Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) – Page 45 – Slugger O'Toole

UUP Leadership – Mike Nesbitt’s pitch (and an interview) plus what John McCallister said

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 31, 2012, 6:48 pm

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UUP AGM ballot boxes

81% of the UUP members gathered at the Ramada Hotel this morning voted for Mike Nesbitt to be leader. 19% voted for John McCallister. The result can be interpreted in a number of ways. It’s certainly a clear endorsement for Mike Nesbitt as leader, and the party didn’t shy away from a “fast track” leader. It can also be seen as a clear rejection of going into opposition immediately, though some members go further and say it’s a rejection of …

Addie Morrow RIP

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 30, 2012, 2:36 pm

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A real gentleman with a hearty laugh and a giant in the Alliance party, Addie Morrow served as Alliance’s Deputy Leader, was a Castlereagh councillor between 1973 and 1989, and was also elected in 1982 to represent East Belfast in the Assembly. Addie had a strong vision for peace-building and reconciliation, lived out both through his politics and his long time involvement in the Corrymeela Community. Living up in the East Belfast hills, he was a church elder in his …

Lacking in policy, distinctiveness, professionalism … and votes

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 30, 2012, 11:01 am

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unionist vote share

When former UUP deputy leader and now crossbench peer Lord Kilclooney spoke to the BBC’s Gareth Gordon he said: I think in recent years the Ulster Unionist Party has failed to show what it stands for … First of all, I can’t think of any policies it really has promoted strongly in the last five years or so; secondly it has failed to show a clear distinction from other parties and thirdly (it has failed) to stop rowing within themselves. …

Bradford West voters show their respect for Labour’s safe seat and vote in George Galloway as MP

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 30, 2012, 9:26 am

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This morning’s news headlines called it a “surprise landslide victory”. That’s shorthand for commentators being caught off guard and not accurately capturing the mood of the “safe Labour” Bradford West electorate who turned out in force (turnout just over 50%) to return George Galloway to Parliament in the by-election. Results via the BBC: Candidate (Party), vote (vote share, change since 2010) George Galloway (Respect) 18,341 (55.89%, +52.83%) Imran Hussain (Lab) 8,201 (24.99%, -20.36%) Jackie Whiteley (C) 2,746 (8.37%, -22.78%) Jeanette …

UUP suspend David McNarry for 9 months #mcnarrygate

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 29, 2012, 11:54 am

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Tom Eliott wielding scissors at the opening of David McNarry's Saintfield Advice Centre Opening

Earlier this morning when I wrote … Neither has David McNarry gone away. I’ll be very surprised if one Strangford MLA won’t be spending next week sitting in the leader’s office in UUP HQ figuring out how the party can limit the damage the other Strangford MLA could yet still do. … I didn’t expect that David McNarry’s disciplinary action would be completed quite so quickly. UTV, BBC and others report The MLA David McNarry has been suspended from the …

A bold step? Or just more of the same better communicated? An interview with John McCallister and some thoughts on Mike Nesbitt.

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 29, 2012, 9:05 am

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I spoke to John McCallister on Monday evening after the close of a Platform for Change event looking at a change “from the politics of identity to the politics of ideas”. I view it very simply that we don’t have many more chances to get this right. We either do the unionist unity route which I’m very opposed to – I think it’s bad for Northern Ireland, bad for unionism, just an unhealthy state in our politics and we would …

“Ministers agreed that it was appropriate and necessary for the Executive to set the tone and provide leadership”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 20, 2012, 10:00 am

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The Executive has decided to take the lead role in organising events for the forthcoming Decade of Commemorations. (Thursday, 15 March 2012) The political, social and cultural consequences of what happened during the decade of 1912 -1922 reverberate throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to this day. So starts a statement from the NI Executive. A mere fortnight before the centenary of the Titanic’s sinking, you’d think that the decade of commemorations had snuck up on the NI …

So what changed between the draft and final versions of the Programme for Government?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 20, 2012, 9:02 am

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The final version of the NI Executive’s 2011-2015 Programme for Government was published last Monday. What changes were made between the draft version issued in November 2011 and the final version issued in March 2012 after three months of consultation? Running section one of each version through a convenient comparison tool [Ed – Microsoft Word!] generated this handy PDF which tracks the changes. Nothing too sinister, but interesting to see how public feedback – and no doubt, fresh thinking from …

Kennedy’s out; will McCallister stay in the race to fight a confident Nesbitt?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 16, 2012, 10:26 am

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When I bumped into Mike Nesbitt at an event last night, he looked very confident when he said “I’m going to be leader”. This morning, Danny Kennedy has withdrawn from the race and not submitted his papers, leaving John McCallister and Mike Nesbitt as the two declared candidates. During Tom Elliott’s own leadership campaign, Mike Nesbitt was at Tom’s side and remained fiercely loyal throughout Tom’s reign. That should work to his favour in the event of a leadership vote …

Have you an informed interest in what the BBC broadcasts and publishes online?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 16, 2012, 9:02 am

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BBC Audience Council Northern Ireland

The BBC Audience Council for Northern Ireland is currently recruiting new members. If you have an informed interest in what the BBC broadcasts and publishes online and an understanding of the needs of local audiences, you may want to apply for this voluntary position. Looking at some of the posts and comments on Slugger, some people certainly fit the bill! Audience Council meets most months and gives a voice to local audiences right at the heart of the BBC. Council …

