Turgon There has been a great amount of ink spilt in explaining the advantages and indeed the necessity of devolving policing and justice to the assembly and it seems that slowly but surely the DUP are moving towards it, though in the last couple of days I have begum to wonder; something I will return to at the end. There are arguments in favour of P&J devolution: however, there are also arguments against it both as a practical concept and also …
I previously likened Arlene Foster to the battleship HMS Warspite (a famously attractive and effective ship, once the most modern and best in the world) when she was sent to fight the Fermanagh by election. On that occasion it was a little like the use of Warspite in the Second Battle of Narvik. However, the DUP’s use of Foster is becoming more and more like the Admiralty’s use of Warspite during the Second World War. She along with her sister …
The CUs are eyeing more and more seats as potential targets in the wake of the recent DUP problems. It seems that the UUP select two candidates and Conservatives select a candidate and then one of these individuals is chosen to fight the seat in question. Apparently South Belfast UUP had their selection meeting last night (the Conservatives have already selected Peter McCann). The meeting is covered on Bob Balls though there seems to be a degree of dissension regarding …
The Clash sang: Should I stay or should I go now. That is of course the question for both Peter Robinson and his party; for other unionists it is also a valid question. The TUV and UUP can claim no credit for bringing this disaster upon the DUP. Iris Robinson managed to dig this hole not so much with a JCB but rather having borrowed the equipment used to excavate the channel tunnel.If Robinson goes the new DUP leader will …
An important part of the recent Iris Robinson affair has been the part played in it of her very open evangelical Christianity and the apparent breach of a number of God’s Laws. This has been followed by the explanation of God’s forgiveness by a number of leading churchmen including Senior Pastor of Whitewell James McConnell and David McIlveen (a very highly regarded Free Presbyterian Minister). The concept of forgiveness in fundamentalist Protestantism is possibly worth outlining in a little detail. …
Just announced on BBC Newsline that the UDA has completed putting its weapons beyond use. It will announce this tomorrow and apparently General John de Chastelain, the head of the international decommissioning body which witnessed the act will also make a statement. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
Today I am sure there will be commemorations by republicans (presumably dissident and otherwise) of the IRA raid on Brookeborough on New Year’s Day 1957. Whilst there was a major commemoration in 2007 (the fiftieth anniversary, covered by Miss Fitz) it seems to be a tradition to mark this attack. To many republicans the attackers of Brookeborough RUC station are heroes; helped no doubt by the famous songs about Sean South and Fergal O’Hanlon who were left dead or dying …
The BBC have just announced that Iris Robinson is standing down from public life (presumably both as an MP and MLA?) because of depression. “The stress and strain of public life comes at a cost and my health has suffered,” she said. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
Christmas is almost upon us and I think Elenwe (Turgon’s wife) has finished her single handed destruction of my bank balance and credit card limit. As fundamentalist Prods we are, however, supposed to regard Christmas as a primarily religious festival. Clearly some of our fellow fundies denounce the whole think (Ivan Foster is a leading critic) and whilst I can see where he is coming from, especially in view of the obscene expense involved, (the more so in a recession) …
The BBC are reporting that Liam Adams went to a police station in Sligo on Monday. They could not detain him as a European arrest warrant had not been issued. However, Mr. Adams gave his address and said that he was willing to be questioned over the allegations against him. The PSNI are apparently working to prepare a European arrest warrant. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
Pete Baker has blogged on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee’s view on Eames Bradley below. The saga of the decline and fall of the Eames Bradley report is something of a morality tale in itself. It began with the hubris of Dennis Bradley and the noble Lord who suggested at its outset it was “hugely important for the future to deal properly with the past.” He said collective memory could affect a whole community. “Memory is a very precious thing …
Conall McDevitt has been selected to replace Carmel Hanna as MLA for South Belfast. Ms. Hanna is standing down in the New Year. Mr McDevitt said his selection was an honour and he paid tribute to Mrs Hanna’s work as an MLA. “For more than a decade Carmel Hanna has led by example and her record as a hard working representative is unquestionable. It will be a big job to fill her boots but I promise to work tirelessly to …
Personal interest but a brilliant edition of Imagine tonight on one of my favourite singers Joan Baez. Baez has managed a feat seldom seen in singers: to remain a significant force in music for five decades. My only complaint about the programme is that they did not play my favourite of her songs: Where have all the flowers gone. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
According to the BBC, a group of doctors has begun a legal challenge to the Hutton inquiry into Dr. David Kelly’s death. They base this on the grounds that is was not a proper coroner’s inquest and that Hutton was not a coroner. The group further claim that the knife used to slash Dr. Kelly’s wrists had no finger prints on it (his own or others) despite him not having worn gloves. In addition they claim that the amount of …
The Committee on the Administration of Justice have just produced their latest newsletter. The annual Stephen Livingstone lecture delivered was delivered by Martin O’Brien, Programme Director of Atlantic’s Philanthropies’ Reconciliation and Human Rights Programme and a former Director of CAJ. The lecture was summarised by a Sarah Lorimer a CAJ volunteer. She reported that: Mr. O’Brien found it telling, for example, that those areas of the Criminal Justice Review which were most concerned with increasing transparency and human rights compliance …
The Chief Constable Matt Baggott has managed to attract the ire of unionists. In an interview with the Belfast telegraph (not on line as yet) He says he would call on police forces in England, Wales or even the Republic, if necessary, to help in investigations and wants to see the PSNI and Garda working even more closely, particularly along the border, which he describes as merely an artificial line when it comes to policing. In addition he said that …
Yesterday Sinn Fein’s national chairperson Declan Kearney addressed a gathering to commemorate two IRA members Henry Hogan and Declan Martin who were killed in a gun battle by the army in Dunloy in 1984. As Jim Allister has already noted, during the course of his remarks Kearney stated: “Nor is there any acceptable role for British military forces in today’s six counties. Sinn Féin will not accept the reintroduction of any British military presence or activity; be it undercover, or …
The BBC are reporting that the Army’s Special Reconnaissance Regiment were involved in the apprehension of the terrorists who attempted to murder a young police officer in Garrison. Apparently the SRR which has been particularly active in Fermanagh provided the initial information that the police officer was being targeted and were then involved in watching the terrorists for a number of days. This revelation might present some difficulties for Sinn Fein as they have condemned the attack yet at the …
Pete has covered the latest terrorist attacks below. Thankfully they seem to have been completely unsuccessful. However, the attempt to murder a police officer who lived in Garrison was particularly sinister. At the start of the troubles the IRA often targeted police officers living in nationalist areas and Garrison is a very predominantly nationalist village. In addition the IRA were often reported to preferentially attempt to murder Catholic police officers in order to drive their co-religionists out of the RUC …
The media both print and on line recently have been full of discussion of one of the most famous of all bloggers, an even bigger star than our own sainted leader Mick: Belle de Jour. She has been the author of a blog about herself, the most popular part of which concerned her time as a high class prostitute in London. Her blog and books have earned her a great deal of money and genuine literary acclaim; to the extent …
