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WITH THE RESIGNATION of Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness as Deputy First Minister, Northern Ireland is being fast-tracked to a new round of elections.
McGuinness stepped down from his role amid the ongoing ‘cash for ash’ scandal, which involves his colleague, First Minister Arlene Foster.
This latest step marks yet another twist in McGuinness’s career: A man who acknowledges he was once a member of the IRA but ended up occupying one of the highest offices in the North when he became its Deputy First Minister.
Now he’s stepping down and leaving Stormont without one of its most experienced politicians.
Foster had been under major pressure to step down due to the scandal, which was sparked by allegations from a whistleblower that the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme was being abused. An investigation has been launched into the situation, which could cost taxpayers in Northern Ireland upwards of £400m.
Foster faced a vote of no confidence in the assembly in December – but survived.
Though the news of McGuinness’s resignation was in some ways unprecedented, on Saturday, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams – at whose side McGuinness has long worked – had warned that the Stormont assembly would collapse if Foster did not step aside.
But McGuinness has pledged that his resignation won’t mean change in the power-sharing situation, telling journalists there will not be a return “to the status quo”.
Still, Sinn Féin has decided not to nominate a successor to McGuinness until after an election – and unless it appoints a successor, that election will be triggered in seven days.
An unexpected career journey
Born in 1950 in Derry, McGuinness was second-in-command of the IRA in his home city by the age of 21. He says that he left the IRA two years later, in 1974.
In 1973, he was jailed after being arrested near a car that contained explosives and ammunition. After his release he became more involved with Sinn Féin.
By 1982 he was elected to the latest attempt to set up a devolved Northern Ireland assembly – but as an abstentionist he did not take his seat in Stormont.
McGuinness played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process, taking on the job of chief negotiator for Sinn Féin in the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement and a new era for the north.
When the peace process eventually led to the setting up of a power-sharing executive, he first took the role of Minister for Education, later ascending to become Deputy First Minister in 2007 – with the DUP’s Ian Paisley taking on the First Minister role .
This came after the St Andrews Agreement, which finally brought devolution of power to Northern Ireland and saw longtime foes the DUP agreeing to share power with Sinn Féin.
In 2011, he ran in the Irish Presidential election – despite the fact he was unable to vote in it himself. He was challenged on his IRA past while running in the election.
In the last two decades we’ve seen the most remarkable happenings in McGuinness’s career. The first, the revelation that he and DUP leader and First Minister Ian Paisley had more than just a civil working relationship – and were on friendly terms.
His relationship with Paisley’s successor Peter Robinson – who retired in January of last year, and was replaced by Foster – was decidedly more businesslike.
“I have a working relationship with Peter,” McGuinness told The Nolan Show in 2014.
I mean, I’m in a position of Deputy First Minister for seven years now, and it all started with the relationship with Ian Paisley and to the surprise of many people, Ian Paisley and I had not just a good working relationship but a good personal relationship, which has existed to this very day.
McGuinness said in the same interview that he was told one of the reasons Paisley had to go was his close relationship with the Sinn Féin member.
“I think that an essential phase of the whole process of conflict resolution is the importance of reconciliation between political opponents and between everybody in the community,” said McGuinness.
Alongside his relationship with Paisley, many commentators were also surprised by his decision to meet with Queen Elizabeth.
The pair first met briefly in Belfast in 2012, where they shook hands. In 2014, McGuinness had a historic private meeting with her, which he described as “very nice”.
Asked by Jeremy Paxman what “on earth” he was doing “breaking bread with the head of an occupying power”, McGuinness said:
I have many reasons why I shouldn’t meet with Queen Elizabeth, but she too has many reasons why she shouldn’t meet with me. But we both thought it was an important thing to do.
The Queen herself even quipped “well, I’m still alive anyway” after being asked how her visit to Belfast in 2016 was going.
This friendliness to the head of the British monarchy was a sign of how things had changed regarding Sinn Féin’s approach to the royal family. But it didn’t come without much work behind the scenes.
McGuinness said that his party “obviously wasn’t ready” during the Queen’s previous visits, telling Paxman “we have conducted enormous conversations and discussion with our own people particularly in advance of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Belfast” and on whether or not he should be meeting her.
