Thursday 28 January 2010

Gordon Brown Fails Again



No smiling faces round the table in Hillsborough Castle yesterday if this picture is anything to go by.

Gordon Brown's 'rescue mission' for power sharing in Northern Ireland collapsed yesterday with the Prime Minister abandoning the talks and the Province's politicians trading insults over who was to blame.

Martin McGuinness said he was "deeply disappointed" while Peter Robinson, the DUP leader said he would not "accept any second-rate deal simply to get across the line to suit someone else's deadline".

Mr Brown denied that the three days he and Brian Cowen, the Taoiseach, spent conducting round-the-clock talks had been a waste of time.

"I don't think we've failed," he said. "I think we've made enormous progress. On Monday, quite honestly, the parties were not talking to each other."

Doesn't seem as if they are now either Mr Brown. Somehow I think you're already regretting this visit to Northern Ireland as I'm sure you intended to be puffing out your chest and announcing how you'd saved Northern Irish politics, but it was not to be. Instead you've had to bully them into submission by setting a deadline for the DUP and Sinn Fein to come to an agreement or you will publish your own proposals which they disregard at their peril.

Not even the help of the US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton, was able to save our Prime Minister in the last few days. Another failure to add to the list.

Never mind, today will be a better day now that the result of the Afghanistan conference has already been publicised.

source and others

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Perhaps he was really there to be interviewed for a post-election job.

subrosa said...

Quite an idea titus, but would the NI want him?

Strathturret said...

Yes NI was one of Blair's few successes. Brown wouldn't want it to turn to dust.

I suspect if we threatened to turn off the £ to these NI politicos they'd agreed pdq. The Robinson's take £500K pa and have four of their family on the payroll, not to mention her toyboy! I seem to remember Sinn Fein's second home expenses are huge.

subrosa said...

You omitted the bribery cash given to the NI government Strathturret. I tried to find out more about it before I wrote the post but it's a difficult trail. They receive so much more extra cash for 'projects'.

Richard T said...

Whilst sharing some of your cynicism about Gordon Brown's intervention, I must say as a balancing point, had he not involved himself with Brian Cowan, the media would have been full of Brown ducks away from Ireland. on this one I doubt he could have won either way. I notice however, at the time of writing that the Tories are gey quiet just now. Something to do with secret conclaves at Hatfield House?

subrosa said...

Oh yes I expect so Richard. That's where the DUP is receiving their confidence.

Brown has neglected NI and just thrown money at the problems in the hope that would stave off revolt. But the DUP, for all its recent troubles, have the upper hand I think and for the reason you say.

It would have been much better for Brown if he'd gone to NI next week rather than this week because he now looks weaker than ever.

Strathturret said...

Throwing money at things is a Brown modus operandi. Think education, NHS, banks. He thinks if you spend money it must have a positive effect.

subrosa said...

That's the socialist way Strathturret. Saves them having to think too hard. Throw money at it or set up an inquiry.

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