Brian Walker It was distinctly odd that a “Brown must go” movement was sparked by the annoucement of Jacqui Smith quitting the cabinet and a few others retiring from the Commons. . On the face of it, Smith’s departure can only strengthen the government, not weaken it further; the job of Home Secretary was clearly beyond her, leaving bath plugs and porn videos aside. The other quiitters wanted to get their notice in quick, to avoid the impression of being sacked over …
Times have changed over the 30 odd years since the RUC interrogated Jeff Dudgeon for sexual activities and he took on the State over gay rights. Save Ulster from Sodomy has been in retreat but is far from vanquished. This latest report published by the Rainbow Project sheds light on what is less and less an underworld but is still a prime target for the endemic thuggery that still blights so many lives. To what extent does coming out increase …
Ken Maginnis, the Baron Maginnis of Drumglass has never been overburdened by PC. It’s always been part of his charm. Decent certainly, honourable absolutely, courageous, even, but politically correct, never. Ken has even taken to the pages of the Bel Tel to spread the news of his latest sally beyond the Hansard record, a counter-intuitive speech on expenses, the poor quality of the political class and over-government at home. Ken unfashionably argues for MPs to be paid better salaries; but …
If you think the newspaper industry is in a bad place, take a look at leading broadcasters. RTE could go bust in the autumn claims the Independent ( itself struggling to survive.) Director-general Cathal Goan has cautioned that up to 300 jobs are now under threat. The cash-strapped station is facing a “worst case scenario” of a budget loss of up to £87 million (€100m) — far more than the current estimate of £59 million (€68m) . The Irish Times …
In both the Republic and the UK, the main opposition parties are leading the government by a huge margin, the crucial difference being that Fianna Fail have more than a two year breathing space in which to recover; while for Labour, the sands of time run out in a year’s time and Labour is actually trailing at third. Both sets of polling results suggest that the political establishments will manage to survive, with the qualification that a very low poll …
Typical Derry, never knowingly undersold. The story of “ the oldest independent department store in the world”, Austin’s of the Diamond, ( founded 1830) occupied an hour of BBC2 prime time last night. The series “Keep it in the family” deals with the eternal rhythms of tradition and new broom, generational change and continuity. This episode was set in the heart of Derry but with the incubus of the Troubles refreshingly on the margin.The Austin’s of my childhood was owned …
Is the cure becoming as bad as the disease? Blogger Iain Dale, a Conservative but a very fair minded one has come out in sympathy with yummy mummy Julie Kirkbride (Moran may be another story). Julie Kirkbride quit, at least in part, over her child minding arrangements. She wanted her brother to be a child minder rather than a stranger. Who wouldn’t? It didn’t cost the taxpayer a penny, and yet she’s been made out to look as if she …
David Cameron has driven another nail in the coffin of a Northern Ireland Bill of Human Rights. The Newsletter has got a statement from him saying he would not enact any Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland as envisaged by the Human Rights Commission. “It is important the rights of everyone in our society are protected,” he said. But Conservatives and Unionists do not want to take power away on issues such as social and economic policy from democratically-elected representatives …
I’m confused about what Diane Dodds is saying here exactly at the DUP Euro manifesto launch. Now I do get the first bit… “If unionists stay at home on 4th June there is a real danger that Sinn Fein will top the poll and two nationalist candidates will be elected from Northern Ireland. Just imagine what message that would send out to the world. After all the progress that has been made in recent years it would be a disaster …
Leading political thinker Vernon Bogdanor praises his old pupil David Cameron for aiming to spread power to the people. Existing reforms like devolution, he says “have done little to counteract widespread disenchantment with politics. The reason is clear. Constitutional reform has so far redistributed power only between elites, not between elites and the people. It has redistributed power “downwards” to politicians in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast and London, “sideways” to the Lords and the judges interpreting the Human Rights Act. But …
