The Robinson Affair (mod warning: post 5)

blackiebest

Fook it, that one took me by suprise! Having listened to her story and that of her husband, First Minister Peter, just now on the radio, I feel a degree of sympathy however before posting I reminded myself of some of her comments in the near past. That and having absolutely no belief that her husband will fulfill the democratic will of the people of NI, I find any sympathy tempered by my opinions of these pair before the depression/suicide/affair revelations and that the rumours are rife of serious financial shenanagins about to be exposed.

The plot thickens...

Rebelheart

There is something really, really satisfying to see a rightwing nutjob like Iris Robinson exposed as having so many human weaknesses after the many horribly insensitive, cold, smug and self-righteous comments she has made about gays. The sheer inhumanity of so many of her public comments has been chilling.

Anybody who talks about homosexuals being an 'abomination' in need of 'curing' and a state having a duty to uphold "God's law" and other such balderdash is seriously narrowminded and emotionally stunted.


On the other hand it is of course really sad and a genuine personal tragedy. I just hope some more of those other people who view the world in dogmatic ideological black and white and unforgiving terms learn something from this.

FlutterinBantam

Rebelheart wrote: »

There is something really, really satisfying to see a rightwing nutjob like Iris Robinson exposed as having so many human weaknesses after the many horribly insensitive, cold, smug and self-righteous comments she has made about gays. The sheer inhumanity of so many of her public comments has been chilling.

Anybody who talks about homosexuals being an 'abomination' in need of 'curing' and a state having a duty to uphold "God's law" and other such balderdash is seriously narrowminded and emotionally stunted.


On the other hand it is of course really sad and a genuine personal tragedy. I just hope some more of those other people who view the world in dogmatic ideological black and white and unforgiving terms learn something from this.

You are really one sad person, with an attitude like that.


Did someone try to poison you in your pram?

imme

a proliferation of Robinson threads.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

"I've done nothing wrong" P Robinson said in his UTV interview, why did he feel the need to say that. He had just poured his heart out in an interview in which he said his wife had attempted suicide in March 2009.

sceptre

Here's what you need to bear in mind with regard to this discussion (thank you nesf):

We do not ask you to feel compassion, we do not ask you to care. We ask you to show some respect to anyone when there's a tragedy in their personal, not public, life. Someone getting found out for dodging tax or taking bribes is fair game, someone who's just had a divorce, been diagnosed with a disease, lost a loved one or whatever isn't. If you can't bring yourself to respect this line do not post in this forum since it will just get you banned.

As previously, this is the sole warning anyone will receive.

Also, I'm sure some of you guys are amazingly underappreciated comedians. But the "here's to you, Mrs Robinson" line and associated gags as your major contribution are only funny if you're first to the line with it. You aren't:)

rovert

Well there is a financial scandal brewing.

Rebelheart

rovert wrote: »

Well there is a financial scandal brewing.

Heard this on Drivetime an hour ago (Peter Robinson gave a very measured but moving interview, in fairness to him). Any more info?

rovert

Rebelheart wrote: »

Heard this on Drivetime an hour ago (Peter Robinson gave a very measured but moving interview, in fairness to him). Any more info?

During his interview Mr Robinson was also asked if his financial affairs were under investigation.

In reply he said he had always acted "in the most professional and ethical way."

He also confirmed he had received a letter from the BBC which he said contained no allegations against him but "asked questions which are easily answered."

The BBC Spotlight programme has confirmed it has been investigating matters involving Iris Robinson for some time.

In a statement the BBC added that allegations have been put to the Robinsons and their response is awaited.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8444153.stm

Terrontress

There has been a lot of thinly veiled comments on BBC Radio Ulster over the last year about the Robinsons' financial affairs.

I think they got off with the expenses by the skin of their teeth. Claiming the maximum for two people even though they were living together.

Also, there is the matter of the sale of land to property developers which has raised a few eyebrows.

And I wonder why Irene has chosen this moment to step down? Is it due to other Northern Ireland parties rejecting "dual mandate" and therefore she would lose benefits from the council and either Stormont or Westminster.

gerry28

Cheating on someone is an abomination. I feel sorry for peter he looked like a man close to breakdown on the news today.

Joey the lips

It would be hard for anyone who has herd her speak and has disagreed with her to feel sorry for her. Having said that, if you remove yourself from it all you will feel something.

I am always however a believer that you never know what go's on behind peoples doors.

There is one thing i do know. I would love to be a fly on the wall when Ian paisley is talking to him in private. Then again....

Bottle_of_Smoke

Have sympathy with Robbo over this. Your spouse having an affair must be unimaginably difficult and much moreso if it's this public.

