Gerry Adams – Page 13 – Slugger O'Toole

Enda Kenny: “There will be no complacency from Fine Gael”

Pete Baker on February 13, 2011, 4:54 pm | Readers 2

The latest Red C poll for the Sunday Business Post shows a little bit of movement in support for a number of parties. From the iol report In today’s Red C poll commissioned by the Sunday Business Post, Fine Gael stands on 38%, a rise of three percentage points since last Sunday despite the controversy over the party leader Enda Kenny’s decision not to take part in the first of the leaders debates. Labour is down two points to 20%. Support …

Norman Hamilton and inconsistent moderation

Turgon on February 1, 2011, 10:07 pm | Readers 400

The Presbyterian Church is tonight due to elect a new moderator. Update: Ivan Patterson elected (thanks Drumlin’s Rock). Presbyterian moderators are elected every year: in actual fact the office has almost no power; the moderator presides over the General Assembly in the summer and although often perceived as the leader of the church that is not really correct, as such a position does not exist within Presbyterianism. It must be remembered that ministers are not even the leaders within their …

“But Sinn Féin is different from the other political parties…”

Pete Baker on January 31, 2011, 5:14 pm | Readers 64

He has only just moved there, after all… but RTÉ’s 20 minute interview with the Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, is worth listening to in detail. Mick’s already noted the claimed introduction of a “warm weather payments” in the last (Stormont) budget. The Irish Times notes that… SINN FÉIN president Gerry Adams has said that telling the IMF “to go home and take their money with them” remained his party’s policy. His said his party, …

Gerry, ‘warm weather payments’, and cleaning up the south’s political act

Mick Fealty on January 31, 2011, 1:01 pm | Readers 19

Sam McBride of the News Letter, has been listening to Gerry Adams on RTE’s This Week programme (interview starts 6.44 in): Quizzed about Sinn Fein implementing cuts in Belfast while opposing them in Dublin, Mr Adams told RTE Radio 1’s This Week programme yesterday afternoon: “Now, what did we establish in the last (Stormont) budget? “For example, we made sure that those who are most vulnerable are protected. We brought in warm weather payments, we brought in a social fund …

“as someone who only moved here a week or two ago…”

Pete Baker on January 29, 2011, 2:42 pm | Readers 5

The Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, Gerard Adams, has defended his lack of knowledge of “the minutiae” of Ireland’s economic policies. From the Irish News …last night Mr Adams claimed he should not be expected to know the finer details because of his recent move from West Belfast to contest the Dail election for Louth. “I wouldn’t be expected – as someone who only moved here a week or two ago – to know the minutiae,” …

“we have delivered Mr Adams to the required destination…”

Pete Baker on January 27, 2011, 2:01 pm | Readers 20

Room for one more post to follow Brian’s coda on the appointment of Gerard Adams to the position of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. The BBC reports today, the Shadow Leader of the House, Hilary Benn, has called for a change in the constitutional rules on MP’s resignations. From the BBC report In the Commons on Thursday morning, Hilary Benn asked his opposite number if the government would consider changing the rules. He said: “Does the Leader …

After the last laugh, the coda

Brian Walker on January 27, 2011, 1:36 am | Readers 8

.. and worth another thread in my view. Here we have a sad little case of a British solution to an Irish problem. Or is it the other way round? The British are slippery and the Irish are churlish. One of those pinpoints of attitude so beloved by disputants on both sides that illustrate the essential gap between them that survives the peace process. The Westminster authorities were undoubtedly disingenuous (the Tory Richard Bacon is right, quoted by Nevin below) by …

Gerard Adams, Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead – Updated

Pete Baker on January 26, 2011, 3:05 pm | Readers 96

The UK Treasury confirms what the Prime Minister, David Cameron, told the Commons today. From the Treasury’s press notice The Chancellor of the Exchequer has this day appointed Gerard Adams to be Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead. And, while Adams’ spokesman may be suggesting otherwise to the BBC and to UTV, here’s the significant section of the House of Commons Disqualification Act – which I linked to previously. 8 — (1) No person being a member of the House of …

Adams obeys the rules, takes an office of profit under the Crown

Brian Walker on January 26, 2011, 12:32 pm | Readers 9

David Cameron has just told Nigel Dodds MP and the Commons: You may not have caught up with this yet but the member for West Belfast has just accepted an office of profit under the Crown. I’m not sure he will be delighted to become a baron of the manor of Northstead….. We are aiming for all members to take their seats. If any of them have a problem, they should come and talk about it. Dodds had asked a …

Back to Gerry 1

Brian Walker on January 26, 2011, 12:17 am | Readers 6

Just to add a note to Michael’s wrestle with the Gerry problem. Alas I was unable to answer the BBC’s very reasonable query this morning about G Adams who may have been the MP who never was and yet the MP who still remains. So they took the thorny problem to my friend and fellow townsman, Middle Temple barrister and strict legal constructionist Austen Morgan, no better man. 　Gerry Adams may have to remain an MP if he does not …

