How does the UUP find out they are doing the right thing?
When one thrid of the last 20 DUP press releases attack the UUP.
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Douglas Murray – Bloody Sunday: Truth, Lies and the Saville Inquiry, Book Review
The aftermath of the Saville Inquiry into the events around Bloody Sunday has left me, and I suspect many others, with one enduring image: Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology in the House of Commons, where he says that the actions of the British Army were ‘unjustified and unjustifiable.’ But there’s a lot more to the [...] read our review » -
The Earl Bishop
Interesting BBC article on an upcoming presentation and talk [Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, 17 August] by lecturer and broadcaster Stephen Price on the subject of his new book – The Earl Bishop. The 18th Century ”Earl Bishop” was Frederick Augustus Hervey, fourth Earl of Bristol and Church of Ireland Bishop of Derry. Hervey was also elected [...] read our review »
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Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human [...] read our review »
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Michael….
I agree entirely….the DUPes are quaking in their boots….scared of the new arrangements that will ensure that their claim to be the ‘leading’ Unionist Party will be short-lived and the electorate will place them where they need to be, catching up with the UUP.
WE ARE ON OUR WAY BACK
Or alternatively the DUP is chip-chip-chipping away and the fact that Shillers has spotted it shows they are getting under his skin!
Sorry, the image isn’t working for some reason
Who cares either way. The proof is in the pudding and the eating of it.
“How does the UUP find out they are doing the right thing?”
Eyes roll.
1. This implies the merits of the argument are not enough to convince the UUP.
2. It implies that the UUP allows the DUP to determine its choices ie the UUP is doing something stupid all the DUP has to do is attack it and the UUP will embrace think they are on to a winner.
3. I doubt if there was hardly a period were 1 in 3 of the DUP’s press statements weren’t attacking the UUP. A mistake I grant you but hardly a new development.
4. A competitor party tries to take shine off new development, how dastardly of them?!?! Don’t they know this is the UUP and everyone else should sit quietly in the corner?!?
Anyway keep up the navel gazing and myopia, I need the occasional reminder of why I left the UUP.
Sorry, did you miss the merits of the idea?
http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/boxes-ticked-job-started/
http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/changing-perspectives/
http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/broadening-horizons/
That might help. Perhaps you could offer the merits of this particular press release for us?
http://www.dup.org.uk/articles.asp?ArticleNewsID=431
Shillers
Sammy Wilson’s argument makes itself and its one argument you will be confronted with more and more.
I know it’s just awful of the big bad DUP bullies to kick sand in your face and stomp on your new Tory sandcastle but try to be a big boy – this is politics after all….
I suppose the same logic could be applied to TUV articles on the DUP.
It seems like nearly 100% of Allister’s releases attack the DUP.
The DUP must be doing something right, right?
The UUP….
The SDLP of Unionism.
need I say anymore.
Michael,
You are a numpty.
25% of recent UUP press relases are on the DUP – 7 out of 29.
http://www.uup.org/newsrooms/latest-news/index.php
What’s the difference and what’s your point given that?
6countyprod
No, I think its safe to say most normal people understand that the TUV is 500 feet of ugly road that ends at the bottom of a cliff. No future in it unless you actually believe you can return to nIreland pre 60′s
“Who cares either way. The proof is in the pudding and the eating of it.”
Totally agree. We had some polling released (I didn’t study it) on the impact of this ‘new political force’, but the only poll that counts is are the occasional NIO opinion polls ie. elections.
It will be a tough relationship. We will need to see that it is a two way relationship. As much as the UUP will be ‘involved in the national politics’ I wonder if the Conservatives will be as quick to be involved in Northern Ireland politics. They have admitted thier unambigious unionism, but how will the act or react to parades, the ‘equality’ frameworks, 50/50 policing recruitment, legacies of the past, victims etc. Time will tell.
“Sammy Wilson’s argument makes itself and its one argument you will be confronted with more and more.”
Sammy Wilson’s argument is preposterous. Basically it posits that the essence of unionism is not being pro-Union, rather it is taking the Ulster protestant side on every issue.
Chekov
That is a total misrepresentation and you know it. Sammy Wilson’s argument is clear – Cameron was making clear he would never choose sides – in the battle for the future of NI there are two sides – those for the Union and those against it. You have to pick a side if you are going to call yourself a Unionist standard bearer.
Your comments merely show me that the UUP in an effort to sell Unionism to a wider base, are actually in a position of watering down their Unionist to such an extent that it becomes bland, meaningless “for all of us” waffle.
“to sell Unionism to a wider base”
sorry I should re-phrase that – in an effort to sell the Ulster Unionist Party to a wider base….
Cameron made his position on the Union clear. Didn’t you hear his speech? He is unambiguous on the constitutional position. What he isn’t prepared to do his announce a preference for the Ulster protestant community. And quite right too. That isn’t what unionism entails.
I have read Sammy Wilson’s retorts: Should the Environment Minister not be attending classes on climate change or choose one job to do and stick to it.
DC said he will never be neutral on the issue of the Union – considering that the principle of consent now governs this constitutional hot potato which all Parties at Stormont subscribe to, including both Sovereign States, then this is a non-issue as the DUP and the UUP agree on the same point.
Asketh Shillers: “How does the UUP find out they are doing the right thing?” – answereth me: when the Leader Shillers supports* doesn’t: a.) reduce us to 18 members of the Assembly & b.) humiliate us by bringing in one solitary, socialist MP, would be a sensible enough way.
