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ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ BLOGS - The Devenport Diaries

Archives for May 19, 2008

Leader in the Commons?

Mark Devenport | 16:22 UK time, Monday, 19 May 2008

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Apart from the ministerial shake up, could other moves be afoot within the DUP? There are some whispers in the Stormont corridors that the South Antrim MP Willie McCrea could be made leader of the party's team in the Commons.

How not to answer the question

Mark Devenport | 16:15 UK time, Monday, 19 May 2008

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My colleague Martina Purdy heard that the Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water might be about to step down tomorrow. So she asked the company to clarify. They asked her to put her query in writing, which she did.

The company then responded with the following statement "While we do not normally comment on speculation about individual members of staff, we can confirm that Katharine Bryan remains Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Water."

Since their use of the present tense did not address what might happen in the near future, Martina has responded by checking with them whether Mrs Bryan will still be Chief Executive tomorrow, or the day after. Watch this space.

16:26 and I can report the following non update: NI Water has told Martina "Our original statement stands and we have no further comment to make on the future employment of our Chief Executive or indeed any other Northern Ireland Water employee".. So that's cleared that up then

13:30 the next day. Martina hears there may be an announcement about the Chief Executive at 14:00. An NIW source indicates "something is coming through very shortly"

14:00 Tuesday. NI Water confirms that Katharine Bryan is to leave her post on May 31st.

The Stormont Theme Park

Mark Devenport | 15:50 UK time, Monday, 19 May 2008

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I'm just back from a weekend visit to Euro Disney, which prompted every politician I met today to make the same joke - "from one theme park to another!" One MLA's phone went off during our conversation, and I swear his ring tone was a tune by "Alvin and the Chipmunks". So we are all kids at heart.

The main games under discussion were the continuing competition to "dump the Maze". The Ulster Unionists have a motion calling for a development corporation to be put in charge of the site. Even republicans appear to be increasingly coming to the view that the multi sports stadium is "dead in the water".

Despite speculation that he might be the casualty of the forthcoming DUP ministerial reshuffle, Edwin Poots appeared in good form during his question time. Asked about the numbers of people who claimed to speak the Irish language in the last census, he scoffed at those who ticked the box just because they could say "Tiocfaidh ár lá " . Who would have thought we would hear a DUP minister saying those three words from the despatch box?

Mr Poots claims to have been speaking to "leading professors" about a suitable definition of language skills which could be used for future censuses. Getting an agreement on that could prove harder than getting one on the Maze.

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