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Books
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Ulsters Last Stand?: Can Unionism Move Beyond Insurance Policy Politics?
How has Ulster unionism arrived at where it is today – fractured and uncertain, yet dominated electorally by the DUP, a party that tells us it offers unionists sure footing in uncertain times? In his latest book, Ulster’s Last Stand? Reconstructing Unionism after the Peace Process (Irish Academic Press, 2010), Prof. James McAuley from the [...] read our review »
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“Unionism Decayed 1997-2007″ by David Vance: book review
I initially wrote this when the book was first published three years ago; whilst certain elements of it now sound dated, its basic premise that the period of 1997-2007 was a period of irreversible decay for Northern Irish Unionism can still be argued as a valid opinion. My own feeling is that it did indeed [...] read our review » -
Sunday Supplement
It being Sunday, we’ve all got time to consider and ponder things at greater length than during the working week, yes? If it’s good enough for the Sunday papers, it’s good enough for this guest blogger. So here’s the review section… Actually, it’s my introduction to a book published last year, Goin’ Down Slow: selected [...] read our review »
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Comment on The Siege of New Forge: Unionism’s latest pyrrhic triumph.
on 23 March 2012 at 1:41 pm
Any thoughts on where Mike Nesbitt actually stands on anything? He is flip flopping all over the place trying to appeal to every single section within unionism.
To be considered a moderate you actually have to do something tangible to back it up. McCallister has taken risks, reached way beyond the traditional base of the UUP and is not “owned” by anyone in order to guarantee their support for his leadership campaign. He is his own man, with a plan. What is Nesbitt for? Who is he? Is he a moderate or is he not? This was pure political opportunism on his part to complain about what is a practical name change, but it highlights the fact that he doesn’t know where he stands on issues from one day to the next
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Comment on “You may have identified these leaders already…”
on 11 February 2010 at 4:24 pm
Must admit I am bored of Newton Emerson, he never checks the facts, tries to sensationalize everything in order to get noticed and brings nothing new to the table. I don’t disagree with his sentiments, I just think he needs to either start trying to be a journalist or a satirist, he plainly can’t be both.
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Comment on “[Tory] Candidates are getting feedback that the austerity policy is not going down too well…”
on 4 February 2010 at 7:16 pm
Willis
Don’t disagree with you, in fact you have hit the nail on the head. The problem was we were overdependent upon the financial sector for our growth, which helped to kick off a property led boom, which … well, it went tits up.
We now need to create favourable conditions for the next wave of entrepreneurs to innovate, something that tends to happen during a recession as firms and individuals try to find the “next big thing” because their traditional profits are falling. 50% tax for those earning over £150 a year aren’t favourable conditions.
Don’t worry, I’m sure Invest NI are aware of this so we should be okay….
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Comment on “[Tory] Candidates are getting feedback that the austerity policy is not going down too well…”
on 4 February 2010 at 3:08 pm
We all need to wake up and realise that private sector investment is what will drive the economy, not more Government. And do you really think Labour want excellent public services or just more Government? Thirteen years in power and all they have done is replaced high levels of private jobs with useless public ones. The only plus for us is that the whole of the UK now looks like Northern Ireland, so dependent is everyone on the state. We don’t seem so big an economic basket case now.
Even left leaning friends of mine feel it’s time for a change. I do think Osborne is an achilles heel for the Tories though
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Comment on DUP Split
on 3 February 2010 at 5:29 am
Maybe Jeffrey is just spending more time catching up on films again instead of negotiating?
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/dup-mp-jeffrey-donaldson-repays-pound555-claimed-for-hotel-paytoview-films-14385449.html
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Comment on DUP Split
on 3 February 2010 at 12:25 am
joeCanuck
It’s interesting that the law seems to say get it out there on the web somehow and then the law can do nothing about it?
Any chance of a superinjunction against all poetry on this site…
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Comment on DUP Split
on 3 February 2010 at 12:08 am
So could anyone fill me in on this. Hypothetically speaking, if there is a super injunction in place:
a. what grounds would be needed to indicate that information should not be made public
b. what grounds would be needed to have it lifted
Hypothetically speaking of course.
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Comment on Peter Robinson: the folly of tactics over strategy; and space hoppers
on 2 February 2010 at 3:55 pm
Agreed, but I am not sure the motivation to get into power and hold onto it, no matter what, and with no outcome to speak of as a result of being in power, can be described as anything other than a survival strategy (or siege mentality). Have we not moved on from this?
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Comment on Peter Robinson: the folly of tactics over strategy; and space hoppers
on 2 February 2010 at 3:27 pm
Good article. This reminds me of an article written by Matthew Parris in the Times called “Gordon Brown: the terrible vacuum”.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/matthew_parris/article3731645.ece
It comes to a very similar conclusion about Brown as a man who is good on tactics but has no idea where he is going
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