees and who if not involved in politics would have been extremely successful as a FIFA official.
On leaving the Royal Infirmary and after heaping accolade after accolade on the Royal staff and its services which his appointed inadequate ministers of health have run into the ground, Robinson returned to Stormont to take-up the reins of Foster, but not before a quick detour to visit ‘Our unrecognised by Holyrood – Rory ‘the weasel’ at the Irish Open which is being held within the UK....go figure that one!
In the accompaniment periods of civil obedience at Stormont, the beep, beep not of a BBC censor controller, but of a cardio machine can be heard drifting from the office of the First Minister, resolute to the end. Memos have been issued to the cleaning staff reminding them not to turn off any electrics whatsoever and ending in a dire warning of ‘termination’ of contract if they should fail in this duty.
Each side digging their well healed stilettoes and brogues in, what gender is wearing what is up for discussion, in anticipation of the arrival of the 7th Cavalry (perhaps Calvary would be a more fitting spelling) in the form of a potential package of resolution, sent by Cameron, Osborne and hand delivered by Ms Villiers ... not much of a rescue team, considering that they are the instigators of this division in the first place.
While patiently awaiting on the package to arrive, Stormont was alerted to the flying of the Irish tricolour and one other unsanctioned flag on its roof. On hearing this the beeps on Robinson’s cardio machine could be heard to accelerate but were quickly calmed by the likewise speedy removal of such an offensive weapon.
Condemned by all British Unionists as an insult to Unionism and a major security breach 7 detectives from the PSNI’s finest arrived to uncover the culprits and bring them to justice. Rightly condemned by the SDLP as overkill in to the investigation, the detectives obviously not making much headway, were saved from embarrassment by being alerted to a statement of responsibility by the 1916’s society. A group of dissidents infamous for attacking and beating British Security Force members to death with flags and intent on wrecking the peace process and sending the Province back in to the dark auld days of the Troubles. Which truth be told is highly unlikely considering that the man originally responsible is dead and therefore that is unlikely to happen now, is it?
The British Unionists, having already spoken in hushed corridors to the Tories preceding the British general election and secured whatever scraps that fell from their table, but scraps that are only payable on receipt by the Tory’s of bartered services i.e., push through the cuts and we’ll see, have undaunted by the ‘No’ camp’s reckless stubbornness and policy reversal, pushed ahead by playing their trumph card – the phantom budget. Phantom in that it will present the budget as if the Welfare bill had been agreed and apparently all perfectly legal. Just like their phantom expenses.
And in the midst of all this major international crisis where the Province is teetering on the edge of the abyss which could tip it over the British border in to the Badlands of state censorship in favour of Denis O’Brien and his financial dealings with Irish government ministers, the Bilderbeg group met, discussed and left without notes or minutes to record their presence and what was decided also remains a mystery. Which can only mean that the agenda to these meetings is set, determined and dictated by un-mandated financiers who in turn relay their policies to those invited. A form of a polite AGM where the shareholders have no say.
Ex-lord mayor of Belfast, Jim Rogers, has denounced the homeless sleeping in the shop doorways of the city centre as presenting a negative image to tourists, especially those coming off the cruise ships visiting the city. He makes a comparison to London where they now have penalty laws to deal with such scandalous behaviour and perhaps a way could be found to deal with the same here.. What Rodgers fails to understand is that the Tory cuts and his party’s pursuance of such cuts is the root of many of these unfortunates' distressed state. Plus on a point of fact, the cruise ships may dock early in Belfast but by the time those passengers who decide to disembark and grace the city with their presence by arriving in the city centre on free transport and at the expense to the rate payer, those locals unfortunate enough to have spent the night in a shop door way have moved on due to the shops opening. So, in fact, passengers coming off the cruise ships have never witnessed these scenes. So this begs the question of what exactly is Rodgers agenda with regards to the homeless and who exactly is pulling his strings?
But what tops all of these dealings is that Iran has launched an anti-Isis cartoon competition, inviting submissions from around the world which mock the militant group and the atrocities it has committed. 28/05/2015 – Independent.....now that really is rich!
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