Lee Reynolds Alex Salmond has suggested that Scotland going independent is not a one way street but reversible. In what is seen as an attempt to ease concerns about the SNP ahead of the Scottish elections he has suggested that a vote for independence could be overturned by a later referendum. Lee Reynolds
Unsurprisingly, Catriona Ruane has expressed her support for the expansion of the Irish-medium education sector in Northern Ireland. Her comments come ahead of her attendace at a fundraising event in Downpatrick for the local Irish nursery school. Among the items for sale are a Bobby Sands biography signed by the survivng hunger strikers, a copy of the Belfast Agreement signed by John Hume and a two bottles of whiskey – one to commemorate Mary McAleese’s election as RoI president and …
Sinn Fein has announced its three nominees for the policing board, Alex Maskey, Martina Anderson and Daithi McKay. With Mitchel McLaughlin shunted to South Antrim and three prominent roles now given to Martina Anderson – Unionist outreach, equality spokesperson, and the policing board – is she being groomed to challenge Durkan in Foyle?Both Maskey and Anderson have prior criminal convictions that could bar them from serving in the PSNI but no such bars exist on membership of the Policing Board. …
Eight homes in the Cumberland Drive area of East Belfast were burgled last night while the area was supposed to be cordoned off by the PSNI who were responding to a hoax bomb warning in the same street. Lee Reynolds
Former UUP MP and member Willie Ross has criticised the latest review into UUP structures arguing it is new and distinct policies that are needed. He believes the focus on internal structures and rules will do little to attract back old or get new voters. All the rule changes in the world won’t make a blind bit of difference. The ordinary voter doesn’t understand that, doesn’t care about that. All that they are interested in is what is this party …
Denis Bradley, formerly of the Policing Board, was a speaker at the Department of Foreign Affairs Conference in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin. He spoke on the theme of reconciliation, highlighting what the two sides were reconciled to and what they weren’t and how the process was not over but could easily end up in a cul-de-sac.He believes Unionism and Nationalism has reconciled themselves to five things: No killing No violence An acceptance of power-sharing An acceptance of law and …
Paisley has invited Blair to the re-opening of the Northern Ireland Assembly (Video – realplayer or windows media reqd). The SDLP’s PJ Bradley seems to think it was a Blair only invite and demanded Ahern be invited. However, the BBC seems to think both are. Lee Reynolds
The establishment of an island wide electricty market in November will not quite match the hype. There will not be standardised pricing across the island (although the two regulators will announce prices on the same day) nor will there be any short-term savings. As to when benefits will be gained the picture is unclear: The CER and other sources agree that the single market will not result in a cut in the cost of power in the short term at …
Lord Ashdown has been appointed as the head of the parades review by the NIO.The other members of the review panel are: Sammy Douglas, founder member of the Belfast Interface Group, Mervyn Gibson, Deputy Grand Chaplin of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Sean Murray, Springfield Residents Action Group, Geraldine McAteer, Chief executive of West Belfast Partnership Board, Garvan O’Doherty, Derry businessman who helped broker discussions between the Bogside Residents Group (BRG) and the Apprentice Boys of Derry and Mervyn …
Migration Watch UK wants Commonwealth citizens removed from the UK franchise restricting it to British citizens and to the citizens of the Republic of Ireland and the small number of Commonwealth countries that provide reciprocal voting rights. They argue this group accounts for nearly a million voters, large enough to effect an election result. Iain Dale wants to go further and bring the Irish into line with other EU citizens and remove the right from Irish citizens resident in the …
The Belfast Telegraph has called upon the Sinn Fein leadership to to complete its transformation with the disbandment of the IRA Army Council. Lee Reynolds
David Trimble, former leader of the UUP, is to join the Conservatives. A formal annoucement is expected tomorrow. There are rumours that another UU peer will follow suit in the near future. Lee Reynolds
There have been claims that the security forces knew three days in advance that the PIRA was planning to murder Rev Robert Bradford, Unionist MP for South Belfast. It appears that both FRU and Special Branch had detailed information about the plot, informed their chain of commands and an operation to prevent it was planned. Despite this, the PIRA murder gang succeeded in killing Bradford in Finaghy Community Centre in front of local children. The centre caretaker was also murdered …
UUP leader, Sir Reg Empey has attacked the joint DUP-Sinn Fein meeting. He admits he called for such meetings, wanted them to occur before now, doesn’t object to the meeting itself but does object to the photographs. Lee Reynolds
Sinn Fein Councillor Peter Anderson has questioned a police presence at an unnotified parade by dissident republicans. A gang of youths attacked police with bricks and petrol bombs. He said: The question has to be asked, however, what were the police doing at a republican commemoration in a republican area. Lee Reynolds
Tonight on Channel Four, Rod Liddle, examines the impact upon the British people and culture as well as the English speaking worlds of the translation of the Bible into the English language. He examines the work of John Wycliffe and work and sacrifice of William Tyndale and Thomas Cranmer to ensure the people had direct access to God’s word and the religious, political and social consequences of this egalitarian vision. Lee Reynolds
SF has divvied up its jobs – Catriona Ruane for Education, Conor Murphy for Regional Development, Michelle Gildernew for Agriculture and Gerry Kelly takes the Junior Ministry post in OFM/DFM. Margaret Ritchie has been confirmed as the SDLP’s nominee for Social Development. The Unionist parties are expected to announce later in the week. Lee Reynolds
The provincial elections in Quebec has thrown up interesting results. The Liberals have clung on as a minority government but the real news story is the Action Démocratique du Québec (ADQ) outstripping the Parti Québécois (PQ) and becoming the official opposition. The ADQ is less virulently nationalist than PQ, prefering more autonomy rather than sovereignty. Furthermore it is fiscally conservative while the Labour backed PQ are centre-left. This the worst result for PQ since 1970 and the success of the …
Apparently having an estimated 4 million CCTV cameras in the UK and being classified as an endemic surveillance society along with such notable democratic states as China isn’t enough for some. Nor do some seem concerned by the warnings of the Information Commissioner. ‘Talking’ CCTV schemes are to be installed in a further 20 areas of England. The systems tell people off for misbehaviour or instruct people to move on. To give them a ‘human’ aspect, there will be competitions …
Assets subject to a court freezing order requested by the Assets Recovery Agency are in the name of a serving police officer and her husband. Lee Reynolds
