DUP announces Autumn push
Yesterday Peter Robinson announced a new three pronged strategy for the DUP commencing in the autumn. It intends to establish a British Unionist Academy with the tasks to:
“promote the unionist culture and the advantages of the Union; encourage unionist learning in the community and provide a forum for unionist strategising and policy-making”
The Academy will have a particular focus on young people. It will also establish a British Cultural and Equality Unit to provide legal advice to organisations and people fighting the removal of British emblems. This DUP will also commence a pro-active approach to selling the advantages of devolution. The intention is to reconnect with the grassroots and tackle issues around voter turnout.
Talk about paranoia and a siegementality!
DUP meets BNP?
Hitler Youth anybody?
LOL
Wonderful. No initiative on changing the nature of the summer “celebrations”. Nothing on outreach. Just the same old “ourselves alone”. Depressing.
Some kind of / any kind of reach out to the wider nationalist community might be more effective, but no, its circle the wagons instead.
It will surprise few regulars here that I agree with Jim Allister that this may very well have a great deal more to do with distracting people from the realities of the DUP having gone into power sharing with SF and that the rest is probably window dressing.
If, however, this produces some help for people trying to stop the removal of the likes of Mr. Massey’s statue that is to be welcomed.
On the “unionist academy”, if Robinson is going to try to discuss these issues with broader unionism I hope he will be asking those who disagree with the current dispensation what they want.
Ironically if he wishes to maximise unionist turn out and reduce non voting, having a party to the “right” of the new DUP position would seem logical; not necessarily what Robinson would want.
The question remains: is this the latest tactic in Robinson’s internecine battle with the UUP and now the TUV as well or is this the beginnings of a strategy for improving the position of unionists?
To those denouncing this move from a more nationalist perspective I would ask why? I accept that you may not be dying about people trying to stop the removal of British culture but if a party is trying to reconnect with and listen to its grass roots and the wider unionist community why is that akin to the Hitler Youth? How does asking your support base to get involved and asking them what they want preclude also reaching out to the other community?
As I said though I am inclined to suspect it is simply the latest cunning wheeze from Dundela avenue to bash the UUP and TUV.
I fail to see what business the likes of this is to any nationalist.
It cant be surprising that they seek to promote unionism.
As to the symbols debacles, the DUP can combine every legal genius they have but surely even this is unlikely to overturn Equality legislation.
It intends to establish a British Unionist Academy with the tasks to: “promote the unionist culture and the advantages of the Union; encourage unionist learning in the community”
Great. Bible studies all around!
Turgon @ 09:42 PM:
Thank you, Turgon-the-Wise: we know and respect where you are coming from.
It’s just that … well, “unionist academy”, particularly from the Robinsons (if not from the DUP altogether), seems an oxymoron. It smacks of “fighting for freedom” or “military intelligence” or “faith unfaithful kept him true”.
Will there be diplomas and a graduation ceremony?
Dewi
“No initiative on changing the nature of the summer “celebrations”. ”
The Loyal Orders are already working on that plus various local council initiatives as well.
“Nothing on outreach. Just the same old “ourselves alone”. ”
Outreach in a NI context can easily turn into patronising people. As SF’s programme has shown going along smiling nicely and re-iterating the party line in person doesn’t achieve anything for anybody.
I don’t reject the notion of the idea but if it isn’t going to be done well and sensitively then it is pointless window-dressing.
Turgon
“is this the latest tactic in Robinson’s internecine battle with the UUP and now the TUV as well or is this the beginnings of a strategy for improving the position of unionists?”
An understandable question but surely an unanswerable one, it is possible for the same idea to be applied to achieve different goals. It is the intent and implementation that evidence that and even then it may take time to determine.
“why is that akin to the Hitler Youth?”
Don’t feed the trolls
Wonderful. No initiative on changing the nature of the summer “celebrations”. Nothing on outreach. Just the same old “ourselves alone”. Depressing.
