The elections this May are almost certain to see the return of familiar faces of both nationalism and unionism. Of course I’m referring to the elections to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, whose electorates will go to the polls on 5 May and then again most likely later in the year for the referendum on whether or not to remain in the EU. Whilst there is unlikely to be a change of government in either devolved body, the …
From Rodney Edwards in the Impartial Reporter today. He quotes the Deputy First Minister as saying; I keep meeting people within the community, my community, who say I am doing too much reaching out, who say it is not being reciprocated. I say, that’s not a good enough reason for me to stop doing it and I intend to continue to do it because it’s the right thing to do. Speaking about 12th July, McGuinness said; I think it’s important …
WHERE NEXT? If one thing characterises Sinn Féin as it prepares for elections north and south of the border, it’s momentum. Consistently strong election results in the north and rising support in the south mean the party is feeling very optimistic about its future, with party leader Gerry Adams recently stating his belief that Sinn Féin will enter government in the Dáil after either this year’s general election or the next.
Nothing demonstrates the zero gravity of NI politics more than the nationalist reaction to the Evason report. The SDLP who fought a rearguard action on welfare cuts welcomed it even though it contains for the first time, time bound benefits. They reason that she has implemented some of the measures they proposed but were blocked by joint Sinn Fein and DUP action. Sinn Fein on the other hand have said nothing, except to put out this presser (under the bylines of …
MUST WIN: Leader Micheál Martin has invested a lot of personal energy into the promotion of Margaret Murphy O’Mahony. She’s geographically well placed and the party generally has enough support for one seat. If they don’t succeed here it will be a dark day for Martin’s leadership.
BORDER HOP: Micheal Martin told the Dail yesterday, that it is Fianna Fáil’s intention to lay out the case in Northern Ireland for it to remain as part of the European Union, and that “the case for Northern Ireland remaining is overwhelming and we should not and will not be silent in the campaign”.
SHOW ME THE MONEY: The Budget has passed the Assembly with a vote of 62 for, with 30 against. The DUP and Sinn Fein voted for the budget with Alliance, SDLP, UUP, TUV, Greens, Basil McCrea, John McCallister and Claire Sugden voting against.
So the British Polling Council is publishing Professor Patrick Sturgis’ report “The Inquiry into the Failure of the 2015 Pre-election Polls…” It doesn’t look good for the pollsters… For the first time we may be getting a clear glimpse of just who the shy Tory voter is. It may be that they aren’t shy at all, more that they are just too busy working to answer the phone or say yes to a pollster’s enquiry. Here’s the thing, not only …
HALFWAY HOUSE – Half way home for two women disrupted by a blizzard on the Glenshane Pass the pub doubles as a half way point between 1916 and today to look back at the Easter Rising and the Somme in Philip Orr’s new play.
COMING TOGETHER: With Northern Ireland’s politicos getting increasingly excited about the upcoming Assembly election, talk is eventually going to turn to electoral strategy. While our PR-STV voting system offers its own avenues for attracting votes, one method completely independent of the system is the electoral pact.
The Girdwood Community Hub in North Belfast will host the launch of the annual 4 Corners Festival on Friday 22 January at 11 am. The festival aims to inspire people to ‘cross boundaries’ and participate in events in all four corners of the city. All events are free. This year’s theme is ‘the art of listening’ and the events are designed to help people hear what others have to say about how the city can be transformed. The programme is …
CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMES: David Torrance argues that the ideal, perhaps quixotic, answer to the constitutional itch is a reformed federal UK within a reformed, more federal European Union? For only that would give adequate expression to Scottishness as well as Englishness, Welshness and, more awkwardly, Northern Irishness.
“Ballsbridge is like the Western front,” Ian McElhinney’s Edward Butler declared as RTE’s 1916 miniseries ‘Rebellion’ concentrated on the third day of the Rising. There were plenty of bullets whizzing about in the third episode of director Aku Louhimies and writer Colin Teevan’s miniseries, starting with a British firing squad shooting a rebel. Barry Ward’s Arthur Mahon couldn’t bring himself to raise his rifle and, avoiding a court martial, he ended up having to scoop bodies off the streets of …
One of the foremost figures associated with the local football scene, Gerry Carlile, has published an article on his new blog (reproduced below) asking the question as to whether or not there will ever be a professional domestic Irish football league. Carlile is well placed to speak on the subject. As the most renowned Irish football agent, he is known throughout the domestic scene to key figures, both involved in local clubs and on the international setting. The arguments normally …
The recent release of the 2016 Oscar nominations hides an fascinating twist for local film fans. The local connection comes by way of “Northern Irish/ Icelandic” director Robert Ingi Douglas who gave 2016 Best Original Score nominee Johann Johannsson his first feature movie opportunity following a chance meeting in a Reykjavik bar just over 15 years ago. The Icelandic musician, nominated this year for for his powerful Sicario score, is well known for his work on Prisoners and Theory of Everything …
It seems to have been going on for ever but the truth is, it hasn’t even started yet. I am of course, referring to the greatest political show on earth, the US presidential election. This year’s crop of hopefuls contains demonstrates once again the diversity of America’s millionaire class. In addition to middle-aged white guys, there is an African-American, a Jew, a Latino and a Canadian, who is also a Latino. Why there is even a woman. Let’s take a …
MORE DAVRO THAN BERTIE: This is now a zero sum game. Loss of ground by Fine Gael over the campaign will automatically translate into a Fianna Fáil gain. Fianna Fáil will have to make its own ground in this one and will need to land some hefty punches on Enda, Leo, Michael and Simon. It cannot depend on Enda and Fine Gael to just lose it.
EYES DOWN FOR: Sparks between Fine Gael and Labour in Dublin Central. A dark horse at odds of 8/1 or so Cieran Perry may be of interest to political punters looking for a value long odds bet. Will Fine Gael’s most vulnerable Minister will find his chance of ever becoming a FG leader eliminated on the last count?
WHOM DOES 2016 SERVE: Irish identity and Irish freedom are not contiguous concepts (or realities) by any means. Therein lies a useful and potentially powerful unifying paradox if anyone cares to pick it up and run with it from where it was so recklessly abandoned in early 2011.
END OF AN ERA: PJ Mara is probably the greatest political strategist the country has known. This won him many friends and just as many enemies. While others puffed and panted and hovered around a subject, PJ walked in and cut through all the guff to tell it like it is and make people face reality.
