The fall and rise of David Ford

First 'Minister for Justice'?

Well, it is the night before devolution of policing and justice and all is quiet.  And I am sure David Ford is getting ready for his crowning ceremony tomorrow.

In the Northern Ireland Assembly chamber tomorrow the Minister for Justice will be appointed

In the picture is David Ford MLA, leader of the Alliance Party, and Alban Maginniss MLA, SDLP.

While Alban has a legal background and practised law, it will most likely be David Ford that will attain the lofty position of Minister for Justice.  He is the least divisive candidate, at least in the eyes of Sinn Fein and the DUP.  A similar precedent had been set in the first sessions of the NI Assembly with both Lord Alderdice and Eileen Bell of the Alliance party being the Speakers - a role that did do them a lot of credit.

Sounds like the usual fudgey type substance of a deal, which most of us just shrug our shoulders at.  However, there is an added twist. Read the press release below.

Ford says Alliance will not take Policing and Justice Ministry

1.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 4th Aug 2008

Alliance Leader David Ford has said his party will not take the proposed Policing and Justice Ministry following speculation on the issue in recent times. The Alliance Assembly Group met this morning at Stormont and discussed the matter.

David Ford said: "The Alliance Party will not be taking the Policing and Justice Ministry. This Executive is failing in its duties, so Northern Ireland needs a strong and coherent opposition. We are providing that opposition and we will continue to do so.

"The Executive is in crisis over planning, the environment, the 11-plus, Irish language, and the multi-sports stadium issue. Do the Executive parties expect us to take the Environment, Education and Culture Ministries to save their bacon on these matters?

"The Executive has not met since mid-June. It is in a crisis of its own making. It is up to the Executive parties to resolve this crisis as they are the government. They must start by actually meeting again as an Executive to discuss the outstanding issues. We are the opposition and we will remain so because this Executive is so poor that Northern Ireland needs a strong group to keep the pressure on it."

Then on 25 February 2010 David announced

Ford says Alliance can now nominate for Justice Ministry


11.35.06am GMT Thu 25th Feb 2010

Alliance Party Council last night recommended that Leader David Ford can now nominate a candidate for Justice Minister. Party Council agreed that the two conditions which Alliance raised have now been met. Sinn Fein and the DUP have agreed on the community relations strategy and genuine progress has been made on agreeing a Justice Department policy programme.

David Ford said: "There is now agreement on the community relations strategy and real progress on agreeing a justice policy programme. This has not been an easy decision to make but a decision has finally been reached. We have had much discussion within our party on this and now that our two conditions have been met, we can nominate for the post of Justice Minister.

"On Tuesday, the DUP and Sinn Fein announced that they had agreed the Cohesion, Sharing and Integration policy after a two and a half year delay. This is the first ever community relations strategy agreed in any period of devolution we have had in Northern Ireland. This did not happen when the UUP and SDLP were in charge. I believe that progress this week is due to Alliance pressure.

"Yesterday, we received assurances on the proposals that Alliance has put forward for the devolution of Justice. It is important that when devolution takes place there is agreement on policies, so that devolution is seen to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.

"Alliance Party Council has recommended that we are now in a position to nominate a candidate for Justice Minister. We will be meeting with the First and Deputy First Ministers and a further announcement regarding the identity of the Minister will be made in the near future."

Yet throughout all Alliance Party press releases on Justice, nothing has since been mentioned about a dysfunctional NI Executive, nor about all those issues (that have remained unresolved) that made Alliance so agitated in August 2008.

Indeed, David stated that 

The Alliance Party will not be taking the Policing and Justice Ministry. This Executive is failing in its duties, so Northern Ireland needs a strong and coherent opposition. We are providing that opposition and we will continue to do so.

and 

We are the opposition and we will remain so because this Executive is so poor that Northern Ireland needs a strong group to keep the pressure on it.

So what is the legitimate claim for the Alliance Party now? It, if it takes the Ministerial position, will no longer be the 'opposition'.  How can Alliance now say they are in opposition when they are now part of the 'Executive in crisis'?  What credibility does Alliance now have with its voters when it has done such a U-turn on its principle of being, as best as possible, an Opposition to the Government of Northern Ireland?  

David may come to rue the day his Party tasted this poisoned apple, and its moral high ground fell asleep.