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Books
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The Irish political journalist’s problem with partial disclosure…
Tweet The nod and wink politics of Ireland’s last two or three decades as practised par excellence by Bertie, Albert and Charlie is ultimately what has the Republic in the stew it’s in. Don’t get me wrong, the effective monitoring of those exercising of power does not demand full disclosure of everything all the time. [...] read our review »
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Legion of the Rearguard – Dissident Irish Republicanism by Martyn Frampton, Book Review
Tweet Are you confused about ‘dissident’ Irish Republicanism? Anxious about its existence and its seemingly increasingly deadly capabilities? Martyn Frampton’s new book, Legion of the Rearguard: Dissident Irish Republicanism (Irish Academic Press, 2011) serves both as a primer on active dissident groups and a timely analysis of their historic significance and contemporary capabilities. This book [...] read our review »
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“This coming 16 June, Radio 4 will be a wall-to-wall Joycefest…”
Tweet As The Observer’s Alex Clark notes This coming 16 June, Radio 4 will be a wall-to-wall Joycefest, kicking off at 9am and running until midnight: a new, five-and-a-half hour dramatisation of Ulysses, narrated by Stephen Rea and starring Henry Goodman, Niamh Cusack and Andrew Scott, will be punctuated by broadcasts by Mark Lawson in [...] read our review »
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Comment on Taking years off your life – NI life expectancy deprivation gaps show increase over last decade
on 17 May 2013 at 1:10 pm
Health Inequality gaps are worst for people living in West Belfast.
Who represents West Belfast?
Didnt they hold the Health portflio for quite a while?
#SinnFeinFail
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Comment on Team Jasil – that’s John and Basil – say: “Get off your backsides and vote for people that are trying to make a difference”
on 12 May 2013 at 1:21 pm
Having listened to both John and Basil it seems to me that the Jasil Party is not going to contest the Westminster elections? Both stated that Left Right doesn’t apply to NI – only to Westminster but they are determined – despite direct questioning from the audience – to align themselves on the UK political spectrum. They are determined to be parochial. So they couldn’t stand for Westminster.
The ‘Unionist’ and ‘nationalist’ parties stand for Westminster to promote (with little evidence of success) a Unionist or Nationalist agenda. What would a Jasil MP stand for?
Basil might witter about being ‘pro United Kingdom party’ but they have deliberately avoided stating any view on any left right UK issue – other than John adopting a anti Euro stance
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Comment on Team Jasil – that’s John and Basil – say: “Get off your backsides and vote for people that are trying to make a difference”
on 12 May 2013 at 12:59 pm
Good to hear that Basil is against youth unemployment – that will help mark him out for all the parties that are in favour of youth unemployment!
I’m Basil is contradicting himself already. He is pro UK but blithely states NI politics is not about Left and Right.
He says our politics is about administering the money that Westminster gives us for welfare etc.
He essentially says that our politics must never aspire to be involved in these Big Politics issues?
Basil says the constitutional question is settled probably for ever – but that we must not be involved in those politics?
All things to all in Northern Ireland.
“If you just set out to be liked, you will be prepared to compromise on anything at anytime, and would achieve nothing.”
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Comment on Team Jasil – that’s John and Basil – say: “Get off your backsides and vote for people that are trying to make a difference”
on 12 May 2013 at 11:18 am
Oh dear. So basically its another Six County catch all Unionist Party. Neither left nor right. Pro Union but afraid to align with the politics of the Union?
Poor John pulled along by Basil who just wants to be loved by everyone
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Comment on Ferguson’s departure: Rivals must work to burst “the incumbency bubble” of the EPL
on 10 May 2013 at 12:32 pm
A strange trio to choose two highly successful individuals and one failure who has emigrated last I heard
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Comment on Is the proof of Margaret Thatcher’s Northern Ireland policy the prosperity of modern Sinn Fein?
on 14 April 2013 at 11:44 am
‘Sinn Fein, who politically she tried to down at birth with the AIA, are actually at the heart of government now in this region. With current trends they are likely soon to be the largest party in the region.’
A toothless and incompetent Assembly that has less power, direction and influence than many a County council.
SF have the trappings of power but have achieved nothing in policy terms. Partly because of the system but also partly because beyond a very smplisitic nationalism and a juvenile understading of economics they have no policies.
SF are locked in to the status quo in the North and so are increasingly focused in the 26 counties
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Comment on Is the proof of Margaret Thatcher’s Northern Ireland policy the prosperity of modern Sinn Fein?
on 14 April 2013 at 11:38 am
FDM but the British did defeat the IRA. Their goals are unmet and they have disarmed and disbanded.
The beginnings of their end came when Thatcher upped the British military effort so much in the 1980s and inflitrated the Republican movement so heavily that by the late 1980s leading members of SF/IRA were able to sell the idea that they could not win and must pursue other means.
With agents such as Donald Donalson, Scap and Others they were able to isolate opposition and drag Republicanism into politics.
Looks like defeat, sounds like defeat.
Did you think the aim of Thatcher was Simply to have an Army only strategy? Of course they used their agents to achieve their goals – given the opportunity for SF to dress things up and save face was clever tactics and saved lives
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Comment on Gerry Adams says loyalists have much in common with republican neighbours and calls for dialogue
on 14 April 2013 at 11:25 am
The sooner this lotget in government in the Republic the better!
Then the inconsistency of arguing aganst austerity, for a (unfunded/unfundable?) 13 billion euro spending package, cutting Corproation tax (and hence £300m+ off services) would become clear.
We would all be saved this drivel as the hard realities of govt force tough decisions which untimately lead to unpopularity!
