I'm told Peter Robinson, first minister, responded somewhat testily to the suggestion by California State Democratic Party leader John Burton (pictured) that a United Ireland should be realised sooner rather than later.
I interviewed John Burton, himself quite a feisty character, at his San Francisco office last month where he said there had been "too long a wait" for a United Ireland. He followed up by having the state Democratic Party pass a motion backing the unification of the island.
You can read the interview here.
It's great to see Robinson's response and I look forward to more debate on this crucial issue. The First Minister has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to ask her to rein in the Californians! In the meantime, let's stop the discussion about whether Hillary will or won't be the peace/political envoy here and get on with the business of delivering on the campaign promise of an envoy appointment and delivery of the added promise of a business envoy (and of course that business envoy must realise that any economic progress has to make a real difference to those who have suffered the most during the years of conflict).
This morning, I was hosting a business breakfast for over 80 of our top business and community leaders — and the odd politician was there too, inlcluding Bairbre de Brún MEP and Cllr Ian Adamson — and I hope to bring you up to date with how we tackled our theme — From Discussion to Delivery — later today.
7 comments:
why does it matter what a politician in California says about a United Ireland being a matter of 'sooner' rather than later. What does he know that we don't know? Or is it a case of what he doesn't know being the basis of his opinion.
I hope that a United Ireland will come about some day - but I don't think it will be on SF's watch, not if their disastrous 'all gong and no dinner' approach to delivering on their commitments re the Irish language is anything to go by.
Concubhar,
"All gong and no dinner" should be the new party logo and rallying-cry.
Unfortunately, we have people in leadership who do not know that they are totally out of their league and are too afraid to ask others for advice. In-breeding does that.
And those same people have no concept of what a principle actually means.
Hence, the scorched-earth campaign against the Irish language and the independent gaelscoileanna.
Do these people have consciences? Of course not. Stupid of me to even ask.
Tourism is where the North can do better.The facilities have left a lot to be desired, toilets, etc.
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For example in my home town of Newcastle and along that Coastline, they should be pushing good clean eating houses, selling fish, etc.Along the Main Stree tin Newcastle it is decaying rapidily
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The rpices are not the cheapest in the North
I do not think Hillary gives two toots about some bitchy letter from some pol in NI. It just makes the pol look like an eejit.
Obviously, Mr. Robinson is suffering from delusions of grandeur, if he thinks the American Secretary of State is going to respond to some rant of his. His grasp of reality has slipped.
I wonder did this Californian non entity tell the Irish government they were going to have another 1.7 million to add to their economic equation. I bet if he had told them they would have told him to stop taking the wacky-backy and keep his out of touch uttering’s to matters American
Did any body tell John that tens of thousands of patriotic Irish consumers travel across the border to Northern Ireland on a daily bases to spend their cash here in the UK? I wonder John, do they want a united Ireland, I think not!
I personally feel its time we gave America back to the Native Americans with trillions of dollars in reparations maybe we could start in California John?
John you’re so out of touch it’s embarrassing and as for you Martin if you keep saying you will get a united Ireland you will start getting united Ireland delusional syndrome just like Gerry!
Does Peter Robinson not understand that the most serious recession since the 1930s is currently underway, and it is never advisable to shoot off one's mouth to Hillary Clinton who can encourage or discourage American companies from locating in NI.
I wonder how many hundreds of potential jobs just got lost.
Of course, Peter and Iris collected over £583,000 from the public trough last year. So why should Peter care about the rest of us and whether we can get a job?
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