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MAURICE Hayes pontificates on whether the Taoiseach and Prime Minister’s skills at successfully negotiating their way around the EU Constitution can be brought to bear at Lancaster House tomorrow. Like most, he sees their involvement tomorrow as a kind of staging post. Hayes writes: “The talks this week are unlikely to produce dramatic results. The involvement of Taoiseach and Prime Minister is probably no more at this stage than a sign of continuing commitment, a signal of goodwill to the …

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IS this for real? According to the Indo, the political wing of the Continuity IRA yesterday issued a warning to the public about the dangers of transporting explosives! Bizarre… “There is a danger associated with moving explosives through a city and indeed through towns and villages,” said Sean O’Neill, community affairs spokesman for Republican Sinn Fein. “It is a tragedy waiting to happen and we are now calling for all explosives to be moved during the night or indeed a …

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NATIONAL Review contributor David Frum notes some of the lessons for peace processes he has learned from the new Trimble biography. In part one, Frum writes: “British politicians who entered the process intending to protect the union between northern Ireland and mainland Britain–a union cherished by a large majority of the population of northern Ireland–ended by inventing a new kind of multinational structure in which northern Ireland would somehow be jointly governed by Britain and the Republic of Ireland together. …

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AS unionists take the top positions in Lisburn City Council, the Irish Government fails to appear at the AGM, as predicted by Sinn Fein. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

ONE of our favourite gripes in Northern Ireland is the high cost of insurance, especially when compared to the cost in the rest of the UK. However, many GB companies refuse to deal with NI customers, blaming the security situation, the ‘claims culture’ and a hundred other things. Here’s another explanation – and an honest, if coded, admission – they simply can’t be bothered with NI. Incredible! It’s something the Federation of Small Business is trying to change. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

The Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland, Robert Saulters, has issued an unprecedented plea to all Orangemen to uphold the Christian principles of the Institution, particulalrly during public processions. KilsallyIT Technical Manager for a CCTV company in the UK & Ireland. Christian, Orangeman, Unionist. Webmaster of Ulster-Scots Online. Occasional blogger on Slugger O’ Toole. Eurosceptic. @Kilsally www.ulster-scots.co.uk

Roy Garland shared a platform at Newry Arts Centre recently with Nelson McCausland and Gordon Lucy in which all were speaking on the subject of Indentity. In his Irish News column (subs needed) this week he mulls of over the contrary pulls of roots and modernity. “To deny we are Irish, when we live on this island, or Northern Irish/Ulster people when we live in this part of the island, or British, when we live in these islands is surely …

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Northern Ireland had the lowest domestic internet connection rate in the UK for 02-03 at 34%, but it also seems those of us who are on line are not dealing with irritating features like spam mail very well. There’s often some kind of clever scam at the bottom of it! 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 …

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THE Pope could be on his way to Northern Ireland. May God have mercy on this thread. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

The BBC has announced changes in its editorial policy largely in response to questions raised by the Hutton report. There’s also been a plethora of other material going public this week that raises a number of related issues. However the corporation continues sustain criticism from outsiders. The issue of Israel and Palestine, for instance, brings out enormous polarisation of opinion. Tom Gross argued earlier this week that the BBC looks critically at Israeli government actions, to the exclusion of depth …

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FORMER paramilitary prisoners – many of whom have difficulty obtaining employment due to their criminal record – may be given greater legal protection under the forthcoming Single Equality Bill. Out for consultation. Again. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

This little experiment on mentions of specific phrases used in the House of Commons suggests there’s occasionally great interest from government ministers (we take it that’s what the black line means), but not a lot of response from backbenchers of any party. We did get a mention from Blair’s spokesman on Monday. 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 …

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THE flying of the St George’s Cross in England in support of the national football team has been “greeted with delight and dismay in equal measures”, according to Neil Davenport of Spiked online. Are the English reluctant patriots? Are manifestations of ‘Englishness’ tempered by political correctness, or exacerbated by a growing sense of English ‘identity’ in the wake of devolution to the regions? Davenport writes: “The sea of St George’s flags is not something to worry about, in that it …

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Eddie Haughey will be (as far as we know) the first former Irish Senator to subsequently sit in the British upper house. He takes his seat on the Twelth of July. How the world changes! Thanks to reader Bob Wilson for this one. 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. …

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From being a quiet favorite, it appears that Bertie may be out of the running. Plans may be afoot to have former Fine Gael Attorney General and EU Commissioner Peter Sutherland take his place. Though Pat Cox is still in the running, it may be that the EPP party grouping may have an effective veto on anyone from outside its block. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics …

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Anthony McIntyre is sceptical of Sinn Fein’s claim to be a party of the left. In the wake of the recent elections he is not convinced that the disaffected of Dublin and other parts of the Republic will get the value they believe they will from their vote for Sinn Fein. However, it is likely to be at least another round or two before Sinn Fein is a position to hold local authority power never mind a future balance within …

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The first financial fallout of the smoking ban for publicans doesn’t look good. 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

The Tour of the North Orange parade in Belfast, the first big marching event of the year (in Liverpool they start much earlier and end much later) with community workers from both communities showing in force to ensure it passed off peacefully. 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: …

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Davy Adams, seen by some as having played a vital part in securing sizeable (if transient) support amongst loyalism for the Belfast Agreement, argues that the current impasse is the result of brinkmanship being played for narrow party political advantage, rather than for the benefit of NI at large. 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 …

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Despite what was by his own measure a poor performance by the UUP, Alex Kane believes that retaining Trimble as leader is still tenable, although mostly because most of the alternatives involving moving the party to the right of the DUP are entirely untenable. By Alex Kane No amount of spin or cookie cutting can disguise the sheer horror of the UUP�s Euro result. The lowest vote and percentage of vote in the party�s history and out-polled in every constituency …

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