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Books
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A Political History of the Two Irelands competition…
It’s not often we get free things to give away to our readers, but courtesy of Palgrave Macmillan we have a nice paperback copy of Brian M Walker’s excellent history of partition of the island and how identities shifted in both the north east and the south and west: as most of the territory that [...] read our review »
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The peace process not such a good model after all
Which reminds me…. Platform for Change’s driving force Robin Wilson has produced a corrective to the notion that the lessons of the NI conflict are easily exportable. Like myself, Robin is associated with the Constitution Unit. He introduced his new book in a CU blog which I here reproduce. The water crisis in Northern Ireland [...] read our review »
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Christopher Hitchens, 1949 – 2011
Writer Christopher Hitchens has died aged 62. He was as contrary as he was brilliant. Here is a brief In Memoriam from Vanity Fair (his outlet of choice since 1992) and, here, a longer tribute from his friend Christopher Buckley Stanley in The New Yorker. Better, perhaps, though to post one of Hitchens’ own writings in [...] read our review »
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Comment on Robinson back on the attack with the media…
on 20 April 2010 at 2:19 am
Yep slug…….and we can look forward to our fearless media asking the difficult questions and hinting broadly where they are getting their information.
Nigel Dodds is of course fully behind his leader.
Those Blueberry things will be active tonight.
Easier to get info that way.
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Comment on Robinson back on the attack with the media…
on 20 April 2010 at 2:10 am
The challenge to the Media isnt so much to “remain professional” as to “become professional”…at least thats what many might think.
Still it would be kinda amusing if it hadnt been for the fact that just a few short months ago………Mr Mallie, Mr Devenport (as well as Mr Reid and Mr Gorman) were facilitating Mr Robinson at his “broken man” conference in the same house with the same back garden..
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Comment on Unionist politics vanishing at Queens…
on 20 April 2010 at 12:23 am
well in fairness nobody voted for mcdevitt of sdlp.
I am not so sure about Upper Bann btw. I am not writing Simpson off yet as “Flash Harry” is unimpressive, no declared TUV person yet and Simpsons hardline credentials (TUV people think he might jump DUP ship and they need the boost that a sitting MP would give them).
New “unelected” MLAs from South Belfast, North Belfast, East Antrim, East Derry, North Antrim, Upper Bann……certainly it gives them a year to make an impression before the next election.
Jonathan Bell…well Im equally unimpressed but the point is …..Bell impresses himself and has been doing so for years.
Way too early to predict anything about Strangford next year except that Iris bringing three MLAs with her wont be repeated.
Theres a nationalist quota there and Claire Hanna has a chance of name recognition for next year. Better option than Joe Boyle and Dan McCarthy. But in nationalist terms they may need to run two candidates as the “mainland” voters and “peninsula” voters have no real connexion.
Theres two safe DUP, one safe UUP ………two other quotas(SDLP/AP or SF/AP) and the seventh seat UUP/TUV.
But way too early.
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Comment on Team Martin McAuley for North Belfast…
on 20 April 2010 at 12:03 am
Moochin Photoman,
I am as surprised as you are that this posting has “taken off” (this is my third comment I think).
Its probably a sign that Im getting older that the fringe self publicising student types (who think it would be a jolly good wheeze to stand for Parliament) look even younger.
And some of the nicest First Communion suits Ive seen in a while.
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Comment on Team Martin McAuley for North Belfast…
on 19 April 2010 at 8:23 pm
There are times when I think the Voting Age should be raised to 45.
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Comment on Unionist politics vanishing at Queens…
on 19 April 2010 at 8:20 pm
slug,
this of course depends on whether the DUP take Double Jobbing seriously as an issue.
But MPs and Stormont Ministers can bring in people on their coat-tails in Stormont Elections and this means the role of these “second” MLA figures can be enhanced.
For example McCausland will be #1 DUP man in NB which will make him less vulnerable….Newton in EB.
Strangford is interesting with Shannon, McIlveen, Hamilton and Bell. I dont think they will hold the seat at Westminster Yet Id be surprised if they held four seats after the next Stormont. Even three looks a difficult thing with a likely nationalist gain.
Shannon retiring is an option. But Hamilton and McIlveen must be a bit wary of publicity seeker Bell.
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Comment on Unionist politics vanishing at Queens…
on 19 April 2010 at 6:34 pm
Now that Jonathan Bell has reached the top of the greasy pole by replacing Mrs Robinson in Strangford, I expect the equally ambitious Stalford to replace her hubby in East Belfast when he decides to spend more time with his koi fish in his back garden.
Yet a win for Spratt in South Belfast might herald Stalfords triumphant march into the Stormont Chamber.
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Comment on Team Martin McAuley for North Belfast…
on 19 April 2010 at 6:25 pm
A case of Life imitating Art perhaps.
That Blackadder episode with Pitt The Younger.
Free Buckfast on the National Health Service.
Tough on Acne, Tough on the causes of Acne
A long tradition of publicity seeking kids goes way beyond Mark Langhammer and his “Lets Havea Party Party”.
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Comment on Unionist politics vanishing at Queens…
on 19 April 2010 at 7:11 am
Three points.
1..Excellent on six yeras. Its three more than most. And I unreservedly withdraw any insinuation to the contrary. (and indeed hope you have many more years if you choose a career there)
2..we are agreed on the labelling. My observation is that many more use it as a label than you believe. One of us is right. One of us is wrong. Id point out that football shirts (at football matches) IS a way of identifying with a team (I have been known to wear sporting tops at sporting and other occasions)
and in the context of Norn Iron wearing them NOT at football matches DOES too often have a more unpleasant resonance that simple respect for a football team.
That the thread is focussed on the unease that unionist students say they experience at QUB……my concern is that the atmosphere should be pleasant and congenial. The use and often misuse of football tops IS not indicative of a pleasant atmosphere.
As to the Elections. Well you really should have noticed that in the last three years at least (and in my experience long before that) there have been students who use their sporting affiliation as a subliminal message on election posters.
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Comment on Unionist politics vanishing at Queens…
on 19 April 2010 at 6:36 am
You havent seen these things at QUB cos you havent been around long enough.
NO GAA symbol is political…..IN ITSELF.
NO IFA symbol is poltical……IN ITSELF.
But youre kidding yourself (which is fair enough) if you think they are not used by MANY as a self labelling exercise, marking out territory like a tom cat spraying its scent.
You have your take on it. I have mine.
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