Don't really have any with Iris. She said homosexuality was actually worse than child abuse. I don't think any amount of depression explains that one.

hustler 69

Will Peter Robinson come 'out' now it is obvious his marriage is a sham.

Is Seymour Sweeney the man who has been seeing to Ms Robinson.:)

Nodin

I think it unfortunate that such matters make their way into the public sphere. However given their 'biblical' line on homosexuality, I'd imagine somebody somewhere would have felt that sympathy was not deserved and leaked the news eventually, had he not done so himself. Theres a lesson there for all who take the 'family values' stance.

Terrontress

gerry28 wrote: »

I feel sorry for peter he looked like a man close to breakdown on the news today.

Did you see the size of the words on the statement he was reading out!?! I wonder is he going blind as well.

dlofnep

For a woman who holds the bible so dear to her heart, labelling gay people as worse than pedophiles - she was quick to break one of the ten commandments when it suited her. She hides behind the mask of catholicism Christianity to spread her hateful bigotry. She was most likely driven by guilt. I'm glad she has decided to step away from politics.

As a man, I feel for Peter Robinson - it can't be nice to have your wife cheat on you. All personal feelings aside from him (and I abhor his politics), this is a personal family issue.

rovert

dlofnep wrote: »

As a man, I feel for Peter Robinson - it can't be nice to have your wife cheat on you. All personal feelings aside from him (and I abhor his politics), this is a personal family issue.

Not really when she had an affair with a "business man" when she was openly fundraising for a business venture while holding public office.

gerry28

dlofnep wrote: »

She hides behind the mask of catholicism to spread her hateful bigotry. She was most likely driven by guilt.

I'd wager the farm that dear iris was not of the catholic faith

dlofnep

Er sorry, I meant christianity. I'm sure she won't be pleased that dlofnep called her a catholic.

rovert

As much as they dont like homosexuals they sure spend like Elton John and David Furnish:
http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/affair-threatens-robinson-legacy-2002296.html

Paul4As

hustler 69 wrote: »

Will Peter Robinson come 'out' now it is obvious his marriage is a sham.

I wouldn't say 40 years of marriage is a sham...pretty good length of time in today's society!!! They have 3 kids due to their marriage as well...which aint bad!!!
Good to hear Peter is getting back to the day job tomorrow!!! He has done a good job hiding his personal problems for 10 months...and he did a difficult job well today confronting the cameras to tell the truth of what his so-called born again christian wife had done!!! Some church goers are the worst!!!
Not for me to judge Iris...I'm sure she knows God will however!!!

DublinWriter

Paul4As wrote: »

Not for me to judge Iris...I'm sure she knows God will however!!!

Well, there's your basic problem - God.

Yes, I'm a nationalist, yes, I've a couple of friends in Norn Iron who are Orange Breathern, but it's her stance on homosexuality I cannot abide nor that middle class holier-than-thou attitude of the DUP that's so totally unrepresentative of the average working-class 'Prod' in the North.

I did feel a slight twinge of sympathy for Peter Robinson, but it soon faded. I realised I was watching someone lament the passing of righteous 'big-house' Unionism rather than the pecadilos of his spouse.

Sineadmc81

I have no sympathy for either of them. Why on earth would you go public about your private life - it just doesnt add up. We'll soon learn that there is more to this. They will certainly make a few bob from this.

Nodin

Maybe something on about this at 10.30 on BBC1 NI. Another and rather more significant level to the business may come up.

Over a year and a half ago, I was involved in a relationship. It began completely innocently when I gave support to someone following a family death.
I encouraged friends to assist him by providing financial support for a business venture.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8444365.stm

...might be wrong now, but.....

Whippersnapper

I have sympathy for both of them. I don't see what all the fuss in the media is about either.

efb

I hope her god doesnt judge her as harshly as she judges others. Maybe this will teach her humility

ateam

There's a special programme on BBC1 at 10.30 about Robinson.

He's allegedly in trouble over financial issues and it's being said that his Bertie Ahern style emotional interview was a deliberate attempt to make people feel sorry for him before the revelations emerge about his personal finances.

Watch this space...

POINTBREAK

Sineadmc81 wrote: »

I have no sympathy for either of them. Why on earth would you go public about your private life - it just doesnt add up. We'll soon learn that there is more to this. They will certainly make a few bob from this.

