Lee Reynolds

Professor Tony Gallagher attacked the DUP for wanting to hold on to the 11 plus. He argued it was a barrier to a 21st century education and accused the DUP of playing politics but abandoning their working class voters. However, Sammy Wilson, DUP Education spokesperson, took Gallagher to task pointing it out the DUP wants to maintain academic selection not necessarily the 11 plus and highlights that our present system provides greater social mobility that the English, Scottish and Welsh …

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Academic-writer-tv presenter turned Canadian MP, Michael Ignatieff, has been defeated in his bid for the leadership of the Liberal party, Canada’s natural party of government. Ignatieff had pushed for a more liberal approach to Quebec, stuck to his support of Canada’s increasing unpopular presence in Afghanistan and was critical of past Liberal governments. Another academic turned politician, Quebecer Stephane Dion, came from fourth to take 54% in the final ballot. Dion is known for his pro-environmental stance and hardline on …

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Sinn Fein has attacked the SDLP for opposing the new super councils and joining with all the other parties in Northern Ireland to seek changes in the present proposals. Is sectarian solidarity more important than fighting gerrymandering and sectarian headcounting? Or with such multi-party opposition to the proposals and the final decision given back to a devolved Assembly is Sinn Fein worried it will lose a vote so is engendering a sectarian bogeyman to push the SDLP back into line? …

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There are claims that eye witnesses to a double IRA murder are refusing to give evidence to an Irish inquiry into Garda collusion because of intimidation. Willie Frazer has called on Sinn fein to encourgae the witnesses to come forward as a confidence building move. However, such a move would be contrary to Gerry Kelly’s fourth policing precondition of dropping investigations. Lee Reynolds

Cliftonville fans went on the rampage on the Boucher Road yesterday afternoon. This is the second serious incident of trouble so far this season, there were clashes between Cliftonville fans, Linfield fans and Village residents in September. It also seems a season cannot go by without at least one serious clash for example disturbances at a Linfield v Glentoran game. The FA would fine such clubs heavily but the financial precariousness of many clubs makes the IFA reluctant to do …

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The latest Irish Times poll is good news for Fianna Fail with its highest poll rating, 40%, since the last election. Satisfaction with the Government, Bertie Ahern and his coalition leader Michael McDowell are also all up, allthough the PD’s slip down 1% to 3%. This leaves the government parties 5% ahead of a FG/Labour alliance but only 1% ahead of FG/Labour/Green alliance. The poll news for SF is disappointing, they are down 1% to 7%. Their lowest rating for …

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On Hearts and Minds, Gerry Kelly appeared to add another precondition (to the existing three) before Sinn Fein will sign up for policing: Noel Thompson: Will you, if and when you come on board policing, will you say we don’t want to investigate anything that has been before… Gerry Kelly: Yes. Yes. Noel Thompson: …this is a new beginning? Gerry Kelly: I have said it before a new beginning is a new beginning. This mirrors Aengus O Snodaigh’s conditional support …

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Two Welsh Assembly Members, finger gestures and the speaker (Flash player 8 reqd) Lee Reynolds

The DUP will meet on Friday to discuss future strategy and plan for the proposed elections. Martin Purdy says it hopes to address “tensions” within the DUP. What are these about?While many are falling for the usual suspect, “It’s the Free P’s not wanting a Catholic about the place” that is a red herring. In past years Free P members have been developing a greater distinction between church and party. The line “I accept we are going to have to …

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The head of the Press Complaints Commission wants bloggers to sign up to a voluntary code of practice. He says: “…there are no professional standards, there is no means of redress…” However, bloggers do not have the resources of media organisations to deal with complaints. Can most bloggers be defined as professionals? Is the ability to post a reply not a means of redress? Also the same legal options for redress apply to bloggers as their much larger old media …

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The Belfast Telegraph has more on the statement by the 12 DUP Assembly members. “It emerged today, however, that the statement issued by 12 senior party members, including four MPs, on Friday, had initially been drawn up as a point of order for chairman Lord Morrow. But after the attack by Michael Stone suspended Assembly proceedings, Lord Morrow did not get the opportunity to raise it during the debate and, with the party’s press office closed, it was decided to …

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Tony Blair has expressed sorrow over Britain’s role in the slave trade but for some words are not enough. His comments come as the government prepares to mark the 200th anniversary of the abolition British involvement in the slave trade (although emancipation was to take a further 26 years). Belfast port was not a slave port and was often a hotbed of abolitionism but a significant amount of its trade was in supplying the slave ships and the foodstuffs for …

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It seems another push is on in the Middle East with Israeli Primie Minister Olmert outlining his ideas and top US officials due to visit the region. Such a push was a widely expected recommendation of the bi-partisan Baker review but it seems the push is on before it completes its work. This follows a shaky cease-fire established in the Gaza Strip. Lee Reynolds

In Canada, in a bold move Prime Minister, and leader of a minority Conservative government, Stephen Harper has offered the

Sinn Fein has said “No” to Hugh Orde’s offer of speaking to their Ard Fheis and they still are refusing to call one. Unsurprising considering the last time ‘Securocrat’ Hugh Orde’s tried to make a speech it was disrupted by Ogra Shinn Fein. Lee Reynolds

A round-up of what the commentators think.Susan McKay doesn’t buy the split claims she thinks it is: “Clearly, there are tensions but this is more about how the DUP is going to manage its glacial progress towards sharing power with Sinn Féin.” Alan McBride thinks the politicians are doing a good job of despite internal opposition and he even agrees with the DUP: “The DUP is full of people who don’t want to share power with republicans under any circumstances, …

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The RFID system in the new passports has been successfully cracked using the publicly available information and equipment costing £175-£250. The government did put on a high level of encryption to deter identity thieves but the ‘secret key’ needed to unlock it isn’t a secret. The Home Office doesn’t care and insist “This doesn’t matter”. They don’t seem to understand that if you can crack the chip it means you can clone it. Lee Reynolds

The Sunday Times claims that ‘Good Republican’ Slab Murphy, family members and businesses will be billed for £10m/15m euros in unpaid taxes. Lee Reynolds

On BBC Newsline (Realplayer reqd) Conor Murphy has made clear Sinn Fein’s preconditions for the special Ard Fheis: “The transfer of policing and justice powers – a timeframe for that, the type of department that those powers will be transferred to. Those are the issues that need resolved. Those can be resolved quite quickly and allow us to take our decisions on policing.” The lack of clarity on the future of the PIRA and the related absence of an exclusion …

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Elections are to be held on 7th March 2006 (results on 8th March). Nominations for ministers are to be held on 14th March 2007. D’hondt is to run and power devolved on 26th March 2006 and ministers expected to take a pledge of office making clear reference to supporting the police. So says the NIO, the St Andrew’s Agreement and the legislation. SF has made clear no pledge will be taken until the Ard Fheis has met. Francis Brolly says …

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