Friday 20 November 2009

Personality cult(ivation)

There are fully seven images of Peter Robinson on the DUP website today:

What are they trying to do? Do they think that Robinson has the kind of star appeal that their previous leader had? Putting all of their eggs in one basket may turn out to be a risky strategy if Robinson falters – and it gives the impression that the DUP is a one-man-band (like the TUV).

Could it be a reaction to the increasing lack of loyalty being shown by some of the other DUP front-benchers, as pointed out by Brian Feeney in the Irish News on Wednesday?

"Did you spot the gap last week? The gap in the DUP between Peter Robinson and the rest of the party’s elected representatives at Westminster and Stormont?"

In the kerfuffle about the full-time reserve no-one backed Robinson. Not a word."

"It’s noticeable that Robinson has no sidekick, never had. Last week he was conspicuously the Lone Ranger."

It seems that the reluctance of his colleagues to stand by him is being reciprocated by Robinson, who is visibly hogging the limelight on the DUP web site. Are the strains in the DUP starting to show?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's still doesn't top the comedy mini Gerry head SF had floating over their right hand news section a few years back. That actually made me laugh out loud when I first saw it

hoboroad said...

I see the TUV could be about to enter into a political alliance with the United Kingdom Independence Party.

hoboroad said...

Peter Robinson offers UUP political election pact in Fermanagh and South Tyrone and in South Belfast at the next General Election.

iCarryduff said...

With the words ... "Today the DUP has delivered a Sinn Féin which participates in British rule and is accountable to a unionist-dominated executive and assembly. Some unionists peddle the lie that there is an easy answer. It ignores the reality and size of the nationalist population of northern Ireland. These same unionists mislead you. They relie on lies and scaremongering. They hide the reality that a settlement must be acceptable, not only to the majority of unionists, but to nationalists as well. We have a vision for the future and a strategy to succeed." Is Peter Robinson acknowledging the longterm rish in the nationalist electorate? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/8370331.stm)

iCarryduff said...

Sorry, that quote was meant to read "not only to a majority of unionists".

hoboroad said...

In todays News of the World Hooker I was paid £300,000 by 12 Tory MP's for sex.

Nordie Northsider said...

I saw Robinson on Hearts and Minds last week and I thought he performed very badly indeed. When asked about the devolution of policing he first said that there was no hurry, that it just wasn't important to peoples' daily lives. When challenged about the conditions they have attached to devolving policing he then announced that he simply had to get it right, it being such a vital matter for the people of the North. And on it went: contradictory and bad-tempered. He resembles more and more his Folks on the Hill persona - snarling and bitter.

hoboroad said...

If things get any worse Iris will be moving in with her catholic cousins!

Anonymous said...

There have been unionists one could respect even if one disagreed with them (Capt.Terence O'Neill, notably).

Something about Robinson makes my skin crawl.

Anonymous said...

Visualising the decline of empires

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwOA8AfeHM4

One more bit of disgorgement pending from the red blob.

bangordub said...

Hobo !
Has it occurred to you that the nonsense about "Keeping Sinn Fein out" because they are abstent from westminster is blown out of the water by linking it to South Belfast?
SDLP happen to sit there,
It's about keeping nationalists out. Full Stop.

Watcher said...

Indeed it is.