The reason they went public is that the BBC's Spotlight programme was just about to expose the affair and show an investigation into their finances.
The reason he was almost in tears while reading the statement was because he had been forced into a public humiliation. The affair was around 18 months ago and the alledged suicide was over 9 months ago.
Everything about the statement was stage managed the Journalists invited were all friendly with the Robinsons, and could be relied on not to ask awkward questions. Even the card to Daddy behind him I am sure was carefully placed.
He was asked about the financial aspect of the investigation and he specifically said HE had done nothing wrong. He didnt make a denial on her behalf.
Make up your own mind, but the thinking is there is more to come.

efb

POINTBREAK wrote: »

The reason they went public is that the BBC's Spotlight programme was just about to expose the affair and show an investigation into their finances.
The reason he was almost in tears while reading the statement was because he had been forced into a public humiliation. The affair was around 18 months ago and the alledged suicide was over 9 months ago.
Everything about the statement was stage managed the Journalists invited were all friendly with the Robinsons, and could be relied on not to ask awkward questions. Even the card to Daddy behind him I am sure was carefully placed.
He was asked about the financial aspect of the investigation and he specifically said HE had done nothing wrong. He didnt make a denial on her behalf.
Make up your own mind, but the thinking is there is more to come.

He was cuckolded, big climb down.

ardmaj

It appears the secretary of State for the undemocratic republic of Norn Iron, Shaun Woodward was, shall we say, NOT STICKING TO THE ROBINSON SCRIPT this evening in a TV interview when he offered the opinion that the Robinsons, were perfectly entitled as politicians to have a private life, and with lamentable timing on the same evening that the Robinsons had elected to waive this precious privacy by going on BBC and UTV to offload themselves to the barely interested NI viewers, that SHE had had an affair all of nearly two years ago and HE was about to unburden himself to the viewers of his distress about this betrayal, in widescreen technicolor exclusively to BBC NI, and er.....UTV.
Hardly helpful to the maximum effect of the performance.
Now assuming that there was no financial or political impropriety in this PRIVATE FAMILY MATTER, this should be nobody's business but the Robinsons. And, no doubt they would be reminding us of this fact, unless........ they knew there was something fishy in this affair, which needed some CONTEXTUALISING in advance, to offset the bad look of their conduct. The BBC Spotlight programme are planning a rather inconvenient glimpse into the Robinson dealings in a fortnight, and they thought they might need to get their story in first.
Only trouble is, up until now, Peter and Iris weren't exactly 'liked' by the NI public before this story broke. NEW DUP LEADER REQUIRED SOON.

Nodin

More indeed......

The wife of the Northern Ireland First Minister's surprise admission of a sexual affair and attempted suicide was apparently prompted by the imminent broadcast of a BBC television documentary containing allegations of financial impropriety, it has emerged.

Peter and Iris Robinson — Northern Ireland’s most powerful political family — were forced to seize the initiative and attempt to regain control of the story after the investigative journalist Darragh McIntyre, accompanied by a television camera to record the event, presented himself at Stormont on Tuesday with a letter for the First Minister that poses a series of questions to the couple.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6979128.ece

Joey the lips

Nodin wrote: »

More indeed......


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6979128.ece

Brilliant nodin, wag the dog indeed.

Dr. Baltar

Where as I do feel sympathy for Peter Robinson, I must say that I am content with the fact that Iris Robinson's political career is going to fail because of this.
"Do as I Say not as I Do" comes to mind.

FlutterinBantam

Hmmmm


Strange to see the usual apologists for the 'underdog' salivating about someone's misfortune.

Kind of fcuks up their 'holier than thou' projected persona.


(you know who you are;))

Joey the lips

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Hmmmm


Strange to see the usual apologists for the 'underdog' salivating about someone's misfortune.

Kind of fcuks up their 'holier than thou' projected persona.


(you know who you are;))

Every dog has its day....;) I agree they do know who they are....


Tell me do you think this scandle will cause the lights to turn green or will all traffic stop with a red light.....

FlutterinBantam

Joey the lips wrote: »

Every dog has its day....;) I agree they do know who they are....


Tell me do you think this scandle will cause the lights to turn green or will all traffic stop with a red light.....

Scandal, Joey, scandal tut tut.

It's not good Joey... Peter is a dead man walking and there is need of strong leadership up there to steer this peace process through to it's safe docking.

I'd say your lads waiting in the wings with the fertilizer ready to spread on the fourth green field are getting a bit pumped up as they say;)

Joey the lips

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Scandal, Joey, scandal tut tut.

It's not good Joey... Peter is a dead man walking and there is need of strong leadership up there to steer this peace process through to it's safe docking.

I'd say your lads waiting in the wings with the fertilizer ready to spread on the fourth green field are getting a bit pumped up as they say;)

With respect to all sides. On a personel level I tended to trust Ian paisley more than peter robinson. Peter would sell his mother to get a promotion where as Ian you new what you got even if you did not like it.

Out of curiosity why is he a dead man walking. I reckon he will get the final promotion he always wanted out of this.

The dead man walking so to speak is the 19 year old. IMO.

