alliance

Alliance Party Conference – a heartfelt appeal for hope to prevail over fear amid tight margins in two elections next year #APNI2026

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Party president David Alderdice opened proceedings with a call for members look forward with “hope not fear”. That’s the strapline that the party is using to externally frame their policies and values, speaking into local and global conflict and social divisions. But it also speaks loudly to the internal challenge of the upcoming local government and Assembly elections. Maybe electioneering has totally changed, but the conference felt like a missed opportunity to spur unelected members on to get out and …

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“A European Future for Northern Ireland” – another SDLP stunt

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Late last week, we heard that the SDLP were putting a motion before the Assembly to call for a border poll. Looking at the order paper for Monday, I see the following motion tabled by the Leader of the Opposition :  That this Assembly welcomes the positive step forward represented by the UK-EU deal of 19 May 2025; affirms that any arrangement which reduces friction for businesses is welcomed; supports further alignment between the UK and EU including via a …

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Alliance Party Conference report #apni25

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deputy leader Eoin Tennyson hugs Alliance leader Naomi Long, while audience stand to applaud

The 2025 Alliance Party conference comes shortly after the first anniversary of the restoration of the Stormont institutions, and a day after the Programme for Government was finally agreed and published. It also marks a changing of the guard within the party with manifesto-supremo and deputy leader Stephen Farry absent for the first time in perhaps 35 years. I’ve been attending and writing up online coverage of party conferences for a mere 15 years. Back in 2010, party met in …

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The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland: Beyond Unionism and Nationalism … watch back the book launch

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The academic team who study the sentiment and opinion of political party members and elected representatives turned their gaze to the Alliance Party some years ago. The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland: Beyond Unionism and Nationalism was launched this evening in Ulster University. You can watch back the speeches, responses and Q&A. Dr Máire Braniff introduced proceedings before Dr Clare Rice and Prof Jonathan Tonge highlighted some of the findings. Dr Sophie Whiting chaired a panel of journalists and party …

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The most fundamental rule of politics

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Elections are won by the party (or coalition of parties) which can attract the most support and agree a common programme.  This applies whether you have a two-party state or a multi-party state. Sinn Fein have faced this in the Dail where they have been the equal-largest party, but Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael would rather set aside their historic differences and work together than form a coalition with Sinn Fein. In US politics, where the bell curve of left …

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Is it time to give up on power sharing as a bad job ?

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A couple of weeks back I wrote about whether or not the time had come for Alliance to adopt a constitutional position (TL;DR – it hasn’t). As is typical of articles that touch on the constitutional issue, there were quite a few comments, most of which spectacularly avoided the point and tended to rehash boring talking points and clichés from the 1970s. But there were several fair remarks which merit further discussion, so I thought I’d start with the most …

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Alliance : time to get off the fence ? 

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Some weeks ago I noted with interest the outcome of the University of Liverpool survey into the makeup of the Alliance Party membership base and their views on constitutional matters, finding that a larger number of members believe that Irish unity should occur in the future.  The title of this piece refers to an old cliché, which I’ve heard since 1994, that the party are a bunch of fence-sitters. More recently I’ve been hearing “constitutional change is coming and Alliance …

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#APNI24 looking for reform and growth at Westminster

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Alliance gathered for their annual conference in the Stormont Hotel in East Belfast. 400 delegates heard their leaders pitch for reform of the institutions and the upcoming Westminster elections. I have attended every Alliance conference since 2014 and this is one of the most upbeat and energetic that I have witnessed. The party’s local election saw growth but unlike, Sinn Fein, it was a mixed bag with losses in some places and failure to break through in others. The Deputy …

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Slugger Podcast: Looking at the boundaries for #GE24

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David McCann and Peter Donaghy look at how the proposed new constituency boundaries could impact the next election results in Northern Ireland David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

30 free hours of childcare sounds good, but doesn’t fully deliver

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Kate Nicholl is the Alliance Party MLA for South Belfast  With many people’s childcare bills outstripping mortgage costs, parents and carers struggling with the strain of juggling careers and childcare, and providers struggling to keep their doors open, you don’t need to look far to see the impact of crippling childcare costs on our children, parents and carers, our economy, and wider society. The lack of affordable childcare in Northern Ireland was at the heart of my decision to run …