*For the uninitiated, whoever the Leader is, and whatever he’s doing, Shillers supports him.
I’d like to hear Shaun Woodwards view on his new playmates, since he is de facto a UUP supporter now. At least, with Paul Goggins we have an Ulster Unionist policing and justice minister for the forseeable future.
Oops, I just assumed the above were Tories! Just goes to show how little difference. Shaun used to be though?
MS
“Sorry, did you miss the merits of the idea?”
No I haven’t missed any of them it is the ‘thought’ behind the thread that seems to have missed them entirely, as I said:
1. This implies the merits of the argument are not enough to convince the UUP.
2. It implies that the UUP allows the DUP to determine its choices ie the UUP is doing something stupid all the DUP has to do is attack it and the UUP will embrace think they are on to a winner.
“Perhaps you could offer the merits of this particular press release for us?”
Surely this is a marvellous statement? After all it has helped convince the UUP that it is “doing the right thing”. According to this thread the UUP wouldn’t be able to make up its mind otherwise.
MM
“25% of recent UUP press relases are on the DUP – 7 out of 29.”
ROFLMAO, well spotted.
You’ve been pretty quiet on the substance of Cameron’s speech FD.
Chekov
I did indeed read his speech – not listened to it – read it and I also read Roy Garland’s post-conference analysis which I thought was very prescient indeed in what it had to say.
Stop setting up straw men arguments – nowhere did Sammy Wilson argue that Cameron needs to stand up for Protestantism or anything like that. You know this.
I repeat the UUP are in the process of watering down their Unionist principles to such an extent that it becomes bland, meaningless “for all of us” waffle.
I have to say Chekov this is becoming something of a habit – if you aren’t commenting on people’s physical appearance because you disagree with them, you resort to downright misrepresentation of what they said in the first instance.
Chekov
“You’ve been pretty quiet on the substance of Cameron’s speech FD.”
Only four posts on slugger left before I hit my 1000 and retirement
I have themes for three of them – multiple mandates, DUP and the Euro election and one specifically on Unionism and the UUP/Tory link up (so I’ll deal with it all then) – so I am having to be sparing.
FD – as a DUP supporter would it not be appropriate if you were to say that you’d never post more than 1,000 times, but then carry on regardless?
“as a DUP supporter would it not be appropriate if you were to say that you’d never post more than 1,000 times, but then carry on regardless?
”
No I learnt about those sort of practices when I was a member of the UUP
“I have to say Chekov this is becoming something of a habit – if you aren’t commenting on people’s physical appearance because you disagree with them, you resort to downright misrepresentation of what they said in the first instance.”
So David Cameron spends an entire speech spelling out his constitutional commitment to the Union and makes one comment spelling out that this doesn’t necessarily mean he will favour one community over another in Northern Ireland. Sammy’s problem can’t be with Cameron’s constitutional unionism, so why does he contend he can’t be a standard bearer for unionism? Seems pretty clear to me. Sammy is using the term unionism to designate an identity, rather than political belief. He’s saying Cameron’s not going to stick up for the Ulster prods.
As I spelt out on my own site,
“Even he must realise that adopting a position on the union is an entirely different matter to taking one community’s side over the other. David Cameron has made it clear that he supports the unionist argument on the constitution. He will nevertheless refuse to apply discriminatory policies, based on political aspirations which are different to his own or on the basis of which perceived community someone belongs to.
Despite choosing his words in such a way that they might refer to the constitutional issue, Wilson is simply attacking Ulster Unionists’ idea, shared with Conservative partners, that unionism can be inclusive. The coded message is that unionism must be tethered to an Ulster protestant identity; its principle objective should be advancing the interests of that identity at the expense of its Irish Catholic rival. His analysis simply reaffirms suspicions that the DUP is not interested in strengthening the Union per se, nor is it interested in participating fully in a modern, pluralist United Kingdom. The purest constitutional unionism is not unionism by the DUP’s prescriptions. It understands the word only when it acquires community connotations, to which adherence to any modern idea of Britishness can be merely incidental”
Jesus Michael, at least check ur fucking spelling before criticising others rather than rushing this shit out in your warped haste.
Hey fair_deal…..whatever happened to the DUPes FAIR DEAL???…..Remember their election slogan?
William
“whatever happened to the DUPes FAIR DEAL???…..Remember their election slogan?”
I do happen to remember that particualr slogan as I helped formulate it.
As the DUP made pretty clear at the time they consider the St Andrew’s Agreement to be the fair deal.
Fair Deal
Pity no one believed them then or now, we all know it was the GFA with a very thin coat of whitewash over it.
But that is old ground we are now moving on, or at least some of us are excluding Sammy Wilson, to new pastures where one’s religion is a thing of the past and it is only your political viewpoint that matters.
“or at least some of us are excluding Sammy Wilson, to new pastures where one’s religion is a thing of the past and it is only your political viewpoint that matters.”
Where one’s religion is a thing of the past? Do you have to be an atheist to be a member of the new Tories now?
It really is quite funny to listen to the howls of protest from the Tory posters on here when a politician dares to suggest that in politics it is necessary to take sides. This from the same bunch who thought the DUP would simply back them over the 42 day issue because they supposedly are “unionists”……