Well at last we have a result. After weeks of being taunted by headlines promising elections, and then speculating they were off, we are all but sure that it is indeed off. The British PM and the Taoiseach are due to make speeches in their respective houses at 2.30 to announce the details. There is some now speculation that the scheduled review of the Assembly arrangements will take place before any new elections, which might prove a useful point to …
Paul Murphy has just delivered a statement in Westminster to the effect that elections would be postponed possibly till the autumn indefinately. The framework documents containing all the arrangements being offered as acts of completion by the British and Irish governments will be made available this afternoon. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …
The main blueprint document is available on the Downing Street website, along with the annexes on on the runs (OTRs) and proposed monitoring and sanctions for breaches of ceasefires. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Thomas Malloy on the Bloomberg news wire is one of the first to press with the report of Blair’s speech, which has finally put to an end nearly six months of intense negotiation. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Though the elections have been given an initial green light, David Trimble will be petitioning Downing Street for a postponement should there be no decommissioning of the IRA. There is also some evidence that he his pushing at a half open door. Thomas Harding in the Daily Telegraph: “There are all sorts of deadlines being put out,” said a Westminster source. But the truth is none of them is critical. If there is a chance of getting a deal we …
The Seattle Times takes a highly pejorative view of Gerry Adams’ recent clarification. It would be wrong to extrapolate too much from this as an indication of public opinion, but along with last week’s vehement editorial in the liberal flagship New York Times, it does point to the heat being turned on Sinn Fein in US. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and …
Looks like even in England Johnny Adair is still not safe from would-be assailants. This from the BBC. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Gerry Adams’ latest statement tries to provide some re-assurance of the IRA’s good intentions: The IRA leadership makes it clear in its statement that it is determined that its activities will be consistent with its resolve to see the complete and final closure of the conflict. But as with much else that happens in Northern Ireland, this statement will be genuinely read as though it were written in two separate and mutually incompatible languages. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of …
Apologies in advance. Blogging will be very slow tomorrow as we make the final preparations for the publication of the think piece on the future of Unionism in Northern Ireland. It will be available from next Wednesday, 7th May. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
For those of you who have been following events here on Slugger, you’ll know that we been conducting a study on the future of Unionism. The resulting report will be published next week. There will be a limited number of paper copies available. If you would like to place an advance order, just send me an email with your address and we’ll send you one. However, there will be also be download copy available here next week. We hope the …
The bizarre headline is ours, but then this is an interesting statement from Mitchel McLaughlin: We are doing business with the DUP and we can do business with the DUP but we would prefer that the [Ulster] Unionist party and the unionist community return a majority of representatives who were pro-agreement because life would be very much easier for us all. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics …
It is somewhat disturbing to see the Northern Ireland entry in the Guardian’s election round up dismissed as: …the Alice-in-Wonderland world of the Northern Ireland assembly elections (the suspended assembly was formally dissolved on Sunday night for elections to a new, still suspended, assembly), the rejectionist Democratic Unionist party, led by the Rev Ian Paisley, launches its election campaign today. The party is seeking to overtake the Ulster Unionists as the largest pro-union party. But, then again maybe it’s not …
There seems to be last minute struggle going on. Sinn Fein have, at the eleventh hour offered a disarmament, and a degree of clarity on it’s committment to stand down. However it is accompanied by a sustained attack on David Trimble who is thought to be lobbying hard to have the elections postponed today. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a …
The official election campaign is to begin today with several of the parties launching today, the day the suspended Assembly is to be dissolved. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
In yesterday’s Sunday Life, Henry Patterson suggested that if the IRA does sign up to what Downing Street will assent to as a full Act of Completion, nothing short of a televised version of the following disarmament will suffice the pro-Agreement wing of the UUP. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …
Buried in this story about the current state of the talks, Jeffrey Donaldson has broken ranks with the majority of the noises coming out of his party and suggested that a further postponement of the elections would, ‘show they were held hostage by the IRA’. Things are by no means settled as yet. Trimble and the rest of the pro Agreement Unionists wait to see if the outcome of the negotiations between Sinn Fein leaves themselves with anything they can …
Martina Purdie examines effects that Gerry Adams’ latest statement has had on Sinn Fein’s political opponents in the pro-Agreement Unionist camp. The conversial three lines are as follows: The IRA statement is a statement of completely peaceful intent. Its logic is that there should be no activities inconsistent with this. Secondly, the IRA has clearly stated its willingness to proceed with the implementation of a process to put arms beyond use at the earliest opportunity. Obviously this is not about …
Barry McCafferty reports on two conversations with Irish republicans, 1 pro the Belfast Agreement and the other anti. Joe Doherty first: When I joined the IRA in the 70s things were black and white. But in this process we have to accept that things are going to evolve. Nationalists are frustrated that there has been no movement on policing and social justice, but at least our politicians are in there fighting for change. We fought from outside for long enough, …
Good piece from Anthony McIntyre, remarking that though engaging with democratic institutions has inevitably put priniciple in the second place, he has no regrets that the armed struggle is over. However the cyclical nature of some of the arguments clearly grates: For five full years they have foraged in and drained the public purse as they have led us down linguistic mazes only to come back to the very same point, the same issue, the same allegation and accusatory tone. …
Jude Collins notes the fear that many in Northern Ireland have for Sinn Fein. But, he asserts, it is not really the threat to go back to physical violence that inspires that fear, but the political damage the new Republican project is capable of inflicting on its political adversaries. Collins is perhaps being a little disingenuous here considering the real fears that persist in some small rural protestant communities and those at the interface, but he may be making an …
