Michael Shilliday David Christopher offers his thoughts on the Reform Movement’s new blog on the developments made in the last 15 years from a southern perspective. He also outlines some issues yet to be dealt with. This comes soon after comments from Danny Kennedy in the Assembly, calling for the Republic to rejoin the Union.From David’s piece: Of course there is still so much to do, and a long road ahead – we have seen the fruits of embracing Europe – so …
It’s not a quote, but its bizarre. UPDATE:It seems he may ACTUALLY have said the internal affairs of the DUP. But surely there is quite a bit of overlap in this particular case. UPDATE 2:He said Northern Ireland after all! Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Nick Robinson highlights a little alteration made in the HoC Hansard to an answer from the Chancellor. Worth noting, as I’ve spotted similar occurrences in the Assembly, and I’m sure it’ll come up in the future. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Someone, somewhere, is still pushing the idea of reopening the Lisburn-Antrim railway line and building a spur to the Airport. I remember looking into this a little, and discovering that the economics just aren’t there. It is my understanding that such a development would be expensive to construct, and not used enough to be sustainable. In short, the International Airport just isn’t big enough to justify it. Translink is often criticised for being a bus heavy company, which is running …
So says Jim Allister on last night’s H&M.Many will say that one cannot draw too many conclusions from a local government by-election. And they’re right. I worked a bit on the Larne Lough DEA by-election in 2004, occasional Slugger commenter Andy Wilson won the election, yet Roy Beggs still lost the following Westminster election heavily. Yet there are significant differences here (one being that Andy had the good forethought to become a father during the campaign). The preceding council election …
Hearts & Minds is available to UK users watch here. Listen carefully to the DFM’s answers on the question of a United Ireland. Carefully worded aren’t they? Malachi O’Doherty’s ‘If you ask me‘ was, as usual, thoughtful and thought provoking. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
As I pointed out in comment 23 here, the Chuckle Brothers can’t appoint four Victims Commissioners, because the legislation is for a single appointment. Unusually, it is the Newsletter that (as far as I have seen) are the only mainstream media outlet that have picked up on this matter (no link, pg 8): “A change in the law and a vote in the Assembly will be required to fully anoint the appointees and that will take months” Months may well …
I indicated here that I’m not keen on PR being adopted for Westminster elections. This article indicates that a “government study” (which I can’t find on Government websites) has come up with some very lazy, and quite political, reasons not to do it. It strikes me as a better option to seek reasons to change, rather than reasons not to. It also mentions European Elections requiring no change. In Great Britain they certainly do need to change – away from …
Chekov isn’t impressed at the advertising campaign embarked upon by the Bill of Rights forum Consortium, nor is he convinced that they will actually do anything new. Newt isn’t a fan either. “One in three kids here live in poverty. That’s why we need a Bill of Rights.” So declares a major new advertising campaign from the taxpayer-funded Bill of Rights Forum. Where do you even start with such arrogance? First, the claim that one in three children live in …
It has never really occurred to me that anyone outside the NIO would think the NIO would exist after devolution to Northern Ireland has bedded down. With the Welsh and Scottish Offices doing a minimal amount, surely their Northern Irish counterpart would join them in a single Whitehall department. Owen Patterson seems to think that it is important that Northern Ireland have a dedicated department, although doesn’t seem to fully justify the claim in this report of the interview. Michael …
Despite the anti-monarchist sentiment expressed in barrel loads here, support for the British Monarchy remains high. The 80% support for the Monarchy now, and 70% when Charles becomes King is about the same as in this poll more than 18 months ago. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Seems a couple of days early, but the honours list is out. Top of the Northern Ireland list is head of the Civil Service, as he is now Sir Nigel Hamilton. Next is Dame Nuala O’Loan followed by Elieen Bell and Evelyn Collins CBE. Duncan McCausland gets an OBE and UUP MLA Fred Cobain gets an MBE along with Larne DUP Councillor Rachel Rea, boxer Gerry Storey and Portadown boss Ronnie McFall. Northern Ireland seems to have done rather well, …
At the end of October there were a flurry of DUP pronouncements about the current mandatory coalition arrangements, most accusing the UUP of being bad eggs for suggesting the idea of an opposition. At the time I asked: does the DUP now expressly support mandatory coalition? Sammy Wilson says they did as far back as 2004, which is perhaps a suggestion that the future “Chuckle Brothers” situation was an implicit manifesto commitment of Jim Allister. I doubt Jim will see …
Oops. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Jim Wells resigned as DUP environment spokesman last June following the DUP’s refusal to support an Environmental Protection agency. The BBC reported at the time that Jim’s support for an agency drew the remark “We all have our Jim Wells to bear”, after which he stood down. Now Arlene Foster has said that she is “open minded” on the issue and is awaiting costings . If Jim Wells was “out of step” with the majority of his colleagues last year, …
Robert Coulter has invited Donald Trump to look to the Antrim coast for his golf course in the wake of his rejection from a Scottish council. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Mark Devenport has been pointing out the inconsistencies emerging between the DUP’s previous stated positions and their current pronouncements which, some might say, reveal their terror at the idea of the UUP and SDLP pulling out of government. On the same theme, Derek Hussey has tonight sought to ask questions of the DUP’s position. His statement reads: I read with interest Jeffery’s response to [Jim] Allister in Tuesday’s Newsletter. “Northern Ireland is a much better place today than it was …
Northern Ireland have been drawn against Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and San Marino. If we can beat Spain, the Czech Republic and Poland will be no problem. Full draw here. Scotland and the Republic should do well in their groups. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
Bob, fresh from moving house, casts his critical and observant eye over Iris Robinson’s Newsletter column of this week. Michael ShillidayI used to write and get paid, now I read and don’t. Former UUP staffer, currently living in London. @mjshilliday
I’ve noted before that Martin Rosenbaum’s FOI blog is excellent. Today he notes that the Information Commissioner has rapped the PSNI for their attitude to an FOI request. Particularly interesting for me is not para 23, but para 24: In light of the above, the Commissioner has considered whether he ought to exercise his powers under section 77 of the Act in relation to the possible commission of a criminal offence. The Commissioner has concluded that, while he is satisfied …
