Lee Reynolds Unionists have in effect been squabbling over a diminishing share of the cake. They often appear to be largely oblivious of this reality. • Improve the quality of unionist electoral organisation • Improve voter registration • Provide people with a reason to vote unionist. Please discuss these key issues (preferably without turning it into another ‘squabble’). Lee Reynolds
It is not only the politicians pushing the flag wars, a Boots customer complaint led to the withdrawal of Union flag style t-shirts from its main Belfast store. Staff involved in a Dunhill promotion had been wearing the t-shirt. It was in the design of a UK flag but with grey instead of red bands. Lee Reynolds
Ian Paisley Jnr is claiming that it wasn’t only the UUP who rebuffed SDLP calls for an Assembly recall but SDLP MLAs as well. UPDATE Paisley Jnr’s claims are wrong “15 SDLP signatures have already been appended.” Lee Reynolds
It appears it is not easy to find a grave for an atheist in Donegal. There is no municipal graveyard and Roy Greenslade had been informed that a religious service would be required to use the various church graveyards (although this advice may have been mistaken). So instead his atheist mother’s remains were brought across the border and buried in Londonderry. Derry City Council has different designated areas for different religions within its graveyards but none for atheists, when asked …
…but it is all the politicians fault for its ineffectiveness as a policing service. As they have created: “…the PSNI as a political statement and thus they judge the PSNI’s success not by its effectiveness, but by its existence. And that, sad to say, makes the PSNI the latest in a long line of political police forces here.” Lee Reynolds
SDLP attempts to recall the Assembly to discuss the failure of the Executive to meet have floundered after the UUP declined to support the move. This will leave the SDLP short of the 30 signatures they require. UUP leader Sir Reg Empey explained its rejection was on largely practical grounds. Lee Reynolds
DUP questions about European expenses have brought an angry response from Jim Allister. He said the queries were about: “…trying to sling mud in his direction” Last week, Mark Devenport’s questioning of Jim Allister led him to admit for the first time that his constituency office was owned by his family. He had previously admitted he employs a family member. In his media profile, one of the roles Allister has adopted is guardian of the public purse, such as the …
The Belfast Telegraph reports that the row about the UUP/Tory link-up and OO links continues to simmer inside the UUP. Lee Reynolds
The IFA, the organisation so bad it makes all metaphors for failure redundant. As this is a football thread I would remind commentors the play the ball rule still applies. Lee Reynolds
BBC News reports that: “An emergency meeting has taken place at Stormont between ministers and relevant agencies in the aftermath of Saturday’s flooding.” Environment minister Sammy Wilson confirmed there would be a compensation scheme for flood victims: “those affected could expect to receive around £1,000 in compensation, but the figure has yet to be finalised. Councils will be notified of the scheme on Monday so that people will be able to make applications,” UPDATE Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy says …
The Sunday Times reports Alliance have agreed to talks with the DUP about the devolution of Policing and Justice: “…willing to negotiate if the terms on offer meet his party’s requirements.” Wriggling away from the previous position: “This executive is incompetent, it’s time they got with doing the job that they were set up to do. It’s a very definite and a very emphatic no.” Lee Reynolds
The last severe floods saw swift action by the Executive to provide support to those supported effected through a £5m flood fund and a review highlighting a number of areas for future action. Will they act again to tackle the present floods? Or should it be can they act with SF blocking Executive meetings? Lee Reynolds
David McNarry has demanded a public apology from the Conservatives over the anti-Orange Order article that appeared on the local website. The Conservatives have distanced themselves from the article written by a senior local member. A spokesperson said they had total respect for the Orange Institution and: “The Conservative Party has no issue with the Orange Order. It is a perfectly legal organisation and many of its members are engaged in charity and church work.” UPDATE The McNarry statement also …
The UUP and Tories are keeping their new relationship in the news by drip feeding the results of their YouGov poll. In response to the new developments the DUP seems to be adopting a little bit of everything response. Today Edwin Poots challenged Sir Reg Empey about an attack on Orange Order and UUP MLA David McNarry placed on the local Conservatives website (now removed). Despite its removal it was defended by the local Conservative responsible for policy (pdf file) …
The UUP/Conservatives have released more detail from the YouGov poll they commissioned as part of their merger talks. It shows support for the Union at 55% and a United Ireland at 24% with the remaining expressing no opinion or supporting independence. Among SDLP and SF voters it found 28% and 16% support for the Union respectively. AFAIK for number junkies (like myself) the data is unpublished. Lee Reynolds
The Sunday Tribune does some futuring around Sinn Fein and the role of Gerry Adams. It argues that there are north/south tensions within the organisation highlighted by the difficulties in the last Irish elections and shift to a “broad-based” southern leadership. Donegal Sinn Féin councillor Padraig MacLochlainn acknowledges: “Unfortunately, from a republican perspective, there are two different jurisdictions and two different economies and two different realities on the island.” One interviewee claims that as regard the future: The prevailing view …
The Dunclug anti-internment bonfire went ahead. Union and Ulster flags were burned as well as a SF recruitment poster. Members of the 250 crowd who were interviewed attacked Sinn Fein and the conditions in the area. As regard the house attack that followed the previous removal of bonfire material: A well-respected Protestant community activist was wrongly implicated in the bonfire’s removal. His home was attacked and he has since left Dunclug. UPDATE: Trouble flared at another bonfire in Coleraine with …
A serious conflict somewhere in the world. Casualties building by the hour both civilian and military with some risk of a full scale invasion of Georgia by Russia. The threat to a strategic oil pipeline pushing up world oil prices. Never mind all that a local angle must be found and the News Letter have done it finding two local tourists who are refusing to hurry home. One of them said: “We’re Ulstermen and we’ve paid for this holiday and …
The Joint Committee of Human Rights has supported the government proposals for a Bill of Rights. Among its various recommendations it argues for the terminology UK Bill of Rights rather than British. It also believes that devolved governments need to be given an enhanced role in the process and supports the inclusion of some socio-economic rights. UPDATE: Whatever JCHR thinks Brown has returned to the theme of Britishness at the Edinburgh Book festival. Lee Reynolds
Maurice Hayes takes Alliance to task for their position of policing and justice. He states: There is a perverse constant in Northern Ireland politics that just when things are becoming simple, some individual or group intervenes to create difficulties — even if it means acting entirely out of character. Just when the awkward squads on both sides had seemed to be mastering the art of negotiation and compromise, the former good guys of the Alliance Party decide that the time …
