Post by earl on Feb 21, 2008 16:51:19 GMT
Key DUP figures urge Paisley to set date for retirement
The Rev Ian Paisley is being pressed by senior colleagues to set and name a date for his retirement later this year as Democratic Unionist Party leader and Northern Ireland's First Minister.
The Irish Times understands that key party figures recently made a direct approach to Dr Paisley to discuss necessary arrangements to ensure "a smooth and orderly transition".
This landmark meeting is understood to have taken place in Northern Ireland and to have involved only "a small group" of people.
Reliable sources would confirm only that it had taken place within the past few weeks and that it was therefore unconnected to Ian Paisley jnr's surprise resignation as a junior minister at Stormont on Monday.
Senior MPs and Assembly members keen to see an early leadership handover are also stressing their desire to protect Dr Paisley's "legacy" and to allow him to go "at the moment of his choice".
However, this newspaper reported last month that a majority of the DUP's MPs felt this should be "sooner rather than later".
The revived speculation fuelled by Mr Paisley jnr's resignation earlier this week is that the party might wish to see a new leader in place by the start of the political season in September, in time to prepare for a possible British general election next year.
Long-serving deputy leader Peter Robinson MP now appears the hot favourite to succeed Dr Paisley when he does finally stand down.
In an echo of the original - though in the end disputed - Tony Blair/Gordon Brown "Granita deal" over the Labour leadership, the growing expectation seems to be that Nigel Dodds MP will back a Robinson succession on the understanding that Mr Robinson will in turn support Mr Dodds to become only the third leader in the DUP's history.
Such plans, however, cut across Dr Paisley's declared intention to serve his full four-year term, into 2011, as First Minister in Northern Ireland's powersharing Executive.
During an official visit to Scotland yesterday, the First Minister refused to discuss his leadership or the internal affairs of the DUP with the media. Asked about his future, Dr Paisley told one journalist: "I have a fairly hard rhinoceros skin - and I think I will not be skinned by you or the likes of you."
Further evidence of the battle of wills now taking place inside the DUP came in Mr Paisley jnr's resignation statement on Monday. He acknowledged that controversies about his personal affairs, business associations and lobbying on behalf of constituents had "got in the way" of the activities of the Stormont Executive and of his own party.
"I accept that there are those who wish for me to be a convenient distraction of the DUP's political message. I will not serve that purpose," declared Mr Paisley jnr.
Then signalling his firm intention that his resignation should bolster his father's position, Mr Paisley jnr continued: "What is more, I refuse to be a convenient excuse to attack the position of the leader of my party." In the aftermath of Mr Paisley jnr's resignation, sources loyal to Dr Paisley said they did not believe it made a push for an early leadership handover more likely.
Given Dr Paisley's crucial ongoing role in securing and cementing the powersharing deal with Sinn Féin, there are indications that the British government would be reassured that a Robinson/Dodds leadership pact would spell security for the devolved administration.
However, in the House of Commons yesterday Mr Dodds told prime minister Gordon Brown that "the horrific murder of Paul Quinn" had cast "a serious shadow over the stability of devolved institutions in Northern Ireland".
Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday, where he was with Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, Dr Paisley refused to comment on whether he would stand down as First Minister and DUP leader this year. In response to a number of questions from reporters, he said he would not discuss "internal matters in Northern Ireland".
The Rev Ian Paisley is being pressed by senior colleagues to set and name a date for his retirement later this year as Democratic Unionist Party leader and Northern Ireland's First Minister.
The Irish Times understands that key party figures recently made a direct approach to Dr Paisley to discuss necessary arrangements to ensure "a smooth and orderly transition".
This landmark meeting is understood to have taken place in Northern Ireland and to have involved only "a small group" of people.
Reliable sources would confirm only that it had taken place within the past few weeks and that it was therefore unconnected to Ian Paisley jnr's surprise resignation as a junior minister at Stormont on Monday.
Senior MPs and Assembly members keen to see an early leadership handover are also stressing their desire to protect Dr Paisley's "legacy" and to allow him to go "at the moment of his choice".
However, this newspaper reported last month that a majority of the DUP's MPs felt this should be "sooner rather than later".
The revived speculation fuelled by Mr Paisley jnr's resignation earlier this week is that the party might wish to see a new leader in place by the start of the political season in September, in time to prepare for a possible British general election next year.
Long-serving deputy leader Peter Robinson MP now appears the hot favourite to succeed Dr Paisley when he does finally stand down.
In an echo of the original - though in the end disputed - Tony Blair/Gordon Brown "Granita deal" over the Labour leadership, the growing expectation seems to be that Nigel Dodds MP will back a Robinson succession on the understanding that Mr Robinson will in turn support Mr Dodds to become only the third leader in the DUP's history.
Such plans, however, cut across Dr Paisley's declared intention to serve his full four-year term, into 2011, as First Minister in Northern Ireland's powersharing Executive.
During an official visit to Scotland yesterday, the First Minister refused to discuss his leadership or the internal affairs of the DUP with the media. Asked about his future, Dr Paisley told one journalist: "I have a fairly hard rhinoceros skin - and I think I will not be skinned by you or the likes of you."
Further evidence of the battle of wills now taking place inside the DUP came in Mr Paisley jnr's resignation statement on Monday. He acknowledged that controversies about his personal affairs, business associations and lobbying on behalf of constituents had "got in the way" of the activities of the Stormont Executive and of his own party.
"I accept that there are those who wish for me to be a convenient distraction of the DUP's political message. I will not serve that purpose," declared Mr Paisley jnr.
Then signalling his firm intention that his resignation should bolster his father's position, Mr Paisley jnr continued: "What is more, I refuse to be a convenient excuse to attack the position of the leader of my party." In the aftermath of Mr Paisley jnr's resignation, sources loyal to Dr Paisley said they did not believe it made a push for an early leadership handover more likely.
Given Dr Paisley's crucial ongoing role in securing and cementing the powersharing deal with Sinn Féin, there are indications that the British government would be reassured that a Robinson/Dodds leadership pact would spell security for the devolved administration.
However, in the House of Commons yesterday Mr Dodds told prime minister Gordon Brown that "the horrific murder of Paul Quinn" had cast "a serious shadow over the stability of devolved institutions in Northern Ireland".
Speaking in Edinburgh yesterday, where he was with Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, Dr Paisley refused to comment on whether he would stand down as First Minister and DUP leader this year. In response to a number of questions from reporters, he said he would not discuss "internal matters in Northern Ireland".
If Robinson is being picked as a successor, and Dodds already being put in line after that, it seems that the parties name should be changed to Despotic Unionist Party
