Chilli chicken ordered in as policing talks heat up

Rodney Edwards • Published 28 Jan 2010 10:11 0 Comments

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"I think I've said too much already. In fact, I know I've said too much!"

Fast food binges, late-night Eastenders and feeding her Stormont friends and foes with Chinese cuisine, Acting First Minister Arlene Foster roars in laughter following our exclusive one-to-one, worried that just three weeks into the top job, she's revealed too many trade secrets, such as the eating habits of her Ministerial colleagues. But what the heck.

In a very personal interview with the Impartial Reporter, the Fermanagh-born MLA revealed exactly what it's like to be the province's most talked about female politician (apart from one Iris Robinson).

"It's certainly become more tense but I think the key to all of that is the support I have been getting through family and friends and indeed, colleagues. Frankly I wouldn't be able to do this without that," she said.

Leaving for work, sometimes at 6.30am and not returning home until 10pm must be hellish for the mother-of-three who travels 250 miles every day.

"It's a long day but I don't have trouble sleeping. Sometimes I'd be home around 10pm and would watch Eastenders. 'Who killed Archie' and all that sort of thing. I'd be in bed by 11pm. My New Year's Resolution was to try and lose a bit of weight and tone up so I have [roars with laughter] purchased a cross-trainer for my house. Now, it hasn't got much use so far I have to say, but I did go on it the night before last and I've had sore legs ever since," she said.

How long were you on it? I asked: "Not very long [laughs] but obviously it's the sort of thing you have to work in to!"

Thrust into Northern Ireland's top job right in the middle of the biggest scandal to hit politics, 39-year-old Arlene had no choice but to deliver the goods.

"It happened so quickly. It happened on that Monday and I knew nothing about it before then. I think I did realise it was a big responsibility. I didn't really have time to be nervous because everything happened so quickly. I don't really get nervous."

"Things are busy. I don't have much time at home now, clearly. That is problematical obviously, as it means I don't spend as much time with Brian and the children. But we can see through that because it's only a temporary period of time, Peter is going to come back when he feels it's the right time to do so. I don't think anybody could hold two Ministerial portfolios, particularly the First Minister portfolio, for a medium to long period of time. You just couldn't do it. You would have no life," she explained.

But what about Fermanagh and her constituents here - are they being neglected now that she's taken up her new role? Well, as our chat was taking place in her DUP Office in Enniskillen, she was quick to shoot the notion right down - complete with that infamous stern look.

"The very fact we are sitting here shows that Fermanagh very much fits in to what I'm doing now. Any politician that forgets its roots will soon not be a politician. It's the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone that returned me to the Assembly and it's those people that have to be represented. You always get a buzz out of politics and it comes in different ways. I've often said that the most gratifying thing for me and it's still the case, is if somebody comes into me with an issue about benefits or housing, and you're able to sort it out for them. That's more fundamental that anything else," she said.

Earlier this month DUP leader Peter Robinson revealed he had finally shaken hands with Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness for the first time. The 'hand-shake' between leaders is always a hot topic of discussion or indeed a tell-tale sign of the mood. So has Arlene ever shook hands with the man that is now her Deputy? It's hard to tell: "You know I couldn't tell you. It's not an issue, frankly," she said, adding: "I think things like that become an issue. I don't think about it, to be honest with you."

Mrs. Foster has always come across as a political hard-nut but one, she admits, who has a hugely sensitive side. For example, she broke down in tears when 15-month-old Enniskillen toddler Millie Martin was murdered at the end of last year.

"I very much cried at the death of little Millie. That's probably personal more than anything else because it was just horrific. Absolutely horrific. Even thinking about it now [pauses...] because when you have your own children it is very difficult to comprehend, that something like that could happen to a child."

And she shed tears for her boss, Peter Robinson and his personal pain too: "I watched Peter on the television that night he told the world that Iris had an affair, I found that very difficult. I could feel myself welling up. Peter is a very strong person and for him to have to reveal his inner most thoughts and what was happening was the most horrendous thing for him," she said.

For most politicians up on that illustrious hill, it has been a tough few weeks of media attention. And for Mrs. Foster she has not only had to deal with commentators and critics lining up to air their views on her credentials as First Minister, but on her fashion sense too.

"It's always interesting to see how other people view you. [Laughs] So be it. Look, there's no point getting uptight about what people think of you. If you think like that and are in politics then frankly you're not going to last very long. [Laughs again] But there has been lots of misrepresentation... I think I said I would love 'some day' to own a pair of Louboutin shoes, that quickly turned into the fact that I own many, many pairs of Louboutin shoes. I don't own any!" smiled Arlene. Perhaps, a Valentine's Day hint to Mr. Foster?

And during tough Policing and Justice talks in Stormont Castle last week, the Acting First Minister made sure her Executive colleagues were well fed...

"I enjoy my food as you know and I find those talks difficult because time is all over the place. You don't know what time of the day it is. Often people are sitting around and they forget what time it is, so I always make sure that we eat. So the other night I had to make sure that we got a Chinese delivered in because otherwise we wouldn't have eaten anything at all," she said.

And what was on the menu? Chicken Fried Rice for Martin McGuinness, Vindaloo for Sammy Wilson?

"Ahh, I couldn't possibly comment on what everybody else had but I think the China Kitchen in Enniskillen will tell you that I normally have a Honey Chilli Chicken. So on that occasion, I had the Honey Chilli Chicken. But... [laughing] I'm not saying what everyone else had. No, I'm not saying any more. I can see the headline in the Impartial now: 'Foster in Chinese Takeaway Binge' or something!" she laughs.

Nearly right...

This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 28 Jan 10

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