Jeffrey Donaldson steps down as DUP leader after being charged with historical sex crimes -*Read OP*

Yes they were but others here on boards decided they knew better than the jury who heard all the evidence

Nah. Stormont will be grand in the short term.

Sammy Wilson gave an interview today saying he had no problem at all with Gavin Robinson being DUP leader and being the man to lead them into the general election. This would suggest the Assembly is safe and there is unlikely to be major upheaval before the election.

given their history, I doubt if they would be able to reach up to that level.

The difference in Adams's case is that there was a substantial interval between his arrest and the PPS decision, which was not to prosecute.

There might well be among the Ulster Unionist community but his political career is finished regardless of the outcome in the courts.

They don't have to elect a successor. Gavin Robinson has stepped into the role. It'll be him until at least the next election.

Quote - When Gerry Adams was arrested 10 years ago loyalists stood outside the
police station with union flags. I wonder if republicans did something
similar, I don't think they would stoop to such a level. End Quote

This is what we are dealing with - the loyalists are only loyal to themselves

yeah I’d say it’s more about internal bickering now - regardless of the reason, Donaldson is gone from the party so it’s simply back to a power struggle -this could derail the power sharing yet again - I truely believe there are still enough unionists who don’t want to be in power sharing with SF to make trouble - it will be some stupid b0ll0x of an excuse but they’ll find a way to weasel out of things yet again.

What I can’t understand though is how the population of NI don’t peacefully rise up en masse and stick it to these numbnuts and just tell them to get on with things - they’re a very passive lot up there these days

they could insist on removing the deputy first minister as she was Sir Jeffrey’s appointment and she isn’t elected. I don’t think they will however and hope not as she seems to be doing fine in the role.

too many to mention

I never mentioned “all unionists” - my comment was in context of a particular discussion

I’ve ignored nothing - you’re just gunning for a fight and I’m not taking the bait

you’ve isolated one post without taking into context of a previous post - you don’t deserve a reply for your badgering - goodbye

Well I would imagine most unionists who are members of the Orange Order don't want anything to do with Catholics. Are you a loyal member yourself?

yes, I have to agree about the unionist comments, well, I would have said 99%. Where are you from if you don’t mind me asking?

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/allison-morris/donaldsons-allies-will-now-be-looking-over-their-shoulders-and-with-good-reason/a39191927.html

It's paywalled but here's some info from the print version in today's Indo.

Allison Morris wrote the following about ELP.

"Hers is a grace-and-favour appointment, and the man that put her there is no more. On the day she was appointed to the role, the body language of party colleagues behind her was telling. She must now know that she is in a precarious position.

The Lagan Valley seat she occupies was not won by her. It was Jeffrey Donaldson's name on the ballot. He was the candidate people voted for. If that election was re-run tomorrow, it is unlikely the outcome would be the same. In principle, she could sit it out until 2027, when the next Assembly election is due to take place.

She could hope that if she performs well in the Executive Office that she will survive this crisis. But she must feel the knives being sharpened, and without her mentor Donaldson to protect her from those in the party who have privately expressed doubts about her political acumen, she must be feeling very vulnerable."

As a barrister, ELP has already been trained in the skill of arguing. So why would she be afraid of her rivals in the DUP?

Do the parties of which the FM and DFM are members actually have the power to dismiss them? If they don't, then ELP could sit it out as DFM for the rest of the term, couldn't she?

The only way to make NI work is with a functioning Stormont. Bringing down the institutions hastens a move to a united Ireland.

you’ve obviously thought this through more than I have so would be interested in your view as to why that would be the case.if you care to give it and absolutely not “demanding” - just interested.

My view is that staunch unionists will place whatever barrier they can in the way of action and forward movement towards some sort of state of equality and cooperation - they know that’s what will progress a situation where their culture views and values will be greatly challenged .

It would mean they need to progress and develop - not necessarily towards a united Ireland but certainly greatly away to where their minds are right now - and they don’t want to do that- simply because they’ve never envisioned such place, so they can’t imagine it

If Stormont collapses again, the place will trundle along for a while, rudderless, until an election is called. The unionists will vote in big numbers for the DUP, as they always do, but this time, they'll not get as big a vote as they usually do. The more hardline loyalist will defect to the TUV. The moderates will go to the UUP or Alliance and others just won't turn out. If a weakened DUP can't restart Stormont, then direct rule is the only other option. This will be unacceptable to the majority of the north and pressure will be exerted for calls for a border poll. Moreso, if SF get in down here.

But yet, somehow the DUP held everybody to ransom for two years.

The London and Dublin governments, as well as the other Northern parties, all had to dance to their tune.

A democratic referendum on Irish unity seems totally out of the question, despite unionist parties now holding a minority of seats. God forbid we should should offend the unionists with talk of democratic consent. Imagine them actually have to make an argument to voters as to why remaining in the union is in their best interests.

and the people of NI didn't even want Brexit !