FlutterinBantam

Joey the lips wrote: »

With respect to all sides. On a personel level I tended to trust Ian paisley more than peter robinson. Peter would sell his mother to get a promotion where as Ian you new what you got even if you did not like it.

Out of curiosity why is he a dead man walking. I reckon he will get the final promotion he always wanted out of this.

The dead man walking so to speak is the 19 year old. IMO.

Not literally, politically.

DUP won't risk scandal in light of the forthcoming Westminster elections.

Nig. or Geoff will take over fairly soon, i would say.

Jaap

BBC NI are putting on a Spotlight Special at 10:35pm this evening...when they will reveal the identity of Iris' lover. I think the whole of Northern Ireland will be watching that one!
Joey the lips mentioned the Matt Cooper show. Listened to it myself. One of the commentators remarked how Gerry Adams has remained quiet recently over his brother's alleged behavior and how Liam Adams actions were hidden amongst the Sinn Fein ranks for year...wouldn't surprise me if a BBC Spotlight programme was in the pipeline on that issue!
What a start to 2010 in the North...with leading figures amongst unionist and republican groups having serious questions to answer!

sceptre

I've deleted nine posts that added nothing to the way of discussion and little beyond a snicker to the existence of the universe. Appropriate penalties have been issued, complaints to me by PM. While I'm prepared to leave this open for reasonable discussion, the idiotic antics of a few make it pretty darned hard.

Odds are good that this will end up being locked in a few hour but I'm prepared to give people the benefit of non-idiotic hope. So it's re-opened but I wouldn't count on it remaining so if people "contribute" like in the likes of the deleted posts. Kindly remember the "this isn't your playground" line. We hold ourselves to a reasonable standard of discussion.

/mod

Nodin

Politics is classically more of a Jungle...

Anyhoo....RTE News at 6 carried a live piece from Tommy Gorman, in which he stated that the inquiries directed towards the Robinsons, and Irish Robinson in particular, may relate to funding that emanated from a council to a 21 year old Buisiness man. Not on the web yet but I'll whack the link up later.

purple cow

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/01/07/anti-gay-mp-iris-robinsons-lover-believed-to-have-been-under-21/

POINTBREAK

An Irish blogger has named the 21 year old..... the comment below is from the same site.

The clues add up – although how people know which of the two owners of the café is involved will, I guess, become clear when BBC NI names the politican’s ex-lover during their Spotlight programme tonight at 2235 GMT. While this remains speculation for now, if this is indeed Iris Robinson’s lover, it seems the woman who said that homosexuality is worse than paedophilia was actually having an affair, at the time, with a young man forty years her junior, who also ran a business that was partially supported with public funds

Jaap

My wife who knows zilch about politics has just said "fair play" to Iris for pulling such a young bloke!:D
Her ex-lover will need a few weeks' holiday out of Northern Ireland once his name is released...to escape the media frenzy...poor lad!
He will learn his lesson for messing with a married woman...and a very well known married woman!

rovert

The Guardian has gone public with the lad's name:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/07/peter-iris-robinson-bbc-investigation

dlofnep

POINTBREAK wrote: »

An Irish blogger has named the 21 year old..... the comment below is from the same site.

The clues add up – although how people know which of the two owners of the café is involved will, I guess, become clear when BBC NI names the politican’s ex-lover during their Spotlight programme tonight at 2235 GMT. While this remains speculation for now, if this is indeed Iris Robinson’s lover, it seems the woman who said that homosexuality is worse than paedophilia was actually having an affair, at the time, with a young man forty years her junior, who also ran a business that was partially supported with public funds

The irony is astounding.

rovert

dlofnep wrote: »

The irony is astounding.

That isnt irony

POINTBREAK

Jaap wrote: »

My wife who knows zilch about politics has just said "fair play" to Iris for pulling such a young bloke!:D
Her ex-lover will need a few weeks' holiday out of Northern Ireland once his name is released...to escape the media frenzy...poor lad!
He will learn his lesson for messing with a married woman...and a very well known married woman!

Hes obviously not fussy. There is also the financial element which may have been an inducement to him.

Jaap

The lad's business will certainly be doing some trade with journalists etc. tomorrow!
I'm feeling a bit of sympathy for him though...he may have got his business off the ground and gained publicity for it, but he will always be remembered for having an affair with Iris Robinson!

POINTBREAK

rovert wrote: »

That isnt irony

Yeah its hypocrisy. It would have been ironic if she had fallen in love with a 21 year old Girl.

rovert

POINTBREAK wrote: »

Yeah its hypocrisy. It would have been ironic if she had fallen in love with a 21 year old Girl.

I dont think that was what dlofnep was getting at