Turgon Whether or not Ian Parsley gets elected next week (I am in a charitable mood tonight), one Alliance politician has secured a top job. According to the BBC Naomi Long has been elected Lord Mayor of Belfast. I am unsure if it is politically incorrect to call her Lady Mayoress? She neat the DUP’s William Humphrey by 26 votes to 24. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
The end of another part of twentieth century history occurred today. Millvina Dean the last survivor of the sinking of the Titanic has died in Hampshire at the age of 97: she was 9 weeks old when the ship went down and her own father died in the disaster. Despite the passing of the last survivor of the liner, I suspect the iconic story of “our” ship (built in Belfast etc.) will continue. Incidentally the image may well not actually …
The election campaign grinds remorselessly onwards to the excited expectation of the political anoraks (and if you are reading this site you are a bit of an anorak: I as a blogger am a hopeless snorkel parka case) and the mild interest of real people. I thought at this point as we are about to enter the final week I would take a non impartial look at the current state of the campaigns. Turning first to my own lot. The …
Michelle Williamson the daughter of two of the victims of the Shankill Fish Shop murders has been challenging the appointment of four victims commissioners. Ms Williamson claims there was no legal authority to create four victims commissioners and that Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness based their decision on religious beliefs or political opinion rather than merit. Ms Williamson’s barrister Barry Macdonald QC said no records had been kept to explain how Mr Paisley and Mr McGuinness came to their decision. …
The Bible states that “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3) In the aftermath of the latest murder it is a “Time to Mourn” (v4). The latest sectarian murder in Northern Ireland, this time in Coleraine, is as sickening and evil as all the ones which have gone before. It is being reported that the UDA was behind the attack. Reading the Belfast Telegraph’s account of the murder it …
A 49 year old man was murdered last night in what appears to have been a sectarian killing. It appears that the man (a Catholic) was murdered by a group of loyalists following the end of the Rangers and Celtic football matches. TurgonThis author has not written a biography and will not be writing one.
The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a joint appeal to voters not to vote for the BNP in the European elections. They seem concerned that the current scandal over expenses may play into the BNP’s hands. The BNP leader Nick Griffin rejected the archbishops’ call; Nick Clegg the Liberal Democrat leader told the BBC Politics Show that he believed in the separation of church and state, whilst Polly Toynbee, president of the British Humanists’ Association, insisted it was …
Whilst it may not be particularly good form to speak ill of the dead, I think it is worth noting that one of the Shankill Butchers, William Moore, died last week, (he was buried on Thursday). At his trial the judge Mr Justice O’Donnell told him: “You pleaded guilty to 11 murders carried out in a manner so cruel and revolting as to be beyond the comprehension of any normal human being.” “I’m satisfied that, without you, many of the …
David Cameron has ruled out any pact between the CUs and the DUP at new next Westminster elections. (From the News Letter) Asked whether his party would stand aside in any Ulster constituency, he said: “None. Out. None. Absolutely none whatsover. “We’re a United Kingdom party. I don’t stand aside in Glasgow because it might help the Liberals. I don’t stand aside in East London because it might help the Greens. “This is a UK party and I want everyone …
One of Shakespeare’s most iconic and charismatic heroes is Henry V. One of his greatest speeches is in Act 3 scene 1 which starts with the words “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;” Such is the stunning enthusiasm of the TUV election workers that one begins to wonder if Jim Allister has made such a speech to them. The reality is of course that our leader whatever his many qualities is not really a Henry V figure; …
Catriona Ruane has reacted angrily to the revelation in the Irish News that she took her daughter to Cypress during school term time. Ms Ruane said it was gutter journalism and a “dreadful attack” on her family. She said she paid for her daughter to go with her and private matters should not be brought into “political battles”. “I will make decisions in relation to my family,” she said. “I’m a mother and I’m a minister.” Ms Ruane said she …
According to the Sinn Fein web site Gerry Adams last night addressed one of Sinn Fein’s “Townhall meetings” in Craigavon. The target of his comments seems to have been the Public Prosecution Service. “And there remain serious matters to be tackled in aspects of the justice system, not least of which is the role of the PPS. The Unionist and British establishment always understood the key importance of controlling the law and justice and policing. The Unionist state …
One of the most celebrated military generals of antiquity was Hannibal. He annihilated several Roman armies, possibly most famously with the Double envelopment at Cannae which is still studied as an archetype for a successful battle. However, brilliant as Hannibal’s tactics were, his long term strategy was flawed. He fought in Italy for years and was eventually worn down by a foe (the Romans) who simply would not give up. At the end it was Carthage, not Rome which was …
The ongoing disaster which is the Presbyterian Mutual Society has rightly excited interest from many unionist politicians including Arlene Foster and Jim Allister amongst others. Most of them have (again rightly) been pressurising the government and the banks. David McNarry (not normally one of my favourite politicians) has been one of those involved. Saturday’s News Letter has reports of letters from the PMS implying a pretty inextricable link between the PMS and the Presbyterian Church. This from 1992 “That it …
A couple of months ago I did a blog on a proposed SF election strategy which was rather elegantly described on another blog as a strategy of bluff and heritage. Bairbre de Brún delivered the annual Bobby Sands Lecture on 2nd May and I must admit to feeling that my proposals have been extensively adopted. Ms. de Brún harked back a great deal to the heroic past of Mr. Sands and also to Countess Markievicz. At times Ms. de Brún’s …
The news that Margaret Ritchie’s decision to stop funding the CTI was illegal came this week. It allowed David Simpson to denounce her for wasting public money (though there seems a certain irony in that from the DUP). However, the legal decision continues the establishment’s appeasement of loyalist paramilitaries which is as predictable as rain in Fermanagh. I am sure the legal grounds were correct but once again it shows that legality and morality are unrelated. This decision continues the …
All the major news outlets are covering the news that the police have warned Martin McGuinness that there is a threat to his life from dissident republicans. Mr. McGuinness seems relatively un fazed by this (from the BBC): “It is believed this threat comes from a so-called dissident grouping,” Mr McGuinness said in a statement issued on Friday morning. “I have spent my entire adult life engaged in the republican struggle to bring about Irish unity and independence. Throughout that …
The BBC and News Letter are reporting that the Presbyterian Mutual Society broke the law by running as a bank without the necessary authorisation The FSA have been investigating the circumstances which led to the collapse. In a statement it said: “We have concluded our investigation and have decided that the PMS was conducting regulated activities without the necessary authorisation or exemption. “However, on the basis of the information currently available to us, and applying the criteria in the Code …
Turning finally to my own lot. This is a critical election for the TUV, more so than for any of the other parties. Whilst defeat at the election would not deprive the UUP or DUP of their major political stage, it would for the TUV. As such a good showing is vital if the early momentum of the party is to be continued. This is an enormous task for a small organisation. In Jim Allister the TUV have their single …
The New Force are of course also in an interesting position. Although they are running Nicholson who seems to have been there since shortly after the end of the Second World War (well actually since 1989) they have gained the addendum of the Tories. The start of the new relationship seemed to be a great hope though I did caution at the time that it was very much a politicos idea and one which I was unsure of the relevance …