“Effectively people realised in the context of the conflict resolution process that it was very important to be involved not in mealy-mouthed words of reconciliation but actual acts of reconciliation,” he said.
Asked what he would have thought if he was told in the 1970s that he would be sitting down for dinner with the Queen of England, McGuinness told Paxman:
“Similarly, I never would have imagined I would have been Minister for Education in a power-sharing government in the North,”, and neither could he have imagined being joint First Minister with Ian Paisley.
And I’m an Irish republican and absolutely dedicated to ending partition and bringing about the unity of the people of the north and the north with the south and we’ve agreed in the context of the Good Friday Agreement that that can only change through a constitutional vote and I am working to achieve that.
But were Sinn Féin’s actions regarding the Queen driven by a fear they would lose political capital if they opted out, Paxman asked McGuinness, who responded:
“That’s not the reason for this at all, I mean I watched the conduct of that visit very, very carefully and I have to say I was tremendously impressed. That Queen Elizabeth was prepared to stand in solemn commemoration of those people who fought against British rule in Ireland; that she was prepared to honour the Irish language in the way she did.”
I do believe that we are inexorably moving towards the reunification of Ireland but it can only happen by purely peaceful and democratic means.
Difficult and testing
In his resignation letter yesterday, McGuinness said that his 10 years in the role were “difficult and testing”, but that he had “sought with all my energy and determination to serve all the people of the north and the island of Ireland by making the power-sharing government work”.
He has, he said, “sought to exercise my responsibilities in good faith and to seek resolutions rather than recrimination”, and accused the DUP of never “fully” embracing the “equality, mutual respect and all-Ireland approaches enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement”.
He described the DUP’s handling of the ‘cash for ash’ issue as “completely out of step with the public mood”, saying that the fact Foster has not decided to stand aside means her position is “not credible or tenable”.
McGuinness has had to pull out of recent engagements for health reasons, but he said yesterday that his health was not part of his decision to resign.
“Health has got absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever,” McGuinness told journalists.
Whether health concerns do go on to determine how his career progresses, a look back at McGuinness’s years in politics so far is a look at how much those in power in Northern Ireland have changed.
For a former IRA member to shake hands with the Queen, and have a good personal relationship with the leader of the DUP, was unprecedented back in the 1970s. But for Nothern Ireland to progress, and for change to occur, uncomfortable compromise has been needed at all levels.
For Sinn Féin to occupy the place it does in the power-sharing executive, those in the party have had to take public steps that they previously would not have countenanced.
But McGuinness’s resignation does also show that the stability of power sharing can never be taken for granted. He and Foster do not have the relationship he and Paisley had – and neither the DUP or Sinn Féin are looking like they will back down given their takes on the ‘cash for ash’ scandal.
“We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgement on these issues democratically at the ballot box,” concluded McGuinness. What happens next will most likely be up to the people to decide, as they gear up for a possible election.
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Many people could have their summer holidays ruined now. I hope not.
@Sean Money: A summer holiday is not an entitlement, you’d swear it was these days the way folks go on about them. I’ve had my share don’t get me wrong from 5* down. Waste of money mostly and tremendously polluting action to take that takes money out of our economy. I refuse to fly now and regret my additions to the environmental catastrophe that pollution brings about. The benefit is not worth the cost!
@Chutes: I’d say you’re great craic at the Christmas party.
@Chutes: No it isn’t and entitlement, most people work hard to save up and go on them. Especially hard on the back of the cost of living and being taxed as if there wasn’t just 20% inflation over a few years.
@Billy Hayes: Would depend on the crowd.
@Chutes: people save all year for a few nice days in the sun. If the pilots ruin this chasing the money shame on them.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: That doesn’t really address the point other than to question the worth of a holiday even more.
@Sean Money: People save all year for a ruined holiday, that’s nothing more than a bad investment. Life is tough!
@Chutes: people are entitled to use the flights they paid for and that AL marketed.