How do you solve a problem like Gerry, part 2

Rusty Nail on January 25, 2011, 10:29 pm | Readers 30

Gerry Adams jumped out of the frying pan of Morning Ireland into the fire at LM/FM. Adams’ follow-up performance on the local Louth/Meath station is so noteworthy that Fianna Fáil have actually issued it as a press release. Have a listen. Adams on LM/FM Rusty Nail

Gerry Adams: “We would negotiate with the bond market…”

Pete Baker on January 25, 2011, 2:46 pm | Readers 8

Politics.ie characterised it as a “ding dong” between Fine Gael spokesman Leo Varadkar and the still MP for west Belfast, Gerry Adams, on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. But it’s probably not as bad as that 2007 debate… It’s towards the end of the 13 minute clip [RealPlayer audio file] that Adams displays what Leo Varadkar refers to as “his ignorance of economics”. “We would negotiate with the bond market after we have straightened out the crisis in our own economy,” [Adams] said. That would …

The resignation that never was…

Pete Baker on January 24, 2011, 9:10 pm | Readers 11

I had suggested, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that the numerous reports of Gerry Adams’ “formal” resignation as the MP for west Belfast meant that he had applied to become a paid officer of the Crown. That was because an MP cannot simply resign. A parliamentary seat is deemed to be a position of trust which can only be vacated by death, expulsion, or disqualification. But Sinn Féin sources evidently told Mark Devenport otherwise… Although it’s worth noting that becoming a TD is not grounds for …

Gerry Adams applies to become paid officer of the Crown…

Pete Baker on January 20, 2011, 7:52 pm | Readers 23

Or, as the iol report notes A party spokesman said the process had now started and confirmed Mr Adams had written to Westminster to formally resign. Here’s Mick’s post in November on the republican’s dilemma. Although it’s worth noting from the House of Commons factsheet [pdf file] that he only has to apply to the Chancellor of the Exchequer for that “office of profit under the Crown”… From the factsheet [pdf file] Current procedure A Member wishing to resign applies to the Chancellor …

Is Micheál Martin the kernel of Fianna Fáil nua?

Mick Fealty on January 19, 2011, 2:38 pm | Readers 7

Cute fox you might say. But Micheal Martin is undoubtedly a shrewd operator. He survived Bertie’s attempt to destroy him by giving him the politically murderous health portfolio earlier in his ministerial career. In this last passage of play, if he did anything at all that was right, it was to serve his resignation as Minster of Foreign Affairs and, crucially, go through with it. It contrasts markedly with the party’s shambling ‘we’ve had tough decisions to make, so don’t …

SF MLA Paul Butler to stand down

Pete Baker on January 13, 2011, 2:35 pm | Readers 436

Sinn Féin MLA for Lagan Valley, Paul Butler, has announced that he will not contest the May Assembly elections after only one term as an MLA. He resigned from Lisburn Council last month, as the Antrim Times reported. “I am standing down,” confirmed Mr Butler. “The Party’s position on this is that anyone who is a councillor and an MLA should only have one job.” The BBC reports that Paul Butler has “denied he was retiring from party politics because of disappointment …

Pat Sheehan

Dewi on January 3, 2011, 8:21 pm | Readers 34

McKittrick in the Independent profiles Pat Sheehan, who is following Gerry Adams as MLA for West Belfast. A reflective piece: Then he came up with an unusual description of the Irish conflict: it was, he remarked, “probably quite civilised, if that’s a proper description to use”. Civilised? Was the IRA civilised, was it a civilised conflict? “If you look at it in the round,” he contended, “the type of mass killings and genocide in other conflicts didn’t happen here. The …

The State versus Thomas Murphy – redux

Pete Baker on December 21, 2010, 10:45 pm | Readers 48

Possibly relevant to Brian’s earlier post… and Mitchell Reiss’ admission… An iol report provides an update on the long-running saga of the State versus Thomas ‘Slab’ Murphy. First a re-cap from a previous post. In October 2008, the “culmination of intensive investigations by the Criminal Assets Bureau and the UK’s Serious and Organised Crime Agency” saw more than €625,000 in cash and cheques confiscated in Ireland as the proceeds of crime, while £445,000 (573,000 euro) and nine properties in the north-west …

Adams and Robinson: What a difference a year makes…

Mick Fealty on December 21, 2010, 11:19 am | Readers 20

We’ll be launching the full set of categories for the Slugger Awards later this morning, but Chris Donnelly makes something of a pitch for two extraordinary come backs over the last year. Gerry Adams, who this time last year was plunged into a personal and political crisis over the allegation by his niece that he’d known of her accusations of abuse against his brother and had done nothing to help. This was followed in fairly short order by a Spotlight …

Giro-drop Gerry? A resident less ordinary

Blank on December 10, 2010, 7:22 pmComments Off | Readers 16

I see Pete has flagged this between me starting the draft and getting home but I’ll add my take regardless. Several weeks back I noted Gerry Adams would find it no problem to become a candidate in Louth but may find it more difficult to become an elector. In order to be able to vote at an election or referendum, a person’s name must be entered on the register of electors for the locality in which the elector ordinarily resides. …