Scotland’s Commissioner to investigate Gerry Kelly’s attendance and speech at Castlederg parade

With the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards, Douglas Bain, having recused himself from the investigation of the complaints that Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly’s attendance and speech at the controversial Castlederg Parade in August this year was in breach of the code of conduct for MLAs “by glorifying terrorism and damaging community relations”  [Is he washing his hair? – Ed]  He’s a member of the Parades Commission…  ANYhoo…  As the BBC report, the NI Assembly today agreed to appoint Scotland’s Commissioner for Ethical Standards in …

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NI Assembly Commissioner for Standards: “In these circumstances some might have concerns as to my impartiality to consider your complaint…”

I’m not entirely convinced by the reason given by the Northern Ireland Assembly Commissioner for Standards, Douglas Bain, for his decision to recommend that the NI Assembly Committee on Standards and Privileges appoint an Acting Commissioner to consider the DUP and TUV complaints about Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly’s attendance and speech at the recent controversial Castlederg parade.  Here’s what the Commissioner told the TUV leader Jim Allister, MLA. Thank you for your letter of 12 August 2013 making a …

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Two rounds of Parades Poker to Sinn Fein (though some bombers are more equal than others)..

Two quotes stand out in this article in the Crime and Law section of today’s Irish Times: Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness said last night: “Make no mistake about it, those responsible for the violence against the police are the combined forces of the UVF and Orange Order in north Belfast.” Meanwhile, out wesht [Not THAT far west! – Ed]… Mr McGuinness said a republican parade in Castlederg , Co Tyrone to commemorate dead IRA members would be “dignified and lawful”. The …

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Unionists begin long parades weekend by attacking PSNI

It is looking it will a long weekend. Tonight’s anti-internment march was the first of a series of parades, with the Apprentice Boys tomorrow, Belfast District No 4 at Ardoyne and the Tyrone Volunteer Commemoration on Sunday. Tonight’s march was preceded by unionist loyalist protestors attacking police in Belfast city centre before the march even arrived (making the predictable spin more difficult since the republican march was nowhere in sight at the time). The march was routed away from Royal …

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“The problem with having a law against everything…”

Priceless insight from Newton Emerson in today’s round of the week in the Irish News in which he highlights a key flaw in Tony Blair’s signal legislative response to the 7/7 bombings in 2005, the Terrorism Act of 2006, is that with its redefinition of ‘incitement’ as ‘encouragement’ the burden of proof has become so incredibly low that the choice of when to use it (or more interestingly) when not to use it “becomes a purely political act”… Mick FealtyMick …

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Republican Castlederg parade: the insensitivity of the impotent

West Tyrone Sinn Fein’s strategy over the 11th August parade in Castlederg has been progressing according to a fairly well worn formula. Initially the annual event was announced at the spot where the volunteers Seamus Harvey and Gerard McGlynn were killed 40 years ago on active service. (translation IRA terrorists blew themselves up with their own bomb). Then following the predictable outcry which Sinn Fein apparently without irony have blamed on unionist politicians the parade has been rerouted to avoid …

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