@Sean Money: here we go. Blaming the pilots. How about the company ingesting massive profits and not paying their workers fairly? Aer Lingus could stop any strike tomorrow. Solidarity with the pilots and I say that as someone whose holiday could be affected
@Sean Money: I’d argue shame on their management. There’s probably been alot of negotiations leading up to this point. These lads took a huge hit for the company during COVID. Things are booming again, huge profits, future growth and management are offering less than 10%…. I’ve been laughing at the lines they’re coming out with on the news interviews to try to push blame onto the pilots and try to get the public on their side. All IR games. Aerlingus management have got themselves to this point. Best of luck to the pilots!
@Sandra Molloy: That’s a reasonable argument ignoring the larger point but yes in theory then they should side with the pilots imo. Peoples pay needs to reflect the cost of living, companies and corporations make massive shareholder profits for the rich which goes largely untaxed at a fair rate convincing people like you that they work hard and therefor deserve a break. Fk the environment right, because ur worth it!
@Chutes: It is an entitlement. But an earned one. And what is wrong with that? Nothing. A simple summer holiday, lovely stuff. Maybe you should try a ‘holiday’ in North Korea. Re: the plane; it’s gonna take off anyways.
@Chutes: Yep… You do your bit for the environment and stay home while we fly away for two or more weeks living it up. The environment and the plane taking off are going to happen regardless. Ireland’s naive contribution affects not a jot the planets environment.
@Keth Tgi: Ah yes, the old ‘why bother’ chestnut. In my time I have ‘lived it up’ more than the average bear, it no longer excites. Some get sense as they age, some do not.
@Keth Tgi: “It is an entitlement. But an earned one.” Indeed, always earned on someone else’s back!
@Chutes: Trolling hard today Chutes!!! What’s the story with your avatar pic?!?! Were you/are you a pilot?
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: Nah, aircraft mechanic, flight simulator nerd.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: These are my genuinely held beliefs. I’m not into bllsht in general, I don’t see it as constructive. I tend to break arguments down to their most basic truths as I see them. I ignore the rest. There’s a time and a place, it’s just not here imo.
@Chutes: “There’s a time and a place”?!?!…. Coming in all high and mighty saying holidays are not an entitlement when people are facing their hard earned holidays being cancelled isn’t really the time or the place, just so you can go on with an eco warrior stance….. You’re better than us holiday goers chutes, you care more about the planet, your views are gospel sage one, good man….. We get it….. You’re more into bllsht than you think!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: That’s the nature of disagreement, I judge your commentary, you judge mine.
Your judgement is flawed imo, mine flawed in yours.
What is the opposite of the ‘eco-warrior’ you adjudge me to be?
@M To The B: not paying their workers fairly, are you on drugs,check out how much the pilots earn and get back to me
@Chutes: please stay where you are like a good lad will ya ! You’d ruin anyone’s holiday God forbid if they were crammed in beside ya on a flight
@John McG: Enjoy ur hols!
Sounds like Air Lingus are trying to find a technicality to delay a strike rather than just sitting down and discussing in the hope of averting it altogether. I can’t see this move going down well with the union. I suspect once the ballot results are in that notice will be served nearly immediately. If it’s true that they haven’t had any pay increase in 5 years then I don’t think their ask is unreasonable given that most public sector employees have seen their wages rise by over 20% in the last 5 years albeit in smaller doses, but it’s the same result.
@Unridden Ana: yeah, at 98% for strike it’s a just delay tactic for the inevitable. I find it funny on the news their management stating that conducting a ballot during talks isn’t welcome….. Sure they’ve gotten to the point of balloting after being at the Labour courts…. I’d assume there has been plenty of talks to date on it going back many months if not years….. All a media game now. Fair play to the pilots!
