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The Creative Class and Northern Ireland
As part of NICVA’s series of masterclasses from its Centre for Economic Empowerment project, there was a morning seminar on the topic of the “creative class” (as popularised by Richard Florida) and its applicability to Northern Ireland. The agenda was to: Explain Richard Florida’s idea of the “creative class” and the link between economic outcomes [...] read our review »
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Voices from the Grave
Coming up to the Halloween holiday, some people might be frightened of the idea of Voices from the Grave – but for others, the chance to hear an oral history of the Troubles from the mouths of two (in)famous protagonists, PUP leader and former UVF member David Ervine, and Brendan “The Dark” Hughes, is not [...] read our review »
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“It was a trivial problem that… occurs every year”
Just your average family gathering at Christmas, with a bit of an argument about the seating cleaning arrangements… Scuffles have broken out between rival groups of Greek Orthodox and Armenian clerics over a turf war in Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity. Bemused tourists looked on as about 100 priests fought with brooms while cleaning the [...] read our review »
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Comment on Chuckle Brothers reunite to warn local unionists over Scottish intervention
on 24 January 2012 at 4:45 pm
“…the SNP still want the Monarch of England to also be Monarch of Scotland and still want to have branches of HM Armed Forces to continue to be based in Scotland.”
As someone fierecely critical of the SNP’s ridiculously servile attitude towards the monarchy, I’d suggest that there’s room for nuance in your first half. Your second lost me altogether – Scottish Defence was spalttered across the weekend’s media.
I’ve often howled lonely at the moon that in the only meaningful debate I can recall on the subject of the monarchy, Scotland was the only part of the so-called UK in favour of abolition. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/monarchy-should-go-says-a-third-of-tv-poll-1282117.html. No-one makes a song and dance about it but if you’re asking…
But the SNP is an ultra pragma-political machine today. Anything and everything that stands in the way of Independence shall be slain without mercy. The consensus is that the head of state issue is a divisive distraction that can be dealt with post-independence. I disagree. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1975_Australian_constitutional_crisis
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Comment on Scotland: Degrees of Freedom.
on 21 January 2012 at 2:46 pm
But what is there in Devo Max for the UK Government? The English electorate spitting tacks, increased demands from all other parts of the UK and how long until the Jocks are back at the door for the rest anyway? This must be a huge resource-consuming distraction for a relatively new co-alition Government with enough on its plate.
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Comment on Unionists too distanced from the future of the Union debate?
on 19 January 2012 at 10:13 pm
Scots might learn something from listening to reasoned debate from ‘outsiders’. To see ouselves as others see us. I think the potential implications of Scottish independence for EWNI are substantial and it’s in their own interests to consider and discuss this. When all is said and done though, talk is cheap, only votes from within Scotland will determine it’s people’s future, and that’s exactly how it should be.
It’s astonishing that the UK Government is only now waking up to the reality but, to be fair, few predicted this precise coming together of circusmtances and fewer still the timing. The monarch cannot be best pleased about any of it, least of all having had to give her Government a shake herself.
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Comment on Another Post on Scotland…..
on 16 January 2012 at 12:16 am
“They know that their best interests lie within the security of the United Kingdom”.
Security is an interesting one. I’m assuming you don’t mean national security. That wouldn’t work because the Iraq and Afghanistan wars brought international terrorism to the streets of Scotland when none existed before. I imagine that post independence we’ll return to feeling that nobody’s interested in attacking us because we’ll not be attacking anyone else (we’ll be too busy trying to run our own country, minus the largest concentration of nuclear weapons in Europe on our doorstep).
You can’t mean economic security because the last time I checked the whole of the UK economy was pumped and the big idea so far is to keep printing money and cross our fingers and hope for the best.
I’m struggling now. What security?
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Comment on Salmond invades Dublin in pursuit of Glasgow’s Labour vote?
on 15 January 2012 at 11:10 pm
I think we’re saying the same thing but coming at it from different angles. I’m out at that.
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Comment on The Scottish independence debate: the complexities start to emerge
on 15 January 2012 at 2:13 pm
In relation to the referendum, the only things that really matter are the actual question/s to be asked and who has control of the process. Both are matters for Scotland alone and once this has been settled we can then get on with a vigorous debate.
The reasons I would like to see an independent Scotland are many but I’ll spare you the ad nauseum list. The financial aspect is important but the issues of democracy, self-determination and self-respect are much more fundamental for me. Personally, I’d pay more than £500 a year for any one of those things if that was their cost but I accept that’s a minority position. However, it doesn’t really matter because I actually anticipate the net result of independence to be financially positive.
In another thread, I posted a link to the latest Scottish Social Attitudes Survey which had support for independence at 65% if voters would be £500 a year better off. Clearly, those people are open to persuasion and team Salmond is no stranger to the art of persuasion. Conversely, what has the British government got to offer other than dependence, austerity, war and a dwindling empire? Naw thanks. Stop the world – we want to get on.
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Comment on Salmond invades Dublin in pursuit of Glasgow’s Labour vote?
on 14 January 2012 at 8:07 pm
Phil, do you think it was the Catholic vote, the west central Scotland vote or the Labour vote that was courted? Probably all three but why? I’d suggest that the one objective above all others was to break Labour’s dominance, which just happened to be be based in west central Scotland with a significant Catholic contingent. Other target groups have been similarly courted.
The recent Scottish Social Attitudes Survey showed support for independence at 65% if voters would be £500 a year better off. Not a huge sum. For me, this demonstrates the fluidity of the vote and the concerns of those casting it.
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/politics/independence_support_rises_to_a_six_year_high_1_1991156
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Comment on Salmond invades Dublin in pursuit of Glasgow’s Labour vote?
on 14 January 2012 at 6:58 pm
Salmond couldn’t be happier if Cameron were twins. If he asks if you’re dancing you’re best to say no. And count your fingers if you’ve just shaken hands.
The Bishop weighed in over the anti-sectarian legislation and was promptly finessed. Similar could happen with the proposals for same-sex marriage. How many people are really that interested in what any church hierarchy has to say these days?
More cartoons here: http://wingsland.podgamer.com/?p=13706
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Comment on Trouble with the Troubles in the Irish Diaspora…
on 8 January 2012 at 12:13 pm
Mark, the term exercised an eyebrow of my own and I merely sought to establish the cause of this burst of energy and avoid any recurrence.
I take no issue with what I perceive to be an increasing acceptance of freedom to choose one or multiple national indentities. It’s definitely not unique to Irish or Irish-Americans. I do, however, recognise that this acceptance could become stretched during politically sensitive discussion, particularly if the allegiance of natives is being called into question.
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Comment on Why the Tories are constitutionally all at sea in Scotland
on 8 January 2012 at 12:25 am
I share your frustration. I think the Scottish Government should be bolder but most voters seem content with its current course. It can deliberately evade and obfuscate with the best of them but what government doesn’t. It’s popular because, warts and all, it promotes the Scottish national interest, it’s been competent in office and offers a positive vision whilst the alternatives are completely uninspiring.
Your argument appears to be that we are stronger and better/best off with the Union.
I beg to differ. It’s undemocratic to be governed by a party for which the people of this country did not vote. And Scottish MPs shouldn’t vote on English-only legislation.
I’d like to see a fully independent Scotland take control of all its own natural resources, including oil, sea bed and crown estate. I think Scotland should be responsible for generating and spending all of its own revenue. It should stand on its own two feet.
I want nuclear weapons out of Scotland because they are dangerous and very expensive. I want my taxes used constructively at home, not financing obscene military adventures abroad. I believe that relationships between the peoples of these islands will improve when they determine their own futures.
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