PoliticalOD 14: Yes to infrastructure, but foundations first not grand schemes

In the 14th episode of PoliticalOD, we discuss a bill being fasttracked through Stormont that could give ministers sweeping new powers at the expense of collective responsibility. Why has the Executive (Committee) Functions Bill received so little scrutiny and why is Arlene Foster keen to wave it through?

The former DUP Spad, Richard Bullick, who was one of the party's most influential strategists, has raised worrying suggestions that his former employers don't understand the potential consequences of this legislation, in this morning's News Letter. He urges MLAs to support amendments, tabled by the UUP's Doug Beattie, that 'remove the dangerous aspects of this bill.'

The Dissenter raises an important point about infrastructure that he's encountered, almost be accident, as part of his day job. Some of the more ambitious plans to create growth in Northern Ireland could be compromised by the executive's failure to deliver reforms to fundamental services and infrastructure. 

He's written a detailed blog post explaining the issues, here.

Looking at national politics, we examine the significance of the ISC's Russia report (or lack of).  This document was so heavily trailed, and speculation about its contents so politicised, that publication was never likely to live up to anticipation. Despite some game attempts to hype its importance, there were few new revelations, and it failed to provide a convincing account of what the ‘threat’ from the Kremlin actually entails.

These deficiencies, the report’s authors blamed on the security services, which it alleges did not look for evidence of Russian interference in British democracy. But there were plenty of problems with the document itself, which relied on supposition and innuendo, without providing a convincing explanation of what Russia’s aims were or whether it was successful in achieving them, as it allegedly sought influence in UK politics.

If the Kremlin is investing in influencing the UK, why is its reputation here so damaged and why do politicians treat it as an pariah? It's almost as if any operation isn't working.

As ever, you can download the podcast from Podbean. It's also available to stream or download on Spotify, iTunes and Pocket Casts.