@Unridden Ana: plenty of low to middle income earners both public and private sectors have NOT got 20% over 5yrs
AL pilots are just greedy feckers, most already earn €150k
@Brian Guilfoyle: Incorrect, Public sector have gotten a lot of increases since 2019, close to 20 percent under the current agreements! I’d say many private sector have too, you just don’t hear about it….. I wouldn’t fancy landing a 70 tonne aircraft in crap Irish weather and being responsible for hundreds of lives daily. High wages for a big job at the airport….. Nothing wrong with them trying to protect their wages during massive inflation while their company is very profitable and expanding. Greedy Aerlingus management in my view! (I’m not a pilot)
@Brian Guilfoyle: not correct. Look up CSO figures. The average wage increase since 2019 across all employees in Ireland is 24%. Aer lingus have given their pilots 0% in that timeframe. So what if they are already well paid? Does that mean they shouldn’t get the same wage increases as the average worker?
@Unridden Ana: As you yourself note, average doesn’t mean that everyone gets a raise. I wouldn’t go as far as to argue that everyone deserves a raise, but looking at increasing numbers of homeless *families*, there is something seriously wrong with the distribution of income and those raises.
I do also wonder if CSO statistics (you didn’t mention which report you’re quoting) include gig economy and agency workers which, among other things, can’t even take an industrial action lest they’d have their contracts summarily and unfortunately legally terminated.
Now, I don’t agree with Brian’s assertion of pilots being greedy for sake of asking for a raise on account of earning more than your local unemployed-but-working Deliveroo driver. I’d rather see Deliveroo drivers employed and with an effective right of taking industrial action than blaming those who have and are taking advantage of the right to withdraw work.
Yeah … I’m a leftie liberal who believes that withdrawing or threatening to withdraw work to bargain for better conditions is a right of every employee. Be it payed 10k or 100k. Now, if they’re stupid enough to sink the company they work for and ending up unemployed as a result, that’s on them. But commonly, if they’re treated as equal partners at the bargaining table, strikes rarely happen. It’s just that some owners of the means of production don’t seem to appreciate that those means also need staff. Marx wrote about it and last time I checked, pizzas and burgers aren’t being delivered by drones and planes are not flying themselves.
In all the media coverage on the radio, TV and online regarding this issue of pilots pay at Aer Lingus – I haven’t seen one piece of decent journalism as to how the current pilots pay at Aer Lingus compares to how pilots with other airlines like Ryanair or other European Airlines.
@Chaotic State: Their main competitors to the US out of Dublin: Delta, American and United are on about double what Aer Lingus are on.
@Chaotic State: I totally agree. Aer Lingus pilots are compairing themselves with the earnings of pilots in other European airlines, such as Air France, BA etc 5 years ago BA, (another AIG group member) gave it’s pilots a 24% payrise. They were already paid more than the Aer Lingus pilots before their pay rise. Now the AL pilots are paid substantialy less than their contemporaries in the other AIG airlines.
Most of the reporting has been focused on the very top earners within the pilot body, instead of the 85% of pilots who are not being paid competitively.
Aer Lingus often has to cancel flights it has sold because it doesn’t have enough pilots to operate them, and then complains that pilots don’t volunteer to work on their days off!
Increased profits, dividends and management “compensation” but increased pay for pilots only if they agree to “productivity” changes.
Then they look for 15 days notice to avoid having to pay compensation to passengers.
A right shower.
No better way to get bumped up a few incriment scales and more allowances than to threaten to down tools just before the busiest time of the year. Fair play to them. Can’t fly planes without them. Wish I had power like that in my job. Some of my Coworkers are too lazy to scratch themselves.
Aer Lingus changed their livery to an all white fuselage with green tail & logo to match their sister airlines Vueling, Iberia & Level. All 4 airlines have the same livery with different coloured tail sections. Switching an aircraft from 1 livery to another is cheaper & faster now if the need arises so one company could ‘lease’ aircraft from one to another if needed. Aer Lingus are also requesting 15 days notice instead of the agreed 7 if a vote in favour of a stike goes ahead. You can be sure Aer Lingus have a card up their sleeve – this could go wrong for the pilots. But I’m just spitballing – I could be wrong too.
@Billy Hayes: Around 100 daily departures from Dublin will be a tough one for their management to get around. Heard it’s all to do with offering refund as opposed to compensation to passengers with 2 weeks notice.
Did the pilots agree to terms of employment when accepting their jobs?
@Sun Rise: A bit like how the government agreed that USC was only temporary but then also changed their minds when it suited. That’s the way things go.
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