Posted by dewi on Jun 25, 2008 @ 09:25 PM…………………………………………
DOH! Sinn Fein means “Ourselves Alone”, the slogan has sweet f.a. to do with the DUP or any other Unionist party! Perhaps you should stick with Wales’ constitutional politics, Dewi, as I have suggested in the past, rather than continually criticizing and making derogatory remarks about the community I come from and the politicians who represent my community. Are you so enamoured with your own politicians in Wales that they are above reproach and far superior to my local DUP representatives?
Regarding the issue at hand, it all sounds well and good and could be an interesting initiative by the DUP, but I’ll believe it when I see it. To quote an age-old proverb;
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating”.
All these soundbites about the DUP wanting to “reconnect with the grassroots” are all nice, PR-friendly rhetoric, but actions are louder than words. I want DUP councillors/MLAs/MPs to show more of an interest in the loyalist communities that put them into power, rather than the handful of appearances they make that are suspiciously concentrated around Election Time.
“British Unionist Academy”. What a brilliant idea. With Professor Robinson in charge we will have an educational establishment to rival Oxbridge, Harvard and the Cuddly Cubs nursery school in Stewartstown.
No doubt the “Painting Kerbstones” module will be very popular with the knowledge-hungry young students of British Ulster like as will the field trips to Clontibret.
Laughable.
The Alliance vote is there for the taking if ANYONE in unionism wants a broad consensus. And I know many people who vote UUP/DUP whatever who actually believe Alliance policies. Many decent Roman Catholics would vote for such a party also, rather than not vote and let PSF/PIRA in to power. The DUP and SF are almost mirror images, OK the DUP didn’t murder and maim the catholic population the way SF did against protestants, but they are both of negative mindsets. This DUP stuff is of the same calibre of SF rednecks.
Embarrassing
Laugh or cry …. it is the sheer and utter lack of imagination of this initiative that astounds. Rather than proactive engagement it is thought-police all round.
and laughably who’ll be footing the bill… yep us taxpayers..
Perhaps the Robinson-stasi might spend effort trying to get the offspring of their constituents into third level education … that is usually a good start to developing a society. That way they might see the world in more rounded terms than this entrenching in “Our Wee Country (World)”.
However, it is significant that what at heart lies beneath this is that DUP and shades are realising that their populus are moving to an ambivilent stance more concerned with day to day living than trooping out to support a statelet. Hence the need for a year zero re-education approach…. what next rounding up and sending people to the (paddy)fields of Castlereagh and Antrim for cultural alignment. (Bet you in Peter and Iris’s feavered moments (no don’t imagine that kind of moment!) that is their dream).
All this talk of unionist non-voters…
Would the more numerically-inclined amongst you know what the unionist non-turn-out is, when it comes to the last couple of elections? Roughly…? Ballpark figure..?
Would anyone hazard a guess at how many of them, if so inclined to turn out, would actually vote for the DUP?
I ask, out of interest only.
“promote the unionist culture and the advantages of the Union”
I thought the Union was safe? Thats what the DUP keep telling us. If it is safe, why then the need to highlight the advantages of the Union,if indeed any exist, and to whom do they purport to sell this message? Republican/nationalist voters? As for the Unionist culture, it shouldn’t be too hard to sell or learn i.e. it involves speaking in a Ballymena accent (Ulster-Scots), flag waving, Xenophobia and burning tyres, I wonder what our new environment minister thinks of the latter?
“encourage unionist learning…”
Don’t make me laugh!
“unionist strategising and policy-making”
Again I thought the Union was safe? Strategising for what then? In terms of policy making its quite evident what their policies are i.e. say no to anything that anyone else proposes because its better to live in the past than to embrace change.
Oh dear, those pesky unionists wont lie down and do what theyre told, maybe Gerry will have to pull the assembly down if they dont behave. Well, guess thats better than killing prods, a step up for nationalists anyway.
Dempster spouts:
“It will offer a forum where DUP “policies can be formulated” but it will also be an educational vehicle.”
This isn’t a Unionist academy, it’s a DUP academy. It’s nothing more than Turgon suggests. No pan Unionist establishment, just the DUP policy and press units with a fancy new name.
