Belfast Gonzo

Flying the flag for the last time…

Belfast Gonzo on April 8, 2005, 3:29 am

| Readers 4

A NEW protocol agreed by the police, Housing Executive and other authorities aims to tackle the controversial issue of flags in Northern Ireland, particularly paramilitary flags and emblems.The PSNI said: “The main aim is to work proactively, with communities, to address the removal of flags and emblems from arterial routes and town centres and the removal of all paramilitary flags and displays. It also seeks to control displays of flags and emblems in particular areas – for example, interfaces, places …

New special forces unit uses local expertise…

Belfast Gonzo on April 8, 2005, 2:47 am

| Readers 2

COLLUSION fans will be delighted to know that the 14th Intelligence Company is possibly no more. However, the MoD has helpfully formed a new Special Forces unit which began operating yesterday – the Special Reconnaissance Regiment – to, as the Defence Minister put it, “meet the ongoing challenge of tackling international terrorism”. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Election trail leads to Court…

Belfast Gonzo on April 8, 2005, 2:36 am

| Readers 3

THERE’S an interesting case coming up in the High Court tomorrow that the anoraks may want to watch out for. One of the political parties has made a party political broadcast that the BBC and UTV believe does not follow one of the guidelines. I’ll blog it properly tomorrow when it hits the websites.This thread is closed, cos I ain’t taking questions, and I wouldn’t want readers to prejudice the case accidentally – sorry! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

IRA to respond to Adams tomorrow…

Belfast Gonzo on April 6, 2005, 11:34 pm

| Readers 1

THE IRA is expected to respond to Gerry Adams’ statement within the next 24 hours or so, according to Barney Rowan on Newsline. The response is expected to be positive, although the cynics will wait until they see the text of this week’s IRA bulletin. I suspect that those expecting an announcement of the ‘end’ of the IRA will be disappointed. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

BBC NI gets online for election…

Belfast Gonzo on April 6, 2005, 5:37 pm

| Readers 1

THE BBC website has its Election 2005 Northern Ireland section up and running. It’s has a useful primer for newbies, with lots of handy information and background information. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Scanning the battlefield…

Belfast Gonzo on April 6, 2005, 8:20 am

| Readers 1

PRESS Association has two handy crib sheets to the 18 Westminster constituencies. There are plenty of seats about to change hands, so this is definitely worth a read, especially for those unfamiliar with the territory. Your initial predictions are welcome below… Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Apology follows Pope joke…

Belfast Gonzo on April 6, 2005, 8:10 am

| Readers 5

ORANGE Order chaplain Rev Stephen Dickinson copped flak yesterday for his impersonation of the Pope in February. Breaking News reported: Mr Dickinson, Grand Chaplain of the Orange Order, said he had “taken the mickey” out of Pope John Paul II but had not meant to cause any offence. “The joke was neither meant to be anti-Catholic, nor was it anti-Parkinson’s,” he said. Unfortunately for the minister, that’s not how some saw it. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Inquiries Bill to be rushed through…

Belfast Gonzo on April 6, 2005, 3:57 am

| Readers 1

THE Government is to rush the Cover-up Bill through the House of Commons before dissolution next week, thus rendering the Finucane inquiry pointless. If the Government’s current policy is not to create political victims out of republicans, then this represents a helluva U-turn. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

No ifs and no butts; the smoking ban…

Belfast Gonzo on April 5, 2005, 12:22 am

| Readers 2

BRENDAN O’Neill believes the success of the Irish smoking ban is more to do with what he calls ‘Post-Traditional Stress Disorder’ than anything else. This new Irish politically correct agenda, he explains, is why the anniversary of the smoking ban was celebrated more than the 1916 rebellion this year.O’Neill writes: This helps explain why it [Ireland] has embraced – more fervently than any other state in Europe and perhaps the world, as Irish ministers keep reminding us – the new …

Your views on Daily View…

Belfast Gonzo on April 5, 2005, 12:05 am

| Readers 1

DAILY View went on sale for the first time today, meaning there could now be five compact daily local newspapers on your newsagent’s crowded shelf every morning. DV doesn’t appear to have a website, but what did those who bought it think? With its emphasis on lifestyle issues and ‘bread and butter’ politics, as opposed to the orange and green type, it’s maybe not the average Sluggerette’s first read. But you are welcome to differ! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

