If the current UK government's attitude towards democracy needs explanation I think that can be found in this FT report:
The UK government is “interested” in creating joint first ministers in Northern Ireland as part of a long-term strategy to improve the functioning of the devolved administration, according to officials.
Power-sharing between pro-UK unionist politicians and nationalists who want a united Ireland has been fraught for years and the May 5 elections to the Stormont assembly appear likely to strain them further.
Why this sudden "interest"? That might have something to do with the fact that Sinn Fein is 7% ahead in opinion polls in Northern Ireland elections, due in.May, I think.
So, when the Unionists were ahead, and won, the UK government let them appoint the First Minister of Northern Ireland.
Now that Sinn Fein is in the lead for the first time ever, the UK government is "interested" in joint first ministers, leaving the Unionists in post when they will have lost the election.
If anyone can find any hint of a commitment to the democratic process in that suggestion I would be curious to know who they found it. To me this looks like just another example of the very blatant rigging of society in Northern Ireland in favour of Unionists that has resulted in the division there that has existed throughout my life.
As bad is the signal being sent about the Conservative commitment to democracy. We always knew that this was limited. Now that might be confirmed. It's not a good sign.
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On behalf of all decent Englishmen, I apologise sincerely for the cynicism of the English ruling class and their behaviour in Northern Ireland.
In England now you see, the only transparent process is that of rampant self interest.
Of course. They are the Conservation *and Unionist* Party after all.
How long until there is a border poll?
Oh crumbs. I sometimes wish my phone did not autocorrect without asking the question “did you mean…?”
Conservat*ive* and Unionist Party.
I live in Somerset that is being forced to become a unitary authority next year inspire of a huge majority of the somerset population being opposed to it. Not only is it not wanted but the timing is appalling – recovery from/ still enduring a pandemic and the cost – to my one District Council alone being £1million that could have been spent on improving peoples lives. The whole of 18months is also being spent focusing on creating the unitary and ensuring it will deliver all required services and is legal from day one is taking all senior management time. All done to “save money” down the line – an undoubted myth, but will almost certainly ensure a Conservative council and will lose the greens and labour members, and indeed may have no members from the further flung areas where the demands of being a councillor and travelling to Taunton – at least 1 1/2 hours away make it a very unappealing prospect. So much for any democracy.
“The tory commiment to democracy is decidely limited”
and
“The tory commitment to retaining power is infinite”
in combination with
The UK: the site of a large scale on-going tory experiment in applied ideology (now running for 40 years) as profiled ad infinitum by Richard’s blog.
Is it true you have blocked 40k Twitter users from your site? Where’s the democracy in shutting down dissenting opinion? All you are left with is an echo chamber
No it’s not true
This is not Twitter for a start – maybe you hadn’t noticed
And it’s a few hundred over 16 years, many of whom used multiple identities and are very obviously trolls
And idiots still get through, as you prove