October 2013 – Page 3 – Slugger O'Toole

The fear of ‘them’: “They start a process of neutralisation” and then “they start imposing their Irish language [and] their Sinn Fein republican agenda onto everyone”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2013, 10:12 am | Readers 97

The UUP suffer from the same problem as their larger rival: there’s a tension between the leader’s more moderate language and the more traditional and hard line rhetoric of other elected representatives. Here’s a portion from Mike Nesbitt’s speech as party leader: [Mike Nesbitt] I say this to the pro-Union community: It is time to get on the front foot. Be confident. But be generous too. I am not the sort of Unionist who feels threatened by an Irish Tricolour. …

Lord Empey attacks Alliance Party for flags, participation in Irish Constitutional Convention and issues warning to Dublin government

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 19, 2013, 10:19 pm | Readers 136

Listening back to Lord Empey’s opening statement at today’s UUP conference, his comments seemed worthy of a post on their own. In his nine minute address he predictably attacked the Alliance Party’s role in the Belfast City Council Union flag vote, explained why they shouldn’t be viewed as Unionist, and questioned their role in the Irish Constitutional Convention. He also laid down a white line over allowing Northerners to vote in Irish elections that the Irish Government shouldn’t cross if …

John McCallister says Sinn Fein already have a “new Ireland” while Gerry Adams calls for “an entirely new dispensation”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 19, 2013, 9:59 pm | Readers 156

By coincidence, while John McCallister didn’t have the opportunity to speak at the UUP conference today, he did get an invite to address Sinn Fein’s Towards a New Ireland – A new phase of the peace process conference in London this afternoon. He started a little apologetically … If my comments at any time seem unduly harsh or perhaps unfair, be assured that such is not my intention. I am here in good faith to promote political dialogue and debate …

New media and new politics in NI? Or complacency after conflict?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 18, 2013, 6:19 pm | Readers 70

This afternoon’s Political Studies Association of Ireland conference in Trinity included a panel looking at new media and new politics and their influence on conflict transformation in Northern Ireland. Chaired by Niall Ó Dochartaigh (NUI Galway), the panel spoke in the order: Alex Kane (Journalist) Paul Reilly (Uni. of Leicester) Brian J. Spencer (Political blogger and cartoonist) Alan Meban (Political blogger) Topics covered included whether NI actually wanted to change, whether anyone could think of an example of social media …

#Budget14: So was it Frankfurt’s way after all?

Mick Fealty on October 18, 2013, 2:11 pm | Readers 34

Now about that budget filip for Irish Labour I was talking about the other day. As our commenter Nordie Northsider warned, after each Irish budget tends to come “an unravelling of certain provisions…” The biggest single unravelling came in committee yesterday when the Health Minister admitted he’d had nothing to do with costing the €660m savings in the health budget, and expressed serious doubt he’d make them. Add to that a figure of more than €330 million health analyist Sarah …

Why Gerry Adams’ problem over his non reporting of child abuse will not go away…

Mick Fealty on October 18, 2013, 1:52 pm | Readers 226

Matt Cooper in today’s Irish Examiner puts nail firmly to head. Ignore the whinging about hostile media coverage, that’s par for the course he says. But no matter how shaming or embarrassing this story is for all of us, this surely is the reason it won’t go away: Liam Adams apparently told Gerry in 2000 that one aspect of the allegation was true. That was the time that the Sinn Féin leader, in the peace process era, should have reported …

Peter Robinson: “We must learn to communicate better…”

Pete Baker on October 18, 2013, 12:35 am | Readers 53

Interesting comments reported by the BBC from the Northern Ireland First Minister, DUP leader Peter Robinson, speaking at a Co-Operation Ireland dinner at Queen’s University in Belfast on Thursday night. From the BBC report Mr Robinson said that while it is easier and more comfortable for politicians and people in wider society to retreat to safe and familiar ground, that is not the ground where progress will be made. “I am entirely convinced that a shared and united society in …

Poots’ blood ban scientifically and medically sound. (Even if accepting blood from Britain is not.)

Mick Fealty on October 17, 2013, 10:16 am | Readers 72

I don’t have strong views one way or the other on the recent judgement against the local health Minister. On one level, what’s wrong with levelling up with the rest of the UK? However, as Kilsally has pointed out in the past, the UK position is the exception rather than the rule. In fact the Irish Blood Transfusion Service goes out of its way to explain why it is not a discriminatory practice based on identity but based on the risk …

Gerry Adams relying on some extremely fine distinctions in law to get past the AG?

Mick Fealty on October 16, 2013, 2:16 pm | Readers 57

Gerry Moriarty in the Irish Times yesterday notes the inconsistency of Gerry Adams various stories in relation to what he knew about his brothers abuse of his daughter and when. There are two versions of the truth at play. What Gerry says he knew (and when) and what Aine and her mother say he was told (and when). Here’s some highlights from Moriarty: It emerged during both the collapsed and completed trials that as far back as 1987 Adams was …

“His independent role has on occasions required him to take actions against the Executive…”

Pete Baker on October 16, 2013, 2:14 pm | Readers 85

In the Belfast Telegraph Liam Clarke picked up on this exchange during questions to the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers in the Assembly on Monday. The topic was the review, by Dame Elish Angiolini, Lord Advocate of Scotland until 2011, of the Office of the NI Attorney General, the report on which was delivered to OFMDFM in October 2012. Here’s the relevant section from Hansard. Mr Attwood: Given the current Attorney General’s inclination to join in Supreme Court cases, European …

#Budget14: Labour gets a fillip as Noonan gambles on a rising economic tide…

Mick Fealty on October 16, 2013, 9:38 am | Readers 28

Well the mood music at the Fine Gael’s National Conference was pretty upbeat. They reckoned that offering free medical cards for the under fives was going to frame the post budget debate, and they weren’t wrong. Most striking aspect of the opposition’s problem (mostly FF’s) was in trying to land a single major blow on the intricate tracework of the Michael and Brendan show yesterday. They reduced the target somewhat by restructuring repayments on the deficit less painful. Medical cards …

How can I trust you if you don’t want my vote?