In the meantime I reckon they can play their populist cards and become well established as the Third Force of Irish politics (after the demise of Labour)
There would be an irony in that as essentially they will then have fully suplanted the descendants of the Officials!
3,000 deaths to late many would say.
But on a brighter note the British tactic of bidding time, grinding down their paramilitay wing and sucking the Republicans into politics will be complete and their agents can enjoy a happy retirement whereever they are – in Donegal or Stormont.
The Republicans thought they were the ones playing a long game LOL.
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Comment on A5 ruling: “They should not be left in any doubt about what may or may not occur…”
on 8 April 2013 at 11:50 pm
So NI Executive flagship capital expenditure project runs into sand anyone going to resign?
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Comment on Margaret Thatcher: An Ireland ALMOST reconciled to a bitter legacy from the Troubles…
on 8 April 2013 at 11:00 pm
Gerry Adams:”Her Irish policy failed miserably”
Do you really think so Gerry?
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Comment on Bedroom Tax aimed at the poor in London and SE will cost more in Northern reland
on 5 April 2013 at 10:46 pm
The real scandal here is (yet again) with our Housing Associations. For years they built not what was needed but what would benefit themselves most financially. Disgraceful – but no one other than NI Tories even points this out?
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Comment on Robinson tells Cameron he’s playing a ‘powerless-inside-the-union card’ on Scotland…
on 27 March 2013 at 11:41 am
The DUP has the electoral support of 0.6% of the electorate of the Union – down 0.3% on previous GE.
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Comment on Corporation Tax is not Northern Ireland’s elephant in the room…
on 27 March 2013 at 9:34 am
Some folk seem to have short memories. Mark Devenport compares Varney exercise to the Conservative one. But Varney was appointed with the sole purpose of killing the idea!
Cameron and the Conservatives are not hostile to it at all but unlike Robbo et al his primary goal is the maintenance of the Union so the delay til next year was inevitable.
Let us not forget that by then Cameron will have cut Corporation Tax to 20% by then – virtually halving the gap between RoI and ourselves.
Do we honestly think that if Cameron had devolved the power on day one if Downing St that the Dysfunctional NI Executive would have bitten the bullet and implemented 12.5% in one go?
The truth is that the Executive is completely directionless – it has totally failing to rein in revenue spending and government costs. Where are the Draft plans implement the sort of savings that would need to be made to introduce this even on a phased basis?
The Executive has only curtailed government costs under pressure from Westminster – when faced with a tough decision it tries to duck it.
So Cameron is forcing the Executive to gradually get its house in order (and they are failing to do so properly) whilst narrowing the gap (and ultimate cost) of moving towards 12.5 or 10%
Of course Mick hits the other nail on the head – that NI’s case for Inward Investment was dealt a much heavier blow by UUP/DUP inspired Flegs protest than this announcement yesterday. So forgive me if I find the DUP and UUP pronouncements hard to take!
Ie Finance Minister Sammy Wilson on Nolan on Corporation Tax derogation “we’re prepared to pay the price. We’re prepared to take the risk.”
Yeah right Sammy!
Nesbitt talking nonsense too.
All the business organizations know this to be true too but are afraid to say
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Comment on No surprises in Mid Ulster as Molloy wins; turnout dips down from 91.5% in 1969 by-election to just 55.7%
on 8 March 2013 at 9:15 am
‘When and where is Mike Nesbitt going to try and show for a second time that he is really a leader worthy of being elected as an MP?’
When the DUP give him a free run in North Down at the next GE?
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Comment on The shrinking heart of the UUP: A lucky 13?
on 20 February 2013 at 8:58 pm
IJP you’re misunderstanding my point. My fault – the flaws of the format. Best wishes!
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Comment on The shrinking heart of the UUP: A lucky 13?
on 20 February 2013 at 7:58 pm
To be honest IJP I”ve never seen any evidence of alliance doing hard work on the ground.
Also you could also say that all that hard work on the ground will never come to anything with a coherent and attractive vision – hence why Alliance have stagnated over the years
I notice Nesbitt now claiming 2,000 members if over 1,000 are in Fermanagh it means the rest are pretty thin on the ground – and yet they got twice as many MLAs (initially!) as Alliance. They definitely Didnt work hard.
How many members do Alliance have btw?
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Comment on Nesbitt: “change happens and if you don’t roll with it then you’ll be left behind”
on 18 February 2013 at 11:00 pm
What does Nigel Lutton actually do for living? All I know is e worked for the DUP for a number of years. His father was a caretaker for the National Trust?
Beyond the Victims Industry does he have any real life experience? Like working in the private sector running a business or anything?
What age is he? Is he married?
We know very little about him
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Comment on Basil McCrea finally throws in the towel … from where can UUP find hope?
on 16 February 2013 at 6:47 pm
Those who rubbish the Conservative option are letting their own prejudices get in the way of the facts. Over 100,000 voted for candidates who were clearly fighting on a Conservative manifesto and whose leader was David Cameron.
The idea of wanting to have progressive left/right politics BUT via a new Six County party is a contradiction
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Comment on Basil McCrea finally throws in the towel … from where can UUP find hope?
on 15 February 2013 at 11:46 am
I’ll bet anyone a tenner that Nigel Lutton runs for the DUP at the next Assembly elections #sandrashafted
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Comment on Opening shots muffled in UK government’s fightback against Scottish independence campaign
on 12 February 2013 at 11:35 am
UK Government’s ‘fightback’
Last I saw it was all over bar the shouting.
Salmond on a hiding to nothing
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