The fools, the fools…

Belfast Gonzo on April 1, 2005, 6:47 pm

| Readers 4

RIGHT, who’s spotted any April Fool jokes in the media today? List your links below! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Zoe’s got the blues again…

Belfast Gonzo on April 1, 2005, 1:32 am

| Readers 19

POOR Zoe Salmon can’t win. First she gets accused of using loyalist symbols on children’s TV show ‘Blue Peter’, now she’s at the centre of a discrimination controversy because she’s someone “of a Celtic origin”!Retired teacher Dorian Wood has complained to the Commission for Racial Equality that the BBC was guilty of racial discrimination because it advertised for a presenter (although Blue Peter wasn’t mentioned in the advertising) only in Scottish and Northern Ireland newspapers. “They specifically set out to …

Unionist web wars hot up…

Belfast Gonzo on March 31, 2005, 5:59 pm

| Readers 1

IT’S childish, but it’ll probably be one of the few laughs the Ulster Unionists will get this year at the expense of the DUP. Check out the website address on the link after you click. Jim Allister doesn’t sound best pleased. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Font-astic paper secures Nick’s early release…

Belfast Gonzo on March 29, 2005, 7:09 am

| Readers 10

AT first I thought this comment on Daily Ireland’s fonts was going to be a spoof, but no… apparently there really is a Canadian company that designs typefaces called Shinntype. The company’s site tells us that Daily Ireland is the first newspaper to use the new ‘Nicholas’ fonts. “Nicholas will be released later this year” it adds without irony. You couldn’t make it up… Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

McCartneys to take campaign online…?

Belfast Gonzo on March 28, 2005, 8:41 pm

| Readers 2

LOOKS like the McCartney campaign is about to go online, although I don’t know if this site under construction or its associated forum are officially linked to the family. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Is anybody listening?

Belfast Gonzo on March 28, 2005, 8:16 pm

| Readers 1

DOES the Government follow or lead public opinion in Northern Ireland? Mark Devenport wonders if we are being consulted too much by Ministers who are supposed to be taking decisions as well as finding out what every special interest group, lobbyist and crank thinks. Is the electorate just a big focus group for the Direct Misrulers… or do they even listen anyway? Leave your considered views below – someone might be reading… Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Botanic Inn ‘supporters’ let Northern Ireland down…

Belfast Gonzo on March 28, 2005, 7:40 pm

| Readers 3

AFTER much apparent progress to kick sectarianism off the terraces at Northern Ireland football matches, it looks like some fans just can’t keep their bigotry to themselves outside the stadium. Many fans have voiced their disgust at some of the singing in the Botanic Inn and elsewhere, and the whole sorry episode has caused a stir in Our Wee Country.Getting off a flight at Aldergrove yesterday, there were a few NI supporters just arrived back from Manchester and in fine …

New gonzo blogger on the block…

Belfast Gonzo on March 23, 2005, 4:28 am

| Readers 1

THEY say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery (whoever ‘they’ are!), so I was amused to find that A Fistful of Euros’ anonymous guest blogger is ‘Brussels Gonzo’. Hmmm..! Slugger recently won ‘Best Political Blog’ on Fistful’s European Blog Awards. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Lords backs student top-up fees…

Belfast Gonzo on March 23, 2005, 2:04 am

| Readers 1

YET more bad news for students (or more probably, their parents), with the House of Lords backing ‘top-up’ fees for students in Northern Ireland. Lord Glentoran said: “Northern Ireland should have its own right and time to make its own decisions on top-up fees.”Conservative spokesman Lord Glentoran continued: “It is proven when a government with a majority of 200 in the Commons could only get its legislation with a majority of five, supported by Scottish MPs to whom it didn’t …

You don’t get no education…

Belfast Gonzo on March 23, 2005, 1:31 am

| Readers 1

ISN’T it ironic that our unaccountable Education Minister used St Patrick’s Day to call for more funding for transport in London, at a time when he was forcing transport cuts upon children travelling to school in Northern Ireland? It’s been an important day for our remote control ministers as Direct Misrule bites into the education budget in a big way. Massive funding cuts have forced local boards to drop ‘less essential’ services – school transport, building maintenance, music lessons, classroom …