The Five Demands

Peter Robinson ha rilasciato in esclusiva al Belfast Telegraph, un’intervista molto intima e personale su quanto accaduto tra lui e sua moglie Iris

Grande esclusiva per il Belfast Telegraph (Peter Robinson: the truth about Iris and me) nell’edizione di oggi 15 gennaio.
Il giornale ha pubblicato in esclusiva un’intervista rilasciata da Peter Robinson, Primo Ministro ancora in carica nonostante l’auto-sospensione di 6 settimane, sul rapporto tra lui e la moglie Iris alla luce dello scandalo che ha fatto piombare la politica nordirlandese in un’atmosfera surreale.
Peter Robinson ha dichiarato che non appena venne a conoscenza della vicenda che ha visto Iris Robinson protagonista, è stato subito consapevole che la carriera politica della moglie avrebbe avuto fine.
“Le ho detto che sarebbe stato impossibile operare in politica con scheletri nel suo armadio.”
Il leader del DUP ammette le sue difficoltà nel riuscire a reagire a quanto è accaduto, affermando di aver perso 2,5 stones di peso (corrispondenti a circa 16 kg) negli ultimi 10 mesi.
“Ci sono giorni in cui, se non fosse necessario alzarsi e andare avanti con le cose per il bene della vostra famiglia, il tuo istinto sarebbe di stare a letto, spegnere la luce, rannicchiarti in una posizione fetale e non uscirne più”.
Peter Robinson è ora accusato di non aver riferito alle autorità competenti dell’operazione finanziaria portata avanti dalla moglie per aiutare il suo amante Kirk McCambley, nell’apertura di un’esercizio commerciale. Robinson ribadisce di aver agito nel giusto, anche rispetto alla trasparenza legale con la quale sono state gestite le trattative.
Stando alle sue dichiarazioni, Iris non ha ancora visionato la puntata di Spotlight, programma della BBC con la quale lo scandalo è stato portato agli occhi dell’opinione pubblica.
E il pensiero corre alla notte in cui Iris Robinson ha tentato il suicidio, del tentativo del marito di chiamare un medico e della devozione al suo ruolo di Primo Ministro quando il giorno seguente si è recato al lavoro, non esistando però ad abbandonare l’ufficio non appena informato del ricovero di Iris.
Anche Rebekah, la figlia, ricorda quella notte: “Nella notte tra l’1 e il 2 marzo dello scorso anno, la nostra vita è cambiata per sempre”, ha detto. “Solo coloro che hanno sperimentato un tale evento possono sapere quanto sia veramente orrendo” ed ha concluso: “Vedere papà passare attraverso tutto ciò che ha vissuto e stare ancora a fianco di mamma, per poi essere oggetto di critiche, è stato devastante. Questa è la parte che ho trovato più difficile”.

Robinson told wife MP career over (BBC News Northern Ireland)
In a very personal interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Peter Robinson has talked about his pain since revelations about his wife Iris became public.
Mr Robinson said as soon as he found out about his wife’s affair he knew it would become known and her career as an MP would end.
He is accused of not telling the proper authorities about £50,000 Iris obtained from developers for her teenage lover.
However, he again insisted he had done nothing wrong.
“There was nothing I knew that was reportable in my judgement,” he said.
Mr Robinson told the paper he had lost two and a half stone over the last 10 months since hearing about the affair.
“There are days when, were it not a case of getting up and getting on with things for the sake of your family, your instinct is just to get into bed, turn out the light, pull yourself into a foetal position and not come out again,” he said.
“ I told her it would be impossible to operate in politics with skeletons in her closet. ”
Peter Robinson
Mr Robinson has stepped aside for six weeks as Northern Ireland’s first minister while he tries to clear his name.
Speaking about when he first heard about the affair he said: “I made it clear to her that she could see out her present terms but could not stand again (for parliament).
“I told her it would be impossible to operate in politics with skeletons in her closet.”
Mr Robinson said there was no rule against a member of parliament attempting “to assist someone to set up business”.
“When I found out about the financial arrangement I oversaw that any money went back and that it did so through a solicitor, so that it was legally transparent.”
He said his wife had still not seen the BBC Spotlight and Panorama programmes which broke the story of her affair and financial dealings.
Mr Robinson said on the night his wife has tried to commit suicide the family had sought medical advice three times and were told to let her sleep.
He said three members of the family stayed with her the next day when he went to work as first minister.
However, he said he left his office when he found out she had been taken to hospital and went to her bedside.
Mr Robinson said he then had to carry on with his duties.
“ To watch dad go through everything he has been through and still stand by mum, only to then be subject to criticism, has been devastating ”
Rebekah Robinson
“It just seems that I cannot win over this business,” he said.
The Robinsons’ daughter, Rebekah, also talked to the newspaper about the night of her mother’s suicide attempt.
“On 1/2 March last year our lives changed forever,” she said. “Only those who have experienced such an horrific incident could truly know what it is like.”
She said the family had saved Iris Robinson’s life.
“To watch dad go through everything he has been through and still stand by mum, only to then be subject to criticism, has been devastating.
“This is the part I have found most difficult.”