Danny Kennedy is no longer the bookie’s 1/2 favourite … (updated)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 15, 2012, 5:00 pm

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Update – So by the time Paddy Power stopped taking bets, Nesbitt was the favourite, ahead of Kennedy, which at least points to confidence within the betting community (how many of them are UUP members?) of Nesbitt’s chances of success. Perhaps the background talk of Danny Kennedy pulling out of the race and backing Mike Nesbitt in exchange for keeping his ministry are not so far fetched … As the evening wore on, the odds changed Thursday 15th… 18:45 – …

Mike Nesbitt: “I am entirely sceptical about what would motivate [DUP] to call for co-operation beyond self-interest”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 15, 2012, 11:35 am

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Mike Nesbitt raced out of the pit lane and formally announced his bid for UUP leadership this morning as Rodney has already mentioned. Press conference observers noted the presence of antique expert and MLA Danny Kinahan who had previously declared a preference for Danny Kennedy when the field was narrower. Mike’s statement may end up as a good template for the other candidates to follow when they make their pitch over the coming days. Praise the previous leader. Tom was …

Labour NI’s AGM and afternoon discussion around education and the economy

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 13, 2012, 9:03 am

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Labour Party in Northern Ireland

Labour NI’s AGM and afternoon discussion around education and the economy As previewed at the end of last week, the Labour Party AGM and afternoon ‘conference’ took place in Belfast on Saturday. Red balloons, red pens and the odd red tie brought a dash of colour to the hot room in the Malone Lodge hotel. Labour NI’s main aim at the moment is to gain permission from their London NEC to stand candidates at future elections. A final decision is …

John McCallister joins the UUP leadership race

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 13, 2012, 7:25 am

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This morning, John McCallister – UUP Deputy Leader of the Assembly Group – has thrown his farmer’s cap into the ring to replace Tom Elliott as leader of the UUP. In a statement McCallister calls himself an “unashamed liberal progressive unionist” and makes a couple of his policies clear: UUP shouldn’t be allowed to float into the orbit of the DUP. If elected, the UUP would go into opposition at Stormont. The question now is whether Mike Nesbitt (who managed …

Lagan Weir footbridge safety report / Irresponsible Drinks Promotions Regulations

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 12, 2012, 10:53 am

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Minister for Social Development Nelson McCausland – whose department’s remit of “urban regeneration, community and voluntary sector development, social legislation, housing, social security benefits, pensions and child support” includes the safety of the bridges, drinks promotions and zipwires – released the final report into the safety of the Lagan Weir footbridge this morning. As well as raising money to buy sonar search equipment to help with any future underwater searches, the family of Joby Murphy have made repeated calls in …

Unionists, Loyalists, and Conflict Transformation. A book about how things are changing.

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 12, 2012, 9:02 am

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Book cover - Unionists, Loyalists, and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland by Lee Smithey

Unionists, Loyalists, and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland is a new academic tome by lecturer and researcher Lee Smithey. In the book the Pennsylvania academic outlines his findings based on 67 interviews over eighteen months with grassroots activists in unionist and loyalist communities and organisations. This is largely a book about men, even though they make up less than half of Northern Ireland’s population. Surely conflict transformation, as a process that includes broad-based cultural change, must involve both men and …

Signing up to the Covenant: An Alternative Vision for the Future?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 10, 2012, 7:10 pm

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1912 A Hundred Years On - still

At Thursday night’s annual Catherwood Lecture, Johnston McMaster covered a lot of ground in his talk entitled Signing up to the Covenant: An Alternative Vision for the Future? He started by explaining that his grandfather had signed the covenant, and continued to question throughout the talk whether he would have signed it if he’d lived 100 years ago. Looking back at history and at the same time looking forward from today was a key tenet of his lecture, and mirrored …

Laganside loose ends: an FOI, a disappearing Assembly question & a zipwire across the Lagan

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 9, 2012, 8:00 pm

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In the end the Department of Social Development took a shade longer than the four weeks permitted under FOI to answer my simple questions about their investments in the Laganside Events and Laganside Community Activity Grants. Figures for the 2011/12 grants for the two funds were supplied in the meantime through another DSD source. But that left the remaining query asking for the total amount spend on the Laganside grants over the years the schemes have been in operation. The …

Labour Party in Northern Ireland – conference on Saturday #lpniconf

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 9, 2012, 11:00 am

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Labour Party in Northern Ireland

It’s the Labour Party in Northern Ireland’s conference on Saturday 10 March in Belfast’s Malone Lodge Hotel. All party conferences are fascinating people watching events. The smaller parties often exhibit a greater passion when arguing over policy issues than the larger parties. On Saturday morning, LPNI will be holding their AGM and conducting their internal business, electing internal party officers and discussing members’ motions. LPNI do have quotas for female representation: at least three women must be elected to the …

“I want to see anti-festivals, counter events and a realisation that our current existence matters just as much as our historical context”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 4, 2012, 9:35 am

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The latest issues of the Vacuum – found in piles lying around in cafés, bars and arts venues – contains an article by Hugh Odling-Smee in which he reflects on a 1968 copy of The Honest Ulsterman. The HU issue’s editorial proposed: … a new flowering when not only men and women but towns and counties will assume their real unique personalities … education, politics and architecture will be as distinctive as our police force. Hugh Odling-Smee comments that in …