As referred to in the previous post by Hoboroad, rumours are circulating that Peter Robinson may be about to step down as leader of the DUP. I agree with Sammy McNally’s observation that young Gavin Robinson has the makings of a future leader but I thought it would be fun to get your opinions in the meantime.
I’ve included some less than serious contenders naturally. Your comments are welcome as always.
It appears Edwin Poots has already launched his campaign:
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/poots-causes-outrage-over-easter-rising-dig-1.1344587
"We in coming days may be" 
First I heard of this saying that he has lost the run of himself and is taking flack from all sides.
Will the DUP take a hardline stance if Pete the punk goes?
LikeLike
You would think Robbo would stick around to negotiate the surrender of the UUP.
LikeLike
Jeffrey hasn’t a chance. There is the makings of a massive scandal around him and wee Willie.
LikeLike
Arlene is the wan for me!
LikeLike
Don’t you mean the ‘man’ for me?
LikeLike
Although I’m about 18 minutes after the deadline, I think the lesser known Newtownabbey Councillor April Fuller would be a good choice in the future.
LikeLike
Carrickally,
I set the poll to remain open for a week, apologies if that is not the case.
I have tried to find a profile or info on Ms Fuller to no avail, perhaps you could help?
LikeLike
Wasn’t she co-opted onto that seat when her uncle, Tom Fullery stepped down to avoid double jobbing?
LikeLike
The DUP dream ticket has to be Gregory Campbell as party leader with Nelson McCausland as his deputy.
LikeLike
Well at least Sammy Wilson has got nothing to hide unlike some of the candidates mentioned.
LikeLike
Nothing at all, though most of us wish he’d saved something for the imagination
LikeLike
Arlene Foster are you having a laugh. Her performances on TV are poor, considering she actually has a decent degree unlike most other politicians makes it even more puzzling. The best bet is Campbell or Poots you will get exactly what you expect and they will attract the core DUP vote of right wing loony creationists who think the earth is flat and red white and blue and the worrying thing is as elections show there is a lot of them around!!
LikeLike
Nice to see all Gregory’s hard work in the TV and Radio studios in the past few years finally paying off for him. Lets face it when it comes to putting across the DUPs hardcore message nobody can quite match Gregory. His reaction to the findings of the Saville Enquiry will go down as a all time classic performance in Unionist Bigotry.
LikeLike
Gregory is a bigoted non-entity who lacks the courage of his TUV principles.
LikeLike
When the time comes the DUP will find Robinson very hard to replace.
LikeLike
I think they have a lot of very capable and experienced people so I don’t think there would be a lack of candidates. They may find him hard to replace as a strategic thinker – which he has been doing for the DUP for many years and indeed decades. However it is not so clear that there is much more he can achieve for the next few years, and he may feel that his work is done: the St Andrews agreement, the devolution of policing and justice, and its outworking to a stable powersharing arrangement. It may be time for a new generation. He is quite old for a party leader.
LikeLike
Robinson was opposed to the devolution of policing and justice powers. The DUP’s front bench consists of bigots, cranks and egotists. I look forward to them ripping each other apart when the time comes.
LikeLike
The election of Gregory Campbell would be a win for Nationalism. The back-catalogue of offensive and insulting sound-bites from the exposure-hungry Campbell could fill several hundred YouTube videos 😉
And I can’t imagine him flying off to Brazil hand-in-hand with Martin. I’m not sure Campbell would be able to actually work under the restrictions of the FM/DFM set-up. He could be the internal crisis that finally kills off the ailing Belfast Agreement.
Arlene Foster would be the better-option both for Unionist voters and optics-wise for the domestic and international media. I can see a eulogising interview in the Sunday Independent already! Yes, ministerially she’s pretty useless. But, lets be honest, the regional admin in the north-east is hardly going to light the world on fire with political shining stars. And it hasn’t mattered so far. It’s existence has stopped the war but, to coin a phrase, what has it done for anyone lately? The question is, could the DUP men-in-suits stomach a woman leading them?
Nigel Dodds would be a major turn-off, PR-wise. Not as offensive to Nationalists as Campbell but audiences in Britain would look at him like something out of a zoo (even in this part of the country he looks a bit antediluvian).
Jeffrey Donaldson would be a better option for a UK-audience. He has that smarminess about him that the Brits would recognise from the Tories and Labour. And one gets the impression that he has a taste for power. Shove his arse down into the FM seat and he’ll soon overcome any squeamishness about working with SF or McGuinness.
LikeLike
Arlene Foster is a member of the Church Of Ireland can’t see that go down to well among those in the DUP who worship at Martyr Memorial or Whitewell Tabernacle. Although they do say Big Ian is a fan of hers and may see her as a stop gap at least until Little Ian is mature enough to ascend the DUP throne.
LikeLike
No way will the DUP dinosaurs serve under a woman. The reason Robonson made her stand in for him was because she would never be a threat.
LikeLike
Just started a new opinion poll over my own Blog.
http://hoboroadpoliticalhighway.blogspot.co.uk/
LikeLike
Hi Hobo: I like your poles a lot, but when I go back to your page sometimes it looks as though the votes are going down.