Concerned Loyalist – “I’ll believe it when I see it”
I agree. The DUP have been very disappointing from a Unionist point of view. Is this yet another stunt without any substance? As you say, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”.
turgon
I accept that you may not be dying about people trying to stop the removal of British culture but if a party is trying to reconnect with and listen to its grass roots and the wider unionist community why is that akin to the Hitler Youth?
cause its not about reconnecting or listening to its grass roots its about training the grass roots to follow the party line like good little robots.
get em early train em right
cause its not about reconnecting or listening to its grass roots its about training the grass roots to follow the party line like good little robots.
get em early train em right
Posted by Steve on Jun 25, 2008 @ 10:47 PM
Oh you mean like the nationalist community who have loved their little terrorists so much they voted for them.
Raven
From memory about 40-50K regular UUP voters have disappeared in the past two/three elections and about 10K for the smaller Unionist parties seem to have disappeared too. The NI election website will give you the data in terms of broad figures rather than my late-night recollections. It is largely an east Ulster phenomenon.
(IMPORTANT NOTE: The figures would generally indicate that turnout dip has not had a detrimental impact on the DUP but there is a chance that its vote has been similarly effected but the transfers of voters from other parties has masked this)
The most recent high tide mark for Unionism was the Westminster election in 2001. This is when competition between the two main Unionist parties was at its height. It also constituted a reversal of previous trends of decline. The high degree of competition meant both parties launched very strong campaigning and it resulted in better turnout.
There seems to be anecdotal stuff that the failure to run propoer registration campiagns had something of an depressing impact in the 07 Assembly election.
“Would anyone hazard a guess at how many of them, if so inclined to turn out, would actually vote for the DUP?”
Anyone who tries to answer that is a fraud. All we know is that they used to vote who they used to vote for and where they were. Age? Social Class? Left or Right of Unionism? Nobody has the first clue and neither has anyone bothered to research it.
Not at all Observer
You havent been very observant if you believe that, they vote for them because they deliver for that community better than all the others combined. Its actually the unionists that have the best chance of driving down the shinner vote, by moving into the 20th century and trying to establish an egalitarean society they would destroy the protest vote. Can’t even imagine what would happen if the Unionists made it all the way to the 21st century
How many nationalists hold their nose when they vote because they know a vote for the SDLP is a vote down the crapper
I really wish the SDLP would become more militantly nationalist and challenge the shinners. problem is where do the garden centre catholics go, Alliance?
If the SDLP ever really want to make in roads and get their vote back then they need to become militantly nationalist and lose the stoop down low party image. Durkan seems to be catching on as his rhetoric is starting to show some spine, except he needs to quit solely attacking the shinners and start in on the unionists.
Atleast now the chances of a militant nationalist being visited by a government death squad are relatively slight.
When I first read the title I thought it said putsch. Phew!
Will the academy be in Cookstown? Sorry, that’s Police Academy.
Observer Im questioning you again as you didnt respond to the following post earlier.
Observer who do you vote for?
Is it a DUP MLA. Sammy Wilson who opened a UVF arch for all those years ago
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/817946.stm. You havent seen the pictures of Peter Robinson have you not or how about his good old days in Ulster resistance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulster_Resistance
Is it the UUP. Weren’t Reg and Trimbe in that loyalist terrorist party the Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party all those years ago.
Using your pronouncement the unionist electorate has consitently been voting for terrosists all these years
CL
“DOH! Sinn Fein means “Ourselves Alone”
hmmm perhaps, just perhaps I knew that already..
“Are you so enamoured with your own politicians in Wales that they are above reproach and far superior to my local DUP representatives?”
Not at all above reproach but, yes, far superior to your DUP representatives.
FD
““No initiative on changing the nature of the summer “celebrations”. “
The Loyal Orders are already working on that plus various local council initiatives as well.”
As far as I can make it out the Loyal Orders are planning an increased celebration in traditional style this year. I’d be delighted to hear the detail of plans to reduce intensity.
