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Hearing the Other Voice from the Grave: Why Should we Listen to David Ervine’s Stories?
Ed Moloney’s Voices from the Grave: Two Men’s War in Ireland has received considerable attention in the press and in the public realm since its publication earlier this year. Although the book relates the experiences of the Provisional IRA’s Brendan Hughes and the PUP/UVF’s David Ervine, much of the discussion has focused on Hughes’ stories [...] read our review » -
Help me with the West Wing: Essential viewing or Party Political Broadcast?
Having somehow managed to avoid watching a single episode of the widely praised West Wing TV series I was delighted to discover the entire Box set in my Christmas stocking – and with enough spare time over the holidays to give it a good lash. But with 10 episodes of the first series under my [...] read our review »
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Of the Old North and other Vanished Kingdoms..
I’m currently trawling through Norman Davies’s fabulous new tome – “Vanished Kingdoms” – Five stars in the (London) Telegraph’s review from Ben Wilson: All the nations that have ever lived have left their footsteps in the sand,” writes Norman Davies. “The traces fade with every tide, the echoes grow faint, the images are fractured, the human [...] read our review »
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Comment on Cryptozoology: Unionist outreach to Catholics
on 11 January 2012 at 8:10 pm
Turgon, excellent article.
I have to fess up – I’m a unicorn.
And like many ex-maintained sector kids I know I am now non-church going and in a happy mixed marriage.
The problem I have with our parties is that I don’t fit well with any except Alliance. Family background is SDLP and I know and like several of the MLAs, but from my perspective I’ve moved forward and they’ve stagnated – John Hume’s post nationalist european vision is long since binned for a confused sinn fein-lite mixed with “it was all alright when we wrote the Good Friday Agreement”.
UUP can’t make up their mind what they are and, to be blunt, trappings of orangism especially under Tom Elliot are a fundamental turn-off.
Sinn Fein – no way. I’m married to a border prod whose family suffered sectarianism, bigotry and threats as bad as anything I or my friends experienced growing up in north Belfast. My kids might feel different, but that is one vote I’ve never cast and can’t see I ever will.
DUP… Two years ago I would have laughed at the mere suggestion. It is still far too early and I suspect a whole new generation of politicos will need to come through, before I could actively consider voting DUP. But I have watched the transition as they have been in government and despite the default need to often still to the old DUP roots, this increasing looks like a party that is still on a journey.
This unicorn remains curious, but wary.
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Comment on Department of Employment and Learning goes, but Alliance keep Justice?
on 11 January 2012 at 7:43 pm
Firstly let me say upfront there are too many departments in the executive and if we could drop to six or seven departments (or even one department with a series of directorates like Scotland) that would be very positive and save a lot of wasted money.
But, the splitting of DEL, and the movement of our universities and especially our colleges back into DE is a serious retrograde step that will do untold harm to the prospects of a generation of our young people.
DEL has some serious flaws, but it has over time brought much more of an economic focus to light to the third level elements of our balkanised education system. That economic focus was completely absent from the old DENI and there is little evidence that DE is any better. The result is that far too many of us were provided with little or no careers advice, that farr too many students had no awareness of the future jobs that would be available.
What is worse is that the executive have an alternative that was independently produced by an expert panel at THEIR request. The Barnett review was very clear that DETI and DEL must be merged as this would be the best fit of responsibilities within government with the needs of our economy.
But it seems evidence and expert advice doesn’t count for much these days.
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Comment on The not-so-elitist grammar school education (with the exception of Lumen Christi and Rathmore)
on 25 November 2011 at 7:06 am
http://www.economist.com/node/21540291
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Comment on NILT: Does it tell us anything beyond it may still have sampling issues?
on 19 June 2011 at 9:07 am
I debated whether to post on this thread at all, as Slugger is once again slipping into that phase where the usual suspects tout the usual lines and those who aren’t sufficiently true to their nationalist/unionist roots slope off and shake their heads ‘not cross, just disappointed’
But for what its worth…..
Sampling – NILT sample is a little over 2000 randomly selected across NI, the response of about 1200 is par for the course (638 refusals is also par for the course). The results of such a survey are a report purely on those who responded – its not a census its a sample – so there is the potential for statistical bias. That may be the case, but year on year sampling showing a trend would need hard evidence to refute, not opinion based on “My friends don’t think like that”.
I listened with interest to Barry McElduff’s incredulity and conspiracy theories on Talkback and dispaired that, once again, ignorance of how statistics work and can be interpreted becomes another whataboutery special. Barry (and others on this forum) cannot compute how election votes can be reconciled with the survey results, but the two are very different exercises and ask different questions.
Firstly the Election is a record of the votes of the 55% of those who have registered to vote – i.e. those who haven’t registered aren’t counted and those who didn’t vote aren’t either. Without some evidence of preferences and policy priorities of the non voting block, it is dangerous to make assumptions about them, but too often posters on Slugger assume a straight catholic=nat, protestant= unionist.
btw Barry’s assertion that he knows exactly what SF/SDLP voters think when they mark a ’1′ on a ballot paper was breathtaking in its ignorance and arrogance.