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Slugger TV looks at #LE23

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Slugger TV 26th May 2023 from Northern Visions NvTv on Vimeo. Slugger TV looks at LE23 with Brendan Hughes and Sarah Creighton David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

#BBCRedlines looks at the unaligned parties for #le23

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Last week on the Red Lines podcast, we looked at the Unaligned parties with Suzanne Breen, Enda McClafferty and the host, Mark Carruthers. You can listen to the full episode here.  David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

And the winner is………….Slugger reviews the PEBs of #LE23

| Readers 1756

We are back! The Slugger Party Election Broadcast Review has returned to give its assessment of the party election broadcasts of the 2023 local elections. A valuable public service to election nerds and people who have devoted hours and days of effort to create these three minute wonders. A bit like the Eurovision Song Contest, high scores aren’t any indication of likely success at the ballot box. It’s a somewhat tongue-in-cheek look at the aesthetics and impact of one aspect …

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Patricia O’Lynn to step down as an MLA

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Alliance MLA, Patricia O’Lynn is to step down as an MLA for North Antrim to take up a job with Queens University. O’Lynn is the only woman to be elected for the constituency of North Antrim and was one of the high profile gains for Alliance in 2022. Speaking about her decision she said: “It has been an honour to serve the people of North Antrim as their MLA and previously the people of Ballymena as a Councillor. My only …

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Slugger TV looks at the main parties after #AE22

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Slugger TV is five years old! This month Anna Mercer from Stratagem and Chris Donnelly look at the state of the parties following the Assembly Election. David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

UTV Leaders Debate-Low key campaigns don’t drop their guards

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The leaders of the five main parties gathered in South Belfast today for the UTV Leaders Debate, which is the first of two of these debates in the 2022 Assembly Election campaign. Marc Mallett as usual was the moderator and there were two new faces with Doug Beattie and Jeffrey Donaldson taking part for the first time. The experienced debaters returning from 2017 were Colum Eastwood, Naomi Long and Michelle O’Neill. The debate was divided into three main themes, Executive …

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And the winner is … ranking the PEBs: Slugger’s verdict on the party broadcasts of #AE22

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It’s back! The Slugger review of the Party Election Broadcasts. Starting all the way back in 2014, we are returning to award the best party election broadcast of the 2022 Assembly campaign. This year we are assembling the same judges as in 2019 to help us decide who won the battle on TV. We have our own Alan Meban, the Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent, Allison Morris and Director of Brown O’Connor Communications, Chris Brown. How does it work? Each of …

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Slugger TV looks at the polls and strategy for #AE22

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This month Slugger TV talks to two former party strategists about what the parties will be thinking about going into the next election. We have Brendan Mulgrew (For SDLP advisor and Partner in MW Advocate) and Lee Reynolds (Former Director of Policy for the DUP and SPAD). NVTV and local broadcasting lost a very special person last week. Marilyn Hyndman very sadly passed away. She was someone who edited, checked over and supported Slugger TV. We hope you enjoy this …

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Scores on the doors: 2022 Assembly Election lay of the land

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We are 104 days away from the Assembly Election. Set for Thursday 5th May, we will be able to decide who we want to take Northern Ireland forward for the next few years. Where will the parties be targeting and defending? I have put together a list of where is under threat for each of the main parties and where could they make some gains. These things are moveable feasts and dynamics can change throughout the campaign. Sinn Fein-Currently holds …

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Doug Beattie welcomes any disillusioned members of the DUP who want to come over to the UUP…

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With the DUP taking a lurch to the religious right, some of the more moderate DUP politicians are wondering is it time to jump ship. Doug Beattie is happy to welcome them one and all, with one proviso. Doug said: ‘ any new members would have to endorse the UUP’s vision and values.’ This could be a bit of a sticking point because even UUP politicians would have trouble explaining their parties vision and values. UUP leader Doug Beattie has …

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