Not at all above reproach but, yes, far superior to your DUP representatives.
Posted by Dewi on Jun 25, 2008 @ 11:42 PM
Go on, enlighten me. In what way are your Taffy politicians superior, or are you just spouting off holier-than-thou bullshit from your supposed moral high-ground?
Turgon,
“Ironically if he wishes to maximise unionist turn out and reduce non voting, having a party to the “right” of the new DUP position would seem logical; not necessarily what Robinson would want.”
Why? That logic implies that its actually necessary also to have a party to the ‘right’ of the TUV (or maybe that’s already happening with the problems there) ad infinitum.
The argument you advance is simply attempting to give the TUV a reason for being. Mind you, I suppose its at least comforting that there is something you agree with Jim on – at least there’s someone in the TUV who doesn’t think he’s gone soft.
In fairness though you have at least given it an opportunity to do something before judging it. I do believe that it will obviously have to take in different views within unionism if its going to actually advance the entire unionist community. However, I would imagine that would also require the different views within unionism to be represented in line with the actual support there is for them within the community… (and not just Dromore).
Concerned Loyalist,
I take your point about politicians needing to be on the ground and not just at election time. But what specifics do you suggest? I ask this as a genuine question – they all (or most anyway) have full-time offices in their constituencies so you can certainly avail of help should you need it.
Is it simply for them to turn up and glad-hand the locals at a few events or something more? Whilst politicians no doubt may need to “be on the ground” is there also a need for us all to take a re-think on what the role of a politician is, particularly once you get to the level of MLA or MP? Its all well and good for the local Cllr to be out pointing at potholes in the street, but is the job of a legislator not at least partly to be bringing forward legislation which helps the community, working-class loyalist obviously included.?
“Go on, enlighten me. In what way are your Taffy politicians superior, or are you just spouting off holier-than-thou bullshit from your supposed moral high-ground?”
No moral high ground or holier than thou stuff at all. Just DUP in government have paid no recognition at all to satisfying any element of the continuum of nationalist aspirations whatsoever – which in my immoral unholy view is politically foolish. If you sign up to a shared future then at least make an effort.
On a more general point on politicians in all our “peripheral” devolved instututions – My greatest concern is that the lack of real economic power / responsibility leads to a skill set gap amongst this generation of politicians.
Euskadi pushing economic re-generation – I think we are all a bit behind.
The main advantage of the Union is an easy sell – you get to sponge off the UK Exchequer to the tune of billions each year without having to do anything!
Unfortunately for Unionists, the UK govt and electorate have finally got wise to subsidising the North and are eager to let the RoI govt take on an increasing amount of this burden – along with the considerable and increasing influence that they have in the running of the North.
The real danger to the Union between GB + the North lies in the very small and decreasing support for it in GB.
The DUP’s mission is to convince the GB govt and people that it’s in their best interests to keep wasting billions each year on a bunch of ingrates in the North who produce nothing but bad publicity for GB and constantly whinge for even more public money to support their basket case economy.
Good luck with that!
Uh-oh…I smell another side-trip into “sack-the-public-sector” territory….
The arts and literature syllabus of the new academy should spark some interest. And what, I wonder, will feature as core reading in philosophy – the thoughts of Michael Stone perhaps?
Anyway I suppose it is necessary that unionists who have been tainted by Republican propaganda – such as those who dangerously expose their minds to Slugger – should be sent off to re-education camps to turn them back into well behaved little troglodytes.
A ‘Unionist Academy’? Surely a contradiction in terms! The more you learn, the less you would want to be a unionist – that is if they’re actually teaching what unionism, as practiced in NI, is, a fairly corrupt ‘political philosophy’ predicated on inequality, divisiveness, lack of respect for ‘otherness’.
If Unionists really want to find out about NI culture, they should go to the Cultúrlann…. where they will find Ulster Gaelic being spoken…..and celebrated.
I wonder, as part of his academy, is Professor Robinson going to have an outreach programme to teach nationalists the advantages of the Union?
