“I have always encouraged a timely solution..”

Confirmation of the consequences of the ministerial ‘mind’, unintended or not, in this David Gordon report in the Belfast Telegraph of the meeting between Moyle Council, the National Trust and the Enterprise Minsiter, the DUP’s Nigel Dodds. Reading between the lines of the minister’s reported statement “I want to see this world heritage site maintained and I have always encouraged a timely solution which would deliver value for money for the taxpayer but which would also deliver the high standard …

Read more…

“It is very clear that the members we represent are not prepared to accept the offer..”

The GMB union were first to accept the terms and conditions of the offer to the classroom assistants and now Unison has joined them. The smallest union involved, T and G Unite, were split 50/50 on strike action, but have not accepted the offer. Neither have NIPSA whose strike action continues. NIPSA General Secretary, John Corey, has also reiterated the union’s position. [pdf file] “The Minister and the Education Boards are badly mistaken if they think that the 3000 plus …

Read more…

“We are now beginning to see signs of control freakery being exhibited.”

The UUP leader and NI Executive Minister for Employment and Learning, Reg Empey, has issued a statement in response to the “pantomime” performance of the Deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, and the “thinly veiled threats” from the Finance Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson – and, no doubt, also in response to the criticism of the Health Minister. From the UUP leader’s statement “We are currently engaged in a process where we are discussing drafts – I repeat drafts …

Read more…

The future of the British-Irish Body

The British-Irish Body is still discussing its own future The former Conservative Security Minister Michael Mates has been a stalwart of the Body since its birth. He described the inaugural meeting 18 years ago as the most hostile suspicious and ill tempered meeting he had ever attended The Body is in danger of being a fairly bland talking shop which ministers ignore and which is still ridiculously boycotted by the unionists When it meets in 6 months time in Wexford …

Read more…

Dublin too dangerous for UDA leader

Fianna Fail TD Charlie O’Connor amused many at the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body with his tale of a UDA leader confiding that he was somewhat fearful of visiting Dublin due to its high levels of drug dealing, violent crime and murder. Ahem, indeed Gary KentGary Kent is a graduate of international relations. After spells in management in British Rail and the Co-Op he began work in parliament in 1987 where he was active for two decades on Anglo-Irish peace activity against …

Read more…

Meet the new regime; same plans as the old one…

THE cracks in the Executive continue to widen by the day, and earlier tonight an Alliance amendment expressing concern at the Programme for Government re-opened the faultline between the DUP-Sinn Fein axis and the two minor partners. It was the second time in a week that UUP and SDLP members voted against their colleagues in the cabinet. Leading the charge against the Programme for Government’s lack of ambition, David Ford described the ‘coalition’ executive as “yet again in crisis”, adding: …

Read more…

“there are alternative views in relation to the age of the Giant’s Causeway..”

Mark Devenport also spotted a mischievous question from the Alliance Party MLA Trevor Lunn to the Environment Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster [scroll down] – “Mr T Lunn asked the Minister of the Environment what is her assessment of the age of the Giant’s Causeway.” The problem is that her answer, an official written answer as the Minister for the Environment, a) doesn’t answer the question, and b) in doing so appears to give equal weight to those alternative views. …

Read more…

Oppositional games

The BBC’s Mark Devenport pointed to the exchange (captured on the YouTube video below) between the Northern Ireland Executive’s Deputy First Minister, or “co-chair” as he refers to himself as, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, and the Alliance Party leader David Ford, as the “put down of the day”. Except, it’s how you’d expect any government to treat a party of the opposition, official or not, even here in our administration. The only point left to make is whether he did, …

Read more…

So what is a Republican party?

El Mat has been told by some of his fellow writers that the SDLP cannot be defined as a Republican party because that is not the way it is perceived by others. That is, as he points out, an almost impossible point to prove one way or the other. So, he asks, what makes one party a Republican when they say they are, and another, which makes precisely the same claim, not? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He …

Read more…

From British Irish Interparliamentary Body

From Gary Kent (miles from the nearest computer) I am spending a couple of days at a stately pile near David Camerons constuency in deepest Oxfordshire with 60 parliamentarians from across these islands. This is for the twice yearly meeting of the British Irish Inter Parliamentary Body. This morning we had a general political debate which allows people to sound off on various pet issues. The debate was framed well by Irish Woman of the Year May Blood who said …

Read more…

a matter for the assembly and could not be imposed..