I believe the central objective of the new politics we need should be a massive, sweeping, radical redistribution of power: from the state to citizens; from the government to parliament; from Whitehall to communities; from the EU to Britain; from judges to the people; from bureaucracy to democracy. Through decentralisation, transparency and accountability we must take power from the elite and hand it to the man and woman in the street” With this rhetorical fanfare, David Cameron dramatically ups the …
The 18 congregations named by the Ryan Report for inflicting abuse on generations of Irish children are tonight defying the calls of the two heads the Catholic hierarchy to waive the notorious indemnity granted by the Irish government seven years ago. The frankly corrupt bargain “indemnified the religious orders from all redress claims made by victims in exchange for payments and property transfers totalling €127 million. The total bill for the redress scheme is likely to be about €1.3 billion.” …
To sneak it out at midnight 01 on a Bank Holiday is hardly a rousing vote of confidence in the Commons report, Devolution: A Decade On. ” Fundamental change” is needed to the regional governance of England which is “stuck in a devolution time warp.” They hint an elected Lords might have a role in representing the nations and regions and better liaison is needed between the Scottish, Welsh and and NI administrations and Whitehall. They’re right there: it’s a …
Turgon must be out at church or somewhere, otherwise he would have leapt on this leaked report. Parts of south Fermanagh are now considered ‘no-go areas’ for PSNI patrols because of the CIRA which has established a stronghold in certain areas,” said a security source. “As a result, there is no effective policing of villages like Roslea, Lisnaskea, Newtownbutler and Donagh in Fermanagh. Police patrols that venture into these areas are likely to be attacked. There is no doubt that …
Isn’t it strange that so few Northern Ireland voices have been raised loudly in the perfect storm over the expenses scandal? Maybe people have reached a level of maturity and balance that has been previously lacking in our politics, or else they feel “they all in it together”. Or again, they’re prepared to give the Assembly more time to bed down before politicians have to chose which House to sit in. Cutting through all this more keenly than most, Liam …
Although I would extend the Abortion Act to NI tomorrow, it’s important to state the obvious, that every abortion is a tragedy and a loss. The figures suggest that the NI abortion rate is well down on the rate for England and Wales. The Family Planning Association is right to welcome a slight fall in the previous record number of women with NI addresses, seeking an abortion in GB. We know to treat the figures with caution, as they don’t …
Click on Nadine Dorries MP’s blog – she who feared losing an MP through suicide – and what do you get? “Resource cannot be found.” This is because lawyers for Telegraph newspapers obtained a ruling to take down the blog of a sitting MP after she had made allegations above the motives of the Barclay brothers, proprietors of the paper for their exposures of MPs’ expenses. A few clicks later and you can find it; the internet as defender of …
Surely the main significance of Peter Robinson’s convoluted comments on double jobbing lies in the prospect of his standing down from his East Belfast Westminster seat after 31 years. He didn’t specifically declare an end to DUP dual mandates for MPs and MLAs as such, only for those of them who were ministers or committee chairs, yet this further move can hardly be long delayed. Most parties are facing the amazing problem of having more seats than they can adequately …
In the wake of the expenses crisis, the trouble is, the more we try to grasp the measure of the “power to the people” surge, the more we’re forced to behave like crusty old members of the Westminster village. The great British Ship of State is bucketing about in uncharted waters. Even though everyone is deeply interested in the destination, navigation remains a specialised skill. Rank and file crew members are cowering deep in the hold. The saddest message was …
There are familiar echoes in Stephen Hough’s testimony of what it was like to “turn” ( horrible word) in the Liverpool of his and Vincent Nichol’s salad days . Changed times today in the ecumenical atmosphere of the church establishments, but in Northern Ireland, have we changed enough? Nichols and former BBC chief John Birt have different memories of St Mary’s College. Birt said: “Violence was the constant backdrop of everyday life.” The Most Rev Nichols says: “I enjoyed it…I …
