A feature, or bug is simply a difference between the product you have and the product you want.
The last episode (released on Thursday) sparked a pleasingly positive response from the Slugger Community, if not exactly breaking all records in terms of a ton readership.
It seems we struck a nerve. For too long, the prevailing narrative has been that Stormont is merely a dysfunctional “clown show.” But as our commenter Babyface pointed out, while slagging everything off is fun, we must encourage the positive work that is actually being done.
The Invisible Work of the Backbencher Through Paul Frew’s interview, we saw a side of politics often lost in the noise: the grind of the backbencher. As Mainland Ulsterman noted, there is immense value in the hard work of scrutinizing policy and winning over opponents to shared initiatives.
This highlights why having political rivals under the same roof matters. It forces them to find legislative, if not political, common ground. However, as Paul (a former Assembly clerk) reminded us, good honest endeavour doesn’t generate “clicks” the way a juicy fallout does. The media fixation on spats over substance is a problem.
The Danger of Disenchantment This brings us to a critical point raised by Irish Londoner: the 24-hour news cycle feeds a constant state of crisis. This attention economy is dangerous.
The need for a constant “24 Hour News Cycle” which in turns feeds a need for a constant supply of opinionated “talking heads” (the more extreme opinion the better) leads people to believe that the world is in a constant state of crisis and provides a confirmation to the adage that ‘a lie can go halfway around the world before the truth has even got its boots on’.
The British Council’s “Global Perceptions” research (and related “Next Generation” reports) highlights a significant global trend: youth disillusionment with established liberal democracies. Young people are losing faith in Western systems, often perceiving them as slow, fractured, and inefficient.
Conversely, they view authoritarian states—like China—as increasingly attractive, primarily because they are seen as more effective and capable of “getting things done” quickly, particularly in large-scale infrastructure and economic change.
Our Mission This is exactly why we launched this series.
The Slugger Cato Project wants to inspire, and yes, demand, rebelliousness, independence, honesty, and courage from our backbenchers. We view this not just as virtue signalling, but as the essential tool to fix a floundering government system.
We still have gaps to fill, particularly amongst councillors who are often more tuned into the day-to-day blocks ordinary people face. If you know of an MLA or Councillor who fits this bill—someone willing to challenge the status quo—drop me a line at editor [at] Slugger O’Toole [dot] Com.
So here’s today’s witness, the SDLP’s Patsy McGlone…
Remember the commenting rule that you must play the ball (ie, talk about what is said) rather than the man (who is doing the talking). I’m asking the moderator group to be ultra stringent on these threads to encourage the sharing of actionable insights.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
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