Slugger O'Toole

Mick is the founding editor of Slugger. He has also written on politics for the Daily Telegraph, and is a regular contributor for the Guardian's trend setting Comment is Free site. He has written several papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. He also works as a digital path finder for larger media organisations like the Daily Telegraph, RTE and Ulster Television and delivers strategy and coaching services to high level executives. See sluggerconsults.com for more detail...

Latest posts from Mick Fealty (see all)

Mick Fealty has posted 8,303 times (82 in the last month).

Latest comments from Mick Fealty (see all)

Mick Fealty has commented 9,105 times (226 in the last month).

1. Comment on The McGeough case raises worrying questions about the peace process. The SDLP are right to raise them
   on 24 May 2012 at 3:15 pm

   Well, it’s not that hard to figure Paul. People have had their licences properly revoked for things they did before the GFA.

   Neither of these guys have done anything since, that we know of. Someone’s even lost a pardon no doubt down the back of another sofa.

   Politically, they are fringe players. They are the only ones in those circs to have been picked up and put in the slammer, even when, as in the case of Price, the judge says she can have bail.

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2. Comment on “Sinn Féin in my opinion has been slowly sedated…”
   on 24 May 2012 at 3:08 pm

   You do get a sense that all this deployment to the south is weakening the offering in the north. “Containment” is the ominous word that comes to mind, after Duncan Morrow.

   I don’t think that any of this is inevitable by any means if they start taking government seriously. They have the talent – both in and out of office – they should let them deploy.

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3. Comment on #Euro2020: Philosophy Fooball Solidarnosc Ireland tee shirts…
   on 24 May 2012 at 12:31 pm

   Thrrrs loads… Philosopher section is old but with some perfectly formed aphorisms… I’ve ordered a Noisey Neighbour one… Gordon (BBC) Mitchell (UTV), youve gotta have one!!

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4. Comment on #Euro2020: Philosophy Fooball Solidarnosc Ireland tee shirts…
   on 24 May 2012 at 11:57 am

   Any Polish readers care to advise?

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5. Comment on L’ (middle-aged) enfant terrible of the UUP given his cards by new party captain…
   on 24 May 2012 at 11:45 am

   I agree that the distance from the Orange is going to be a problem out west and in the countryside where it is likely one of the critical factors in where the party actually retains support.

   Even self even relatively secularists MPs like Sylvia used to pound the beat of Orange Halls to try to make sure they kept enough support. The trouble is it became more a crutch in latter years than a strong strategic advantage for them.

   But it was a complicating factor made worse by the lack of self discipline of some senior members (and I don’t just mean McNarry here) in the past in confusing where one began and the other ended.

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6. Comment on #Euro2020: Philosophy Fooball Solidarnosc Ireland tee shirts…
   on 24 May 2012 at 11:32 am

   It’s offering it to me at 22.99… Maybe there’s a surcharge for grumpy young men?

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7. Comment on SDLP needs a story that makes its opponents more uncomfortable than it does themselves..
   on 24 May 2012 at 9:18 am

   A good and interesting discussion, with some useful corrective perspectives.

   Let me just reiterate though the underlying thrust of my argument. It’s not that the SDLP should not touch this issue. The point about the parties long and honourable tradition of intervention of civil rights issues is well made.

   But rather it is that this is the only story the SDLP own at the moment. That alone invites critics to come put a mischievous spin on it (politics is necessarily a competitive as well as a dirty game).

   I doubt whether it was intended like this. It’s a ‘campaigning enthusiasm’ of one MLA which appears to have taken root at party leadership level. As I say, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing civil rights.

   But it would be better to try to find out what shifts votes, and then work out a credible position (preferably without the aid of the hideous triangulation device). Then you can go ahead make things awkward for your with some degree of purpose.

   As one SDLP friend noted last night, if you cannot answer the why question on the doorstep (or on Facebook, Twitter, etc..) then why frankly ask for new members and/or votes?

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8. Comment on Education Minister refuses to provide colleagues with a breakdown of £2 Billion of funding for schools…
   on 21 May 2012 at 4:29 pm

   I’m not at all sure PaulT. We’ve seen some small (long overdue) closures, but the bulk of the work remains. And there are some difficult decisions to make re closing some schools and opening others.

   I’ve had some people raise with me the situation in south Belfast where there is no longer a controlled high school. The result that kids who don’t get access to the local Grammars, have to be bused out of the area.

   If the budget line over schools is buried, how can anyone challenge the Minister?

   He has to be taken on trust. Now leave any concern about ‘opposition’ to one side, that doesn’t leave the Education committee with much to go on never mind the guy who has to carry the ultimate can for what goes wrong (as well as – when it comes to election time – claiming every little thing that goes right).

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9. Comment on Grammar schools and social mobility: a Northern Ireland contribution to the debate
   on 21 May 2012 at 3:57 pm

   This goes back to PaulT’s point though.

   In general, England’s aggregate figures draw achievement levels downwards. If there were more direct parallels drawn with Scotland it might be of more practical use.

   But it also true that the UK’s figures on international standards are heading downwards both regionally and nationally.

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10. Comment on Education Minister refuses to provide colleagues with a breakdown of £2 Billion of funding for schools…
    on 21 May 2012 at 3:26 pm

    Paul,

    You’re looking down the wrong end of the binoculars. As the minister has stated several times, there are an awful lot of decisions to be made over the size of the school estate in the next few years.

    There ought, inside the Executive at least, to be some form of transparency surely? The Minister of Finance is shelling out a significant proportion of the family budget on Education.

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