You need to read to the end of the BBC report to get to the significant part of the reported speech by the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, at the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body’s 35th Plenary Session in Oxford Mr Woodward also said that the devolution of policing and justice powers was a matter for the assembly and could not be imposed. Indeed. Of course, he’s already accepted that the timetable might need to be changed.. Now, is anyone …

Read more…

You couldn’t make it up..

An occasional series. If it’s not the Northern Ireland Executive’s Deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, telling everyone of the importance of “Respect for authority..” [*ahem* – Ed] it’s Junior Minister, the DUP’s Ian Paisley jnr, emphasising the “importance of tolerance, acceptance and understanding in society..” Indeed. Pete Baker

Oppositional campaign continues

Northern Ireland’s oppositionally-inclined Minister for Health, the UUP’s Michael McGimpsey, is stepping up his campaign for public support in opposition to the Executive’s Draft Budget, telling the BBC’s Politics Show that a proposed new women and children’s hospital could be delayed due to a lack of available funds. Meanwhile his party colleague, Basil McCrea has been telling Mark Devenport that the party may have to do some “hard thinking” about its position in the Executive if the budgetary issues are …

Read more…

Health reforms and the budget…

Simon Hamilton is obviously being groomed as a rising media star, and the DUP’s point man on Health. In this set piece on the Politics Show with Patricia McKeown of Unison, the DUP criticism seems to revolve around the part of the Appleby report that calls for Health Service reforms. Professor Appleby also called for an increase in spending from £2.7 billion in 2002/3 to £6 billion by 2022/23, which appears not to have featured in the discussion. You can …

Read more…

World Cup qualifying decided

Northern Ireland have been drawn against Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino. If we can beat Spain, the Czech Republic and Poland will be no problem. Full draw here. Scotland and the Republic should do well in their groups. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday

“an endlessly compelling cabinet of poetry.”

If Our Shared Japan doesn’t float your poetic boat you could try The Echoing Years – the third in a trilogy of anthologies of contemporary Canadian and Irish poets. This one features 172 poets, (87 Canadian, 85 Irish), and includes translations/versions of Dante, Virgil, and eastern European poets and is co-edited by John Ennis, Randall Maggs and Stephanie McKenzie. The official launch is in Waterford Institute of Technology School of Humanities tomorrow, followed on Tuesday 27th by a Dublin launch …

Read more…

Haven’t I seen that before?

Bob, fresh from moving house, casts his critical and observant eye over Iris Robinson’s Newsletter column of this week. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday

“a celebration of outside influence”

I missed the news of the 11 October launch of a new anthology of contemporary Irish poetry (both in English and in Irish) – Our Shared Japan – as mentioned on the Dedalus Press blog. It’s been published to mark the 50th year of Ireland’s and Japan’s establishment of diplomatic relations. Today’s Guardian prints Seamus Heaney’s afterword from the anthology where he considers the outside influence of poetry on poetry and points to some similarities from the past.. although I’d …

Read more…

Anti-powersharing party pokes head above parapet…

A FUNDRAISER for a new unionist grouping is to take place on Monday, with a launch for the anti-powersharing movement expected in weeks. The faction will comprise of hardliners opposed to the DUP entering government with Sinn Fein. While the alleged involvement of IRA members in the Quinn murder might appear to have given the group some ammunition to fire at the DUP (who are now only interested in ‘corporate’ IRA involvement), Paisley’s party juggernaut will be hard to displace. …

Read more…

Is it a bird, is it a plane…

…no, it’s ‘Orangeman’! The Beeb is reporting that the Orange Order has created a new superhero to win over the next generation of sash-wearers. It’s looking for name for the kids’ icon – Orangeman has been deemed to obvious. The Order’s David Hume said: “We want to make the Orange Order more relevant to the young and appear less stuffy. Our new Orange hero has been carefully designed and is really a bit of good fun. Our research shows that …

Read more…