Secondly, those voting may (and many do) use their vote tactically. I voted for Conall McD 1, Anna Lo 2 as I thought he would keep a balance in the S Belf constituency that suited this mixed marriage, catholic, Alliance supporter. My wife (a former Ulster Unionist voter), voted Alliance 1 and SDLP 2 as she can’t stand Michael McGimpsey. So, based on a 100% sample of my house and Barry’s insight into voting we must be in more in favour of a United Ireland than not, but that’s just rubbish!
Thirdly the 600+ who refused to engage with NILT may be an interesting group – some will be too busy, some will never fill in surveys, and I suspect, but can’t prove, some will on political grounds not want to help a ‘Northern Ireland’ survey of any sort – which may skew the results.
And that is a valid question for ARK to answer – can they provide a further breakdown – perhaps geographical, religion etc and over a number of surveys? That would help identify if there is a statistical bias creeping in.
My personal experience and that of many I work with is that a binary approach to national identity is lazy and often inaccurate. I’m Northern Irish, Irish and British in that order, my wife would swap the British and Irish, but would still see herself as all three. Some of our friends would drop the Irish element and more woudl drop the British, but all would have Northern Ireland in there with at least one other facet of identity ( German in one case!).
Mick asked in the previous thread whether this survey is picking up someting about a dislocation between the parties stilled wrapped in their flags and an electorate which is increasingly disengaged. It would need much more evidence to be sure, but I suspect that even backed with the most robust evidence possible, many will dispute it or dismiss any suggestion that the question which has had so much blood spilled over it is increasingly irrelevant.
The sad truth is a binary ‘us vs them’ ‘UI vs UK’ view is much easier and comfortable than a genuine shared identity.
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Comment on Nationalism’s ‘crise de foie’: most Catholics prefer the United Kingdom…
on 18 June 2011 at 11:01 am
Zig70
In my case and many of my friends, voting tends to fall into a soft green/yellow fringe – Alliance/SDLP with some votes going possibly to UU, but only where the candidate is not of the Tom Elliot variety.
I’ve never voted DUP or SF and can’t see that I ever could, but do accept both parties have moved a long way.
John’O'Neill
Ark’s methodology is fully open and they have published a detailed technical report which includes data on confidence intervals and sampling errors.
Also surveys can only reveal what respondants tell them – i.e. there isn’t a direct correllation between the population sampled and the subset of the NI population who actually vote.
I’m not saying this is definitive, but similar trends year on year either mean the methodology is sound and the data robust, or else there are serious flaws in the samplying and analysis repeated year on year – in the case of NI Life and Times the latter is unlikely to be the case as the survey is subject to considerable scrutiny.
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Comment on Nationalism’s ‘crise de foie’: most Catholics prefer the United Kingdom…
on 18 June 2011 at 9:11 am
Pippakin
Fair point! Ireland beating England in Cricket – fabulous! it kept me in craic for weeks, but then my English friends also loved it
I suppose it proves identity isn’t simple (or else I’m confused)
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Comment on Nationalism’s ‘crise de foie’: most Catholics prefer the United Kingdom…
on 18 June 2011 at 8:45 am
Dewi,
I’m one and not that unusual. Educated via the Catholic Maintained System and QUB. It was only at Queens where my social circle widened much and I found a circle life long friends. Those friends include boys and girls from Andersonstown, Cregagh, Derry and Comber. It was there I met my wife a protestant from Derry who lived in number of other border towns.
I have family in England and the Republic. I can’t stand England’s Rugby Team, but do follow the cricket team as a genuine supporter (so I suppose I pass Tebbit’s infamous cricket test!)
My work brings me into contact with many business poeple and civil servants and what I see is an increasing sense of some ‘other’ identity one where the importance of consititution is subordinated to community. We want to see this place work, because frankly there isn’t a credible alternative in the next few decades.
My unionism (which is definitely with a small ‘u’) is pragmatic, but also informed by that sense of shared identity. I value my community of friends and family above any unmarked border. I’m Northern Irish, Irish, British and happy to be all three. Especially if it means can watch my boys grow ina stable safe country where they might have a good future.
Hope this helps explain.
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Comment on Post election, the SDLP’s position is like…
on 11 May 2011 at 8:12 am
There are some similarities between the decline of the UU and SDLP – outflanked by their more extreme cousins moving into their territory on one side and a growing (but still small) Alliance vote taking up the garden centres. Both also suffer under uninspiring leaders who are terrible on media and both parties had/have a lot of elder statesmen who have long since lost their hunger.
BUT there may be some hope for SDLP – firstly they have been managing to belatedly bring in some fresh faces at Assembly and Council – don’t estimate the need for fresh keen candidates who are media savvy.
Secondly despite FJH’s complaints about the South Belfast Mafia, it should be remembered that Labour’s experience was that you can’t win with Michael Foot (M Durkan) or Neil Kinnock (M Richie) looking to move even more to the left, but a balanced business friendly and socially responsible manifesto can keep a core vote and attract new voters. Knockers of the South Belfast Mafia should note that both Alastair and Conall have picked up votes from former UU supporters here (incl my missus) and remain transfer friendly.
SDLP can’t out green Sinn Fein, and Alliance hasn’t shown evidence yet that they can significantly expand outside greater Belfast.
I’m afraid Margaret needs to step down, – she’s begun to take the party on to a better track, but isn’t the leader to bring it electoral recovery.
And in the next Assembly be positive in the Executive (Alex stop whining! )and be aggressive on committees (McDevitt on NI Water set a good precendent).
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