Slugger O'Toole

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Latest comments from IanR (see all)

IanR has commented 34 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on Was Gallagher ‘holed above or below the water line’?
   on 28 October 2011 at 11:33 am

   “We can`t say however that the result will have been disaster for FF, prior to Monday night there redemption was about to confirmed. Gallagher blew it for them. FF must take the positives that before stepping back from Gallagher the electorate were prepared to bring them back in from the cold after a relatively short period.”

   But they didn’t step back from Gallagher the Man after Monday, they stepped back from Gallagher the FF Trojan Horse. It is precisely because his FF connections were highlighted so starkly that his support dropped, which suggests that the electorate aren’t yet prepared to bring the party back in from the cold.

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2. Comment on Was Gallagher ‘holed above or below the water line’?
   on 28 October 2011 at 10:55 am

   Once the final count is in, an interesting question could arise (which might be worthy of a separate thread):

   If northerners had been allowed to vote in the Presidential election (as they arguably should be entitled to under the Good Friday Agreement), how much closer to victory could SF have been?

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3. Comment on Sinn Fein’s options for Presidential candidate…
   on 9 September 2011 at 4:08 pm

   Munsterview,

   SF did hold a protest outside Leinster House only last month, calling for northern voting rights in Presidential elections, with members of Ogra SF wearing jerseys from each of the six counties. It would be a logical extension of that to nominate a candidate making up the numbers with MLAs, in order to highlight the inferior status afforded to MLAs (in comparison to TDs, in terms of nominating rights) by the Irish constitution.

   Incidentally, northern county/district councils should also be entitled to nominate Presidential candidates in the same way that southern county/city councils can.

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4. Comment on Sinn Fein’s options for Presidential candidate…
   on 9 September 2011 at 3:08 pm

   “As a politician, I see the attraction of McGuinness. He’s composed under fire, and understands the need for grace with opponents. But he’s northern, and is under prepped for the southern melee.”

   Surely as President he wouldn’t need to get involved in the ‘southern melee’. Indeed it should be a requirement of the job to rise above it (and indeed above any ongoing northern squabbles)?

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5. Comment on Sinn Fein’s options for Presidential candidate…
   on 9 September 2011 at 12:07 pm

   SF have 14 TDs, 20 are required to nominate a Presidential candidate.

   There is a growing consensus amongst the southern parties that northerners should be entitled to vote in the Presidential election (although the necessary constitutional amendment probably won’t be enacted in time for this Novermber’s poll).

   The corollary of this is that those elected representatives whom the northern electorate has chosen to represent them (i.e. MLAs) should have the same right as TDs to nominate a Presidential candidate.

   Therefore SF should make up the numbers by using 6 of their MLAs – one from each of the northern counties would be powerfully symbolic – to nominate the party’s chosen candidate. MLAs have more democratic legitimacy than Senators anyway.

   When the nomination is inevitably ruled out of order, then SF can mount a protest about denial of rights to Irish citizens in the north – they’re more likely to gain traction in that argument than they are to achieve electoral success in the Presidential poll this time round in any case.

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6. Comment on One last go at the Gerry thing
   on 28 January 2011 at 10:48 am

   JoeCanuck:

   “They need to issue the byelection writ as soon as possible. We cannot allow the people of West Belfast to go unrepresented.”

   Who do you mean by ‘they’?

   Convention in the Commons dictates that the party whose member has resigned moves the writ. But Sinn Fein don’t attend and so cannot move the writ.

   In order for a by-election to occur, another of those sacred rules in the ‘Mother of Parliaments’ will have to be broken (or fudged). Once again, sit back and watch the advocates of the status quo get their hosiery in a twist…

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7. Comment on Gerard Adams, Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead – Updated
   on 27 January 2011 at 10:57 am

   It gets even funnier.

   Gerard Adams has officially joined Iris Robinson, the current Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds, on this official list:

   http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04731.pdf

   What esteemed company he keeps (other alumni of the post include Rev. Ian Paisley, Enoch Powell, Robert Kilroy Silk and Boris Johnson).

   I wonder if Adams’ Dail election opponents in Louth will mention his office under the Crown on their election leaflets?

   And what if Adams were to write to the Speaker clarifying that he has NOT accepted the post, then leave the authorities to stew?

   In the meantime, the imminent resignation of the Barnsley Central MP over the expenses scandal* will leave the Commons authorities in a quandary as they won’t know whether to appoint him to the Chiltern Hundreds or the Manor of Northstead, pending clarification of Adams’ position. Cue hours more pointless waffle in the chamber…

   * http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/lentingle/2011/01/eric_illsley-_joins_an_elite_f.html

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8. Comment on Tories: “Fermanagh and South Tyrone has characteristics that are unique within the UK”
   on 9 April 2010 at 7:53 pm

   Mark:

   “My thoughts on how SF negate the nagative of an almost guaranteed seat lose – stand aside unilaterally in South Belfast, request same from SDLP in FST. When they don’t respond and seat goes the blame as people face serious Unionist triumphalism will land firmly on SDLPs shoulders.”

   Nah, that would jeopardise the chances of SF topping the poll across the 18 constituencies (a likely prospect now that the DUP are only standing in 16 seats).

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9. Comment on Conservatives’ Orange card exposed as a joker
   on 9 March 2010 at 6:03 pm

   If the vote goes through at Stormont today, then due to the so-called ‘triple lock’ mechanism the devolution of justice also has to be approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

   The UUP no longer have any meaningful representation in the Commons (Sylvia Hermon being semi-detached, Labour-leaning and possibly about to run as an independent), but it’ll be interesting to see what happens in the Lords.

   Presumably the Conservatives will vote in favour of devolution (or risk presenting Labour with an open goal), but will the UUP peers? If not, it doesn’t bode well for them supposedly taking the Tory whip after the next general election.

   And which way will former UUP leader David Trimble vote, now that he’s a Tory peer?

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10. Comment on “and there’s not a parliament to publish the report…”
    on 5 March 2010 at 6:51 pm

    “nobody knows when Prime Minister Gordon Brown will call the election”

    I do. Monday the 12th of April.

    http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-04454.pdf

    Coincidentally (or not) the date that devolution of Policing and Justice to Stormont takes place.

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