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muriel_volestrangler

(101,154 posts)
Mon Jan 9, 2017, 03:37 PM Jan 2017

Martin McGuinness resigns as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland

Source: The Guardian

Martin McGuinness, Northern Ireland’s deputy first minister, has resigned from office in protest over his power-sharing partner’s handling of a bungled green energy scheme.

McGuinness’s resignation means a new Northern Ireland assembly election is inevitable.

Under the complex rules of power-sharing in the region, if either the first minister or the deputy resigns the coalition government between unionists and nationalists falls.

The former chief negotiator for Sinn Féin during the peace process, who admitted to being an IRA commander at the Bloody Sunday tribunal, said he was leaving the post because of a refusal by the first minister, Arlene Foster, to stand down temporarily from her job.



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/09/martin-mcguinness-to-resign-as-northern-ireland-deputy-first-minister



He is also said to have a health problem (nature unknown), which may mean he will resign as the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland soon.
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Martin McGuinness resigns as deputy first minister of Northern Ireland (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler Jan 2017 OP
I hope that this does not indicate instability in Northern Ireland politics more broadly LeftishBrit Jan 2017 #1

LeftishBrit

(41,192 posts)
1. I hope that this does not indicate instability in Northern Ireland politics more broadly
Mon Jan 9, 2017, 08:17 PM
Jan 2017

I am worried that Brexit, with resulting harder borders between N.I. and the Republic, could reignite the Troubles. Especially as N.I., like Scotland, voted to Remain.

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