Hmmm. If it was a think tank I could understand: both sides could probably do with some intellectual foundation and research to flesh out policy (including the advantages of their constitutional position) and throw out some new ideas.
But this doesn’t seem anything like that. Gut reaction: stupid. “British Unionist Academy”? Why not “British Unionist Academy NI UK”? Perhaps they could get permission for Liz to “Royal British Unionist Academy NI UK”. It just seems ridiculous.
“unionist culture ” why dont they site it in Stoneyford or after the recent monies have they already started !!
Who foots the bill for this? surely not the tax payer.Surely not the nationalist tax payer. Bit like turkeys clapping for christmas.
To be fair there perhaps was once a good argument to be made for the union, the problem was that Ulster Unionists never made it very effectively, if at all. But maybe it’s important to make a distinction between Ulster Unionism and British unionism, which until contemporary times was something most people in England, Scotalnd and Wales seemed to adhere to. However, the DUP’s British Unionist Academy looks like it has come too late. I think it will only take another Tory government in London and the Scots will call time on Great Britain. If that happens, the DUP’s proposal will look more like a Little Britain Academy?
Nobody has the first clue and neither has anyone bothered to research it.
Indeed.
This should be the priority for unionist planners ahead of an “academy”.
Rory,
Stone is doing the Drama courses. Philosophy will be based on Mrs Robinson’s writings in the Belfast Newsletter. Dr Poots will be heading up the Science Department. Time to get that essay in on the origins of the Giant’s Causeway. How much would 50p-shaped bricks have been at B&Q;in Noah’s time?
“News Letter” is two words, not one.
“If that happens, the DUP’s proposal will look more like a Little Britain Academy?”
Surely not? What happens if “the only gay in the village” turns up?
Still dont get why people are animated bout this.
The DUP set up an internal committee to promote unionism (do they need to promote unionism whithin the DUP?). That’s all.
They call it an ‘academy’, clearly ignorant of the fact that popular cultural has case a decline in the meaning of the world. Big deal.
It is not as if they even claim that it is something to do with teaching Catholics the benefits of unionism.
Maybe I am missing something here?
hopefully they won’t site the academy in Tyrone where all the thick people come from…
It’s Hogwarts! Even the DUP need a little magic sometimes. I think I see Professor Snape coming..
malteser
I’d love it to be Hogwarts!! That would be fantastic I finished reading the last book last summer, missing it like crazy.
Potter-Robinson
Dumbeldore-Paisley
Ron-Dodds
Hermione-Michelle McIlveen
Snape- Paisley Jnr
Draco Malfoy- Poots
Hagrid-Alan Bresland
McGonagle-Iris
A fine cast!!!
Darth
Does Omagh not have an academy?!
Sinn Féin means “Ourselves Alone”
It actually doesn’t, it means “We, ourselves”.
And SF were founded over 100 years ago when maybe the name of the party meant something. They probably could change it to better suit today’s broader look on society.
‘The DUP set up an internal committee to promote unionism (do they need to promote unionism whithin the DUP?). That’s all.’
Perhaps the DUP are afraid that unionism doesn’t mean the same to unionists, especially young unionists, as it does to them?
Perhaps these young unionists are (oh no!) just like other young people in the north? Whose main aspirations are – to finish school, get a job, meet a soulmate (or at least a mate!), live a good life, live in a peaceful, law-abiding society?
Perhaps the DUP feel that these people should be re-educated? To ‘know’ that it is their ‘right’ to march wherever they please; to ridicule another (and older) culture and language in this area; to call anyone’s sexual lifstyle, which does not sit comfortably within the confines of an ancient book, an ‘abomination; to laugh at anyone who doesn’t believe the actual age of the planet, based on this same book…etc etc…
If this ‘academy’ is being set up to instil in these people, and especially the young people, an understanding of, and a pride in, their Irishness/Britishness and their place in society in the north of Ireland, then it should be welcomed and encouraged. If, however, it is set up to continue the DUP’s current line of thinking, then it should be ignored, while the rest of society here gets on with life.