New Earth Creationist for First Minister

What on earth can you say? Bewilderment I think at what people are prepared to vote for.

And we thought we had a problem the England...

Arlene was deposed for abstaining on a vote to ban abortion. Presumably there's no chance of anyone with any progressive tendencies being elected.

I foresee NI in flames again...

Sadly I think you're right MaizieD. This piled on top of the breaking of the Good Friday Agreement might well be the straw that broke the camel's back.

The fallout from brexit in NI which was entirely predictable, and indeed was predicted but ignored by the DUP, is almost inevitable leading to a return to sectarian violence.

How utterly heartbreaking for those who welcomed the Good Friday Agreement. let alone those who worked so hard to a have it..

N.I. is already well behind the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland in terms of social legislation concerning abortion and gay people.
While I try not to be judgemental about people's religious beliefs, I feel this is a step too far!
How can anyone in the modern world believe what Poots believes in?
Perhaps it will encourage some to move to the political centre?

Incidentally, I don't live in Northern Ireland but was born there and lived there for some years as a child and as an Ireland, hence my interest in what others think.

Sorry, as an adult.

Poots has been elected leader of the DUP, presumably his creationist beliefs are quite acceptable.

Bloody hell it's something when you begin to feel nostalgic for Arlene Foster.

Something is badly wrong if Arlene Foster is dumped for being liberal!

I’ve just watched the BBC drama Three Families and it was beyond upsetting. I’m not in NI but completely agree with what you’ve stated Grannycool52.

Galaxy

Bloody hell it's something when you begin to feel nostalgic for Arlene Foster.

Almost Paisley too.

Seriously worrying, as MaizieD says- it will fan the flames.

What have his creationist beliefs to do with his ability to do the job he has been elected to? As long as he does the job well, he could believe that the earth is flat as far as I am concerned.

He is against abortion and gays.

A real libertarian ?, and clearly progressive in his outlook.

It's a real concern though isn't it to give power to someone with those beliefs. I wonder what percentage of the population agree with him.

I have met loads of people from Northern Ireland and I can honestly say I have found them to be generally among the nicest people around, if sometimes slightly bonkers (in a good way). Which is why I cannot begin to fathom the bigotry that surfaces the minute anything related to religion comes up in NI

We are not talking about the people of NI- but of the new Head of the DUP, who is a creationist, anti gay, anti abortion, and an 'extreme' Unionist.

On Arlene Foster’s election as leader

“Her most important job is wife, mother and daughter” – speaking to the Northern Irish Assembly, in January 2016.

On the Big Bang

“You’re telling me that cosmic balls of dust gathered and there was an explosion? We’ve had lots of explosions in Northern Ireland and I’ve never seen anything come out of it that was good.” – speaking to The Radio Times.

On creationism

“My view on the earth is that it’s a young Earth. My view is that 4000BC” – speaking toThe Times’ Matthew Parris in 2007.

On blood donations

“I think that people who engage in high-risk sexual behaviour, in general, should be excluded from giving blood… And so someone who has sex with somebody in Africa or sex with prostitutes, I am very reluctant about those people being able to give blood.” – speaking on the Sunday Politics in 2012.

On a gay rugby team:

“It would be unacceptable to produce an all-black rugby team or an all-white team or an all-Chinese team. To me, it’s equally unacceptable to produce an all-homosexual rugby team and I find it remarkable that people who talk so much about inclusivity and about having an equal role in society would then go down the route of exclusion” – speaking to the Belfast Times in 2008.

On same-sex couples adopting a child:

“The natural order – whether one believes in God in evolution – is for a man and a woman to have a child and therefore that has made my views on adoption very clear and on raising children very clear, that it should be a man and a woman that raises a child” – speaking in Stormont in 2013.

I dont actually care about a number of things you have just listed. People are entitled to different opinions. I am more frightened by people who cant cope with that idea. I am concerned by creationism or flat earthers for example because that is demonstrably untrue and if you insist on something which is untrue then...

The DUP was Ian Paisley's party, it always was a Christian Fundamentalist party and always will be. This leadership election was held because Edwin Snoots' predecessor, Arlene Foster, lost the job because she was not fundamentalist enough.

The DUP is in power because more people voted for it than voted for any other of the unionist parties, because they were too liberal in their attitudes.

Posters on GN may not like his religious beliefs, but they are those supported by the party and its voters.

Which ever way you look at it there is going to be a large group of agrieved voters in NI. With the DUP in power the right wing Christian fundamentalists, and there are a lot of them, are happy, but those who want to see a more modern and liberal country, and there are a lot of them as well are not. Reverse the vote and there are a lot of happy moderisers and also a lot of aggrieved Christian Fundamentalists.

For the time being the Christian Fundamenalists get the most votes and are in power. That is what democracy is.

Naomi Long, Leader of the Alliance Party, tweeted-

"Congratulations to @edwinpootsmla and Paula Bradley as they assume the leadership of @duponline
.
We have huge challenges ahead as an Executive and our success will depend on our willingness to work together constructively for the common good.

I'm committed to playing my part."

twitter.com/naomi_long/status/1393244960057606144?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

I am very pleased to see the non-sectarian Alliance Party gaining more and more support in NI.