Andrew Gallagher on October 16, 2013, 8:30 am | Readers 110

Politicians are often castigated for appearing to put reelection before principle, for lusting after votes rather than doing what’s best for the country. Sometimes this may be justified, but the lust for votes is not necessarily a bad thing. We should be more worried when politicians stop caring about our votes, because then we have no power over them. The only true power that the electorate has over its elected representatives is the power to hire and fire. ‘Kick the …

Seamus Mallon: “If we are going have integrity in Irish republicanism it has to be an organic thing…”

Mick Fealty on October 15, 2013, 5:13 pm | Readers 503

Marian Finucane caught up with Seamus Mallon when he was in Dublin recently with David Trimble to pick up their honorary degrees from Dublin City University. She did not pussy foot around, and began by asking the SDLP’s former Deputy First Minister, what he thought [in his own words] ‘needs to be said’: Stop this interminable failure to deal with issues, to them put them on the long finger, to treat them as though they didn’t exist. To run your …

New Media, New Politics: Social Media and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland

Niall Ó Dochartaigh on October 15, 2013, 12:53 pm | Readers 69

This Roundtable brings together bloggers, journalists, and academics to discuss the changing use of new technologies in Northern Irish politics, focusing in particular on the use of social networks in recent political campaigns and street protests. This session is part of the Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI) annual conference but it is open to the public and is free of charge. Further details on the conference, and a full programme, are available at http://psaitcd.wordpress.com When: Friday 18 October, 2pm …

#Onthisday 1964-The UK General Election

David McCann on October 15, 2013, 10:51 am | Readers 77

On this day 49 years ago, the United Kingdom went to the polls to choose a new government. The result was a narrow Labour win of just 4 seats making Harold Wilson the Prime Minister. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, the election of Wilson provoked fears among some Unionists in Northern Ireland that he would be much more interventionist in the affairs of the province than some of his predecessors. A letter he had written before the election to the Campaign …

[Soapbox] Shinners, please don’t blame the messenger!

Soapbox on October 15, 2013, 8:10 am | Readers 100

Gerry Adams is a liar. There. I’ve said it. Cue the wolf circling the sheep and herding them all in. He’s never been in the IRA. (yeah, right) He was in jail when ‘Always look on the Bright Side Of Life’ was written (not true). He is reported to have told the family of Jean Mc Conville that he was also in jail at that time (he wasn’t). Lies have a habit of tripping you up. Not so, if you’re …

Change in the abortion laws in Ireland north and south likely to be glacial and conservative

Mick Fealty on October 14, 2013, 3:03 pm | Readers 108

The tragic case of Sarah Ewart’s opens up another round of discussions on the appropriateness of current abortion laws, both and south of the border. In this respect both jurisdictions on the island have much more in common than in Britain where the liberal 1967 abortion law legalises a woman’s right to choose in almost every circumstance. In Ireland the guidelines that exist are often not well understood, even by those at the heart of the operation of the state’s …

PUP Conference encouraged to be self-critical; recognises another marginalised community & adopts pro-Equal Marriage policy

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 13, 2013, 9:05 am | Readers 356

The PUP conference left Belfast this year and headed to Brownlow House in Lurgan. More motions, more members speaking up to propose or support those motions, more women, more men in suits and ties, more delegates than recent years with lots of new faces from the new Mid-Ulster branch. If was a conference that valued protest but was told to concentrate more on politics. Co-operation and cross-party dialogue was necessary to deliver solutions. PUP Belfast city councillor Dr John Kyle …

Time-lapse: Earth

Pete Baker on October 12, 2013, 2:58 pm | Readers 54

As the Guardian’s GrrlScientist says, “Wow. Just wow.” And, “Oh, I recommend “full screen” mode.” Indeed. Adds – If you watch closely you can see Ireland and the UK pass underneath at around 2mins 30secs in. Time-Lapse | Earth from Bruce W. Berry Jr on Vimeo. Video credits Music: “Manhatta” composed and performed by The Cinematic Orchestra. (All rights reserved to their respective owners.) Film clips collected and edited by Bruce Berry. Images courtesy of the Image Science & Analysis …

Are young people getting a fair go politically in Northern Ireland? Ctd

Brian Spencer on October 11, 2013, 5:45 pm | Readers 63

David McCann really got me thinking when he asked recently: Are we giving young people a fair go in Northern Ireland? I have a few observations I’d like to ventilate on the issue. Having studied at Queen’s and lived in Toulouse and New York I’ve come to see it that young people in Northern Ireland possess certain characteristics that are unique to the province and which are relevant to any answer we should provide. You could say that the basic …