One of my favourite UK political blogs is a site run by Mike Smithson at http://politicalbetting.com. Each year Mike runs a prediction contest for things that might happen in the political world in the forthcoming year. Whilst I dont profess to have the readership to run a NI-specific predictions contest myself - i'm only a week old after all - i thought it might be fun to throw out a few suggestions. Some are certainly more likely than others.
Feel free to suggest your own, and maybe someone like Slugger might take up the idea!
Inevitable
The economy to dominate the political agenda
Caitríona Ruane to rile up unionist MLAs once again
The Alliance Party to keep calling itself 'the opposition'
The word 'sustainable' to be used over and over again - sustainable planning, sustainable development, sustainble economy, sustainable government, sustainable skills, sustainable ...
Maze Stadium idea to become officially defunct
Newton Emerson to lambast Monica McWilliams, the Equality Commission and Amnesty International in one sentence.
Likely
A Justice Minister to be appointed and devolution of powers to occur
A deal to be done on academic selection
DUP, Sinn Féin and UUP MEPs elected to European Parliament
Margaret Ritchie to 'lose' the judicial review on CTI, but 'win' in respect of a 'moral victory'
Possible
Gordon Brown to call a Summer General electionDavid Trimble to find himself in a Tory Cabinet
Sinn Féin to top the NI poll in the European elections
A Committee on European issues to be created by the Assembly
A UUP MLA to defect to the the DUP (there have been rumours since the Tory Link-up)
Rather unlikely, but fun!
Jim Allister to cut his losses and move to Israel! (And Bob McCartney to return!)
Alban Maginness to surprise everyone and single-handedly prompt an SDLP electoral resurgence!
The Executive to start each meeting with a group hug!
Iris Robinson to present an edition of the Stephen Nolan Show!
Esoterica NI to find a real scoop!
Posts
Jim Allister to cut his losses and move to Israel!
ReplyDeleteNow that would be super.
Impossible
ReplyDeleteThe UUP won't win an EU seat as they aren't putting forward a candidate.
Re above: UUP are running Jim Nicholson as a joint UUP/Conservative candidate. So they are putting forward a candidate ... Jim Nicholson!
ReplyDeleteRemember the parties are separate! They have just chosen to nominate a joint candidate (who is de facto an Ulster Unionist)
How about Iris caught on camera at the Stormont Hotel getting a 'rub down' from a female masseur?
ReplyDelete