Lee Reynolds

Sir Reg Empey is Dublin-bound to meet with his Irish counterparts, Mary Hanafin and Michael Martin. A key issue for discussion will be migrant workers. Sir Reg expressed concerns about the community relations impact of an economic downturn and whether business was too reliant on importing rather than developing skills. He asked: The question is whether it would create a pool of people in our own community who may be left behind? Recently, social capital guru Robert Putnam, after a …

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The treatment of staff at Limavady Borough Council has become an issue with the UUP Mayor calling for a Staff Commission investigation into stress-related illnesses among staff. A move one SF councillor believes is motivated against his party. Meanwhile, a Russian Mayor has outlined his own frustrations with civil servants and produced a list of 27 banned phrases. He says any employee using these phrases to him “will speed their departure.” Lee Reynolds

Belfast City Council last night passed a DUP resolution deploring the March for Truth including the display of replica weapons. Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey defended it as “street theatre” while the SDLP, who abstained in the vote, described the debate as a “sham fight”. UPDATE The UUP (except for the Lord Mayor), PUP and Alliance were absent for the vote. Lee Reynolds

DUP Castlereagh councillor Charlie Tosh has resigned from the party citing a row with another councillor and dissatisfaction with the public relationship between Paisley and McGuinness. Lee Reynolds

Belgium is having some trouble getting a government, nothing necessarily unusual about that but this time seems particularly bad. Almost three months after an election it is still without a government and negotiations have basically hit a brick wall. In addition to the usual tensions and disagreements between the linguistic groups, some are arguing that Belgium’s decision to join the euro is contributing to the failure. The argument is that in the past such a political crisis would have created …

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Ex-DUP Jim Allister MEP is predicting a new Unionist party will emerge but he is undecided if he will accept the leadership of such a party. Lee Reynolds

The Sunday Times claims if Brown goes early it will be early next year with the polls delivering more good news for him – a seven point lead over the Conservatives. Whether the speculation is true or not it is feeding uncertainty in the Conservative Party smarting from poor by-election results. Lee Reynolds

Finance Minister, Peter Robinson, is leaving his options opens regarding the Maze development. Meanwhile, the News Letter has added its voice to those of Jim Allister and Tom Elliott for the delisting of the Maze buildings. Lee Reynolds

A disturbance in Carrickfergus, being linked to UDA “tensions in the loyalist community in south east Antrim” the internal feud within the UDA, has left two in hospital. One man was seriously assualted and a police officer wounded by gunfire. Three men have been arrested. Lee Reynolds

This year’s Pitt Park bonfire has got Sinn Fein in a state of confusion. The Andersonstown News reported that a UVF show of strength took place, based on a single source. This led to West Belfast MLA and Falls Councillor Fra McCann to call for the end to such funding: “Eleventh night bonfires are nothing more than sectarian coat-trailing exercises. We have been promised in the past that these displays would cease, but given what happened at Pitt Park the …

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The results are in. Gordon Brown and Labour can be relatively content holding on to both seats (even with reduced majorities). Menzies Campbell and Lib Dems (except for those plotting against Campbell) can be content in seeing off the Tories even if an 18 year winning streak is over. The big losers were David Cameron and the Conservatives failing to overhaul the Lib Dems even in Ealing where the Team Cameron plan was put into full operation. Going early must …

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Danny Finkelstein asks would people really miss some of the numerous QUANGOs if they were abolished while RoI Justice Minister Brian Lenihan attacked the growth of such bodies, arguing: “This tendency to establish a lot of agencies and bodies at one remove from the government is a form of abdication from governmental responsibilities.” Lee Reynolds

SF has proposed that Derry City Council appeal to the Privy Council to change the name of Londonderry. The proposal has been referred to the DCC’s party leader’s group for further discussion. The DUP and UUP have repeated their opposition. This moves follows the rejection of the Council’s legal challenge. Lee Reynolds

Three Orange halls were vandalised in Co. Londonderry last night. One of the halls targeted Killygullib has been repeatedly attacked. UPDATE The OO has said 50 halls have been attacked in the last three weeks of which nine were in Co. Londonderry. UPDATE A UPRG Spokesperson is claiming that there has been a growth in attacks in the city area as well. Lee Reynolds

The latest survey has shown a significant calming of the housing market after the massive growth of previous years. UPDATE The high street also took a big hit. Lee Reynolds

The British-Irish Council is meeting at Stormont today. It is the first visit to NI by Gordon Brown as Prime Minister and the local Executive is raising the financial package again. The BIC will focus on strategic transport links. It is expected a North-South Ministerial Council meeting will follow shortly. Lee Reynolds

When he took power the opposition challenged Brown to seek his own mandate. It appears Brown is keeping it as a live option and for the opposition it may become a case of be careful what you wish for. It has been confirmed that a draft manifesto is to be ready for September. This follows the pre-Budget Treasury statement being brought forward from late November/early December to October, the new approach to the Queen’s speech and Brown telling backbench Labour …

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The Sunday Life reports (H/T oneil) that the Rasharkin Orange Hall that was paintbombed/grafittied on the eleventh night was then broken into on the Twelfth and an ABOD banner stolen. It was returned after republicans retrieved it from a group of youths. Lee Reynolds

The head of the Association of Chief Police Officers has gone beyond 90 days detention calling for some to be held: “…for as long as it takes” Lee Reynolds

The use of terrorism will fail as a tactic because of the way humans think. Lee Reynolds