LikeLike
I see what you mean it seems to be ok now sometimes votes go missing but they usually come back. If your vote has gone missing please vote again.
LikeLike
Gavin Robinson is certainly a future leader but he needs to be MLA first, or MP for East Belfast which is also possible. He is quite laid back in his style.
LikeLike
Possibly worth pointing out that he is very good looking.
LikeLike
Factual,
I must admit I hadn’t considered that particular opinion………
LikeLike
Good looks are not completely irrelevant in politics. Even if they do say it is acting for ugly people 🙂
LikeLike
Correct me if I am wrong but there are still 3 super-injunctions in place in the North are there not? Ask yourself this question who in the North could afford to pay for something so expensive?
LikeLike
DUP have quite a lot of able potential candidates. Nigel Dodds is Cambridge educated and is well regarded in the Commons, where he leads the DUP team and is a very active parliamentarian. I think he would make a good DUP leader, on the more hardline side of things. Sammy Wilson is very articulate as a speaker and talks human. He also would make a good leader – something of a flamboyant character. Arlene Foster is well educated too, and on top of her portfolio. She would also make a good leader. Poots has generally been a safe hands person at the health portfolio, and would do the job well, though he is a little less distinguished educationally with a tendency to grammar errors in his speaking. Ian Paisley Junior is not in the core group and I think does not really have the ambition for leadership, he is happy as North Antrim MP. As for other possibilities for the future, Simon Hamilton , the rising star Paul Girvan (I may have got the surname wrong there are two with simmilar names, but I mean the Lagan Valley one who has strong views on abortion), and Gavin Robinson are two up and coming DUP people who could be leader after next.
LikeLike
Sammy Wilson is a bit like NI’s Boris Johnson: he is rather spontaneous and does not just trot out the “line to take”. interviews with him or speeches by him are not boring affairs, and he is intelligent enough to have his own views on many matters. Larger than life, and prone to humour, they both entertain at their party conferences, but can also be serious when it comes to the crunch. Able to think on his feet, his speeches in the Commons – the recent one on the Budget for example – are not read out they are spoken with minimal notes. Tends to be on the left economically, at least relative to other DUP politicians; his anti-austerity pro-stimulus views sounded like classic Labour/Keynesian thinking, and views that align well with Krugman’s.
LikeLike
Nigel Dodds is well regarded in the House Of Commons by whom may I ask? Maybe he has some support on the Tory backbenches but I don’t exactly see how that helps him. As for him going to Cambridge University well so did Mike Nesbitt and he is the worst Unionist leader ever.
LikeLike
I missed out Gregory Campbell. He is articulate shoots from the hip, and not frightened to say his mind, which earns him admirers, He has served as a Minister and could be leader, though again on the hardline side of the party.
How does DUP leader get elected if it is uncontested? Do party members vote, or is it an electoral college?
LikeLike
how is Gregory Campbell articulate?! Its the very fact he shoots from the hip and doesn’t stop to think is why he won’t be leader. When Robbo, was calling for the protests to end, he was out on Bond’s street stoking it and made Robinson look like a buffoon.
I must live in a parallel universe where Gregory is unfairly portrayed as a completely bigotted arse.
LikeLike
*How* is he articulate? To answer your question: he speaks clearly, has a common touch.
LikeLike
Factual,
I’m with Charlie on this one. I suggest you do some serious research on Gregory, Sammy, et al. To be honest I would argue that your opinions on some of these clowns are, at best, naive. Please could you try to get all of your points into a single comment? There are seven in a row here, OK?
LikeLike
In fairness, it is comical stuff. Gave me a laugh at any rate. 😉
LikeLike
Bangordub could you do one of these poles on the SF leadership?
LikeLike
Why don’t you start your own Blog factual? It is free to do and easy enough to set one up. And if you have any problems I’m sure many people on here would be willing to offer a helping hand.
LikeLike
Thanks hobo, for the kind words.
LikeLike
Why would someone give me a “thumbs down” for thanking Hobo?
LikeLike
When the DUP go for a new hopefully they pick one that helps nationalism gain votes.
Sane and reasonable doesn’t really do it for me.
Barking mad, eyes bulging, catholic hating and hopefully completely “off the wall” would do.
Remember it’s the DUP we’re talking about here.
LikeLike
Gregory Campbell is the man for you then political Tourist. All the rest are too normal apart from Nelson McCausland of course.
LikeLike
Nigel Dodds is just as hateful as the aforementioned.
LikeLike
You try to give everybody in politics a fair hearing.
But Nelson’s latest blog trashing the memory of the North Belfast family murdered over 90 years ago was a low as it gets.
Tragic really.
LikeLike
And who can forget Nigel’s rant after the British Army apologised for murdering Aidan McAnespie.
LikeLike
http://hoboroadpoliticalhighway.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/leader-of-pack.html
LikeLike
Jeffrey Donaldson is not doing to well in the opinion poll is he I wonder why? His star seems to have fallen greatly. Yet according to the Sunday World he is Peter Robinson’s favourite candidate to succeed him as leader.
LikeLike