“The View” (Thursday night 10 40 pm) is the flagship politics programme on BBC Norn Iron.
I never watch it of course. It represents all I do not like about local politics…DUP, TUV, UUP, Greens, Alliance, Sinn Féin. And commentators and bloggers.There is nothing worth than an over-promoted blogger.
About two weeks ago, while channel surfing I found “The View”….for about fifteen seconds. Alex Kane, a good commentator was actually commenting on an interview Colum Eastwood had just given to Mark Carruthers….while Colum sat there and listened.
I thought it was the oddest fifteen seconds of Norn Iron political journalism I have ever seen.
It reminded me of “Strictly Come Dancing” (another show I don’t watch) where a panel of judges critique dance performances by couples (one being professional and the other a celebrity amateur).
So as I channel surfed last night, who do I see but Mark Carruthers and Mary Lou McDonald from Sinn Féin and a judging panel…Fionnuala O’Connor and Newtown Emerson.
Ms O’Connor made a very valid point that Mary Lou’s answers were based on Carruthers questions and that his questions could have been better.
Carruthers got a bit sniffy and precious about that. Now I admit I never heard any of his questions. But that does seem a valid point.
But it does undermine the “Strictly” format, where the professional, Mark Carruthers is being judged rather than the amateur (in this case Mary Lou McDonald).
My experience of local journalists on TV goes back fifty years.
As a general rule, SDLP seemed to get on better with UTV people rather than BBC people. I wonder if that is just how I remember things.
Anyway back in the 1970s, we had the Brothers in the masonic lodges and the Brethren in the Orange order. And fun working out who was in one, who was in the other and who was in both.
I switched off before Newton Emerson contributed. Apparently he is now with the Irish Times.
Whatever he said might be reported by his old mucker, Mick Fealty on Slugger O’Toole…which is part fanzine devoted to Newton Emerson.
Keeping An Eye On the Czar of Russia 
Lol, my missus used to go bikkies at Newtons inaccurate reporting on court cases back in the day for the Irishnews. You daren’t speak his name in this house.
He has done well for a blogger. There is hope for me yet.
Yeah how long was Newton in the BBC sin-bin for? After his little outburst about the SDLP. I wonder if F O’Connor had used the same words to describe a Unionist Party how long her ban would have applied for? I think we all know the answer to that. I liked Mary Lou’s trainers by the way.
Newton is untouchable
I wonder will the Alliance Party designate as Unionist if it comes first or second in the May election? Can a party which declares itself other take any of the top two jobs? Or are they reserved for the Nationalist and Unionist blocs here?
There are all kind of scenarios.
Current state of play leaving aside PBP and TUV is
SDLP 12 UU 10 AP 8. =30 seats.
1 How cclose in any permutation get to 45 and a majority.
Theoretically they could get 16, 16, 16
but if SF got say 22 and DUP 18
then it is still a SF-DUP-AP coalition.
I dont think there are any circumstances where a “neutral party” can get First or Deputy Minister.
I dont think there is any way DUP would accept Deputy.
After the election there is just a Mess…and every “solution” has a problem attached.
An inconclusive election might produce a second election with a clearer result.
You know how I feel about Alliance and they re-designated themselves tactically for “the common good” once before….nobodys finest hour.
But I dont think they would get away with standing as neutral at an election and becoming unionist after an election.