Planning upheaval…and it’s not RPA

FOR years local councils have had a consultative voice in the planning process.

The plan under the Review of Public Administration is for planning to become the responsibility of local councils.

There already were some question marks against the new 11 councils taking over planning, but against the context of the furore surrounding Iris Robinson’s alleged access to property developers’ cheque books the entire planning process has come under the spotlight.

A recent meeting of the Assembly’s environment committee concluded that it needed to write to the DUP Environment Minister about what role the committee should have in any investigations into the controversy surrounding the Robinson issue.

Which can only lead to a reasonable person to ask how many investigations are needed? Westminster, the Assembly Ombudsman, Castlereagh council…is this a case of investigation envy.

Of course, it isn’t just the Robinson family that has been hitting headlines. The Adams family has had its share of unwelcome time under the glare of the media spotlight, with allegations of unreported allegations against Liam Adams, brother of Sinn Féin party leader Gerry Adams.

Ian Paisley Junior has asked the Assembly Ombudsman to investigate whether Gerry broke any rules. Sure what’s another investigation among friends? After all, if policing and justice is devolved, our MLAs will need something to talk about.

This week on the Hill

While there were political rows in the media about the number of councils and the Maze stadium, proceeds in the House were fairly restrained. The debate on the Eames/Bradley Consultative Group on the Past tabled by David Burnside enabled him to get a lot of things of this chest about Ian Paisley but did not greatly add to the sum of human knowledge.

Likewise, the debate on the Report of the Assembly Review Committee into the devolution of policing and justice didn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know. Yes, the parties have made considerable progress on agreeing the mechanics of how it would work but no there was no progress on deciding when it would happen.

Perhaps the most telling remark came from Gerry Adams. In response to considerable provocation from the DUP about how they would block any transfer of policing and justice powers for the foreseeable future, Adams threatened to retaliate by blocking….any idea of a new stadium at Blanchflower Park. Mr Adams has been upping his profile again in recent weeks but as a gesture it revealed more about how Sinn Féin are tied into the process than anything else.

Last hurrah for the Big Man?

The Big Man is bowing out. There got that out. Less than six months ago it would have been an unthinkable statement.

As had been trailed, suggested, hinted at, whispered about and generally dominated Assembly gossip for the past two weeks, Ian Paisley Snr announced today that he will be handing over the Big Blue First Minister's briefcase in May.

The resignation caused a few raised eyebrows over the timing, not the fact that the Big Man was jacking it in. At 81 (he'll be 82 in April) time was sure to be limited, despite his assertions and Baroness Paisley's Telegraph interview.

Of course, once the teatime news 'broke' the story there has ensued a frenzy of commentators (is that the right collective noun?) tripping over hyperbole to appear on every TV or radio station in the western hemisphere - even the Chinese news agency Xinhau filed copy for European and Sino news addicts.

As is the wont of news outlets at time like these, some unfortunate researchers are sent out, phone in hand, to gather the comments of the great, the good and the downright average. The BBC collection of such comments includes fulsome (in the old fashioned meaning of the word - sickly and less than sincere!) praise from remote control politicians, and barbed japes from local opponents. David Ford has a swipe, along with Danny Kennedy on the BBC site Try not to snigger at Gordon Brown and David Cameron's comments!

The DUP comments have been led by Robinson, who now takes on the undeclared role of heir apparent, while as of 11pm on the 4th March the profile of the self-appointed elder statesman has yet to be updated to reflect his resignation.

As the welter commentary dies down (head to Slugger O'Toole where Shakesperian quotations have even been drawn into the discussion) the reality is that the resignation has ensured a dozen or so weeks of speculation over Robinson's first series of ministerial appointments...well that is if he gets the FM job. And, who would bet against him?