alliance – Page 8 – Slugger O'Toole

The dark side of politics rears its ugly head as Alliance offices attacked.

David McCann on November 17, 2013, 10:32 am

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Last night we have once again seen the ugly side of politics in Northern Ireland as the East Belfast Alliance party office was attacked with two petrol bombs. Last week, I was there doing an interview with Chris Lyttle and normally I don’t write about what I see when I’m out and about doing interviews but after last night I thought I should convey some of my impressions about the office and the people who work in it. What really …

McCann meets….Chris Lyttle MLA

David McCann on November 13, 2013, 7:19 pm

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Last Friday I interviewed the East Belfast Alliance MLA, Chris Lyttle. Below are some excerpts of the interview but I would recommend listening to the entire thing as it is only 16 minutes long. On Naomi Long retaining East Belfast at the next election I think we have as always worked extremely hard in the community in East Belfast. We have shown leadership on some of the key issues, taken a stand on what we believe is best for local …

Who has the youngest assembly group in NI?

David McCann on November 7, 2013, 1:07 pm

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I had to do a bit of research during the week on the assembly and the people who work in it. On the side I thought it would be interesting to find out just how old the average MLA is and what party has the youngest assembly group. Let’s begin with the overall picture-I surveyed the ages of 106 of the 108 MLAs-I couldn’t find the date of birth for two of them but this will still give me a good sample. …

“nobody has the right to use lamp posts & telegraph poles like a dog marking out territory” #apc13

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 2, 2013, 10:58 pm

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Compared with last year, numbers were up at the Alliance party conference. Lots of new faces, including the Parades Commission stand at which staff and commissioners were doing a bit of outreach. [Will the DUP take their money at their conference?] Missing were any flag protests. The PSNI and hotel security were ready – perhaps even expectant – but there were no marches up the Gransha Road to La Mon hotel. Now that Alliance have two Executive ministers and are …

Alliance Party Conference preview #apc13

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 1, 2013, 12:15 pm

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The Alliance Party returns to La Mon Hotel on Saturday for its annual conference. Back at the beginning of December, Alliance’s role in the Belfast City Hall flag decision – and the subsequent intimidation of elected representatives and damage to property – perversely looked like overall it might boost the party’s support. However as the protests dragged on over Christmas and into January and February, Alliance are less and less associated with the story; instead unionist fora, unionist unity and …

For Everyone – the main points from Alliance’s blueprint for a shared and better future

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 29, 2013, 10:37 pm

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Like their last election Manifesto, the Alliance Party’s “blueprint for an Executive strategy to build a shared and better future” [PDF of Executive Summary] is not a skinny tome. So far I’ve got about a third of the way through the seventy or so pages. While I read the rest, here’s a synopsis of some of the key points in the “For Everyone” blueprint for you to ponder and comment on. David Ford’s introduction: [Building a shared society] won’t be …

David Ford: Ideological differences not being handled inside the SDLP…

Mick Fealty on January 28, 2013, 10:48 am

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John Manley has an interview with David Ford in today’s Irish News. Much of it what you might expect, but Mr Ford is clearly taking the opportunity to throw out a long line for nationalist voters (traditionally an area of poor returns for the party). If there was ever a time for them to go fishing for nationalist voters it is probably now when the party’s stock is relatively high after their central part in the flag vote in Belfast. …

Leadership That’s Working?

Gerry Lynch on January 12, 2013, 2:01 am

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48, 48, and 48 – those are the nightmare numbers for Unionism. Not necessarily for the Union, but for Unionism the political ideology as we have understood it for the past century or so. In the 2011 Assembly election, only 48% of the population voted for Unionist candidates, interpreting that term as generously as possible. In the 2011 Census, only 48% of the population were classifiable as ‘Protestant’ by community background, even given the statisticians’ remit of allocating the non-religious …

Who really leads the DUP..?

Belfast Gonzo on December 3, 2012, 2:15 pm

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“THERE is new political space developing in Northern Ireland,” Peter Robinson told the South Antrim DUP at the weekend. “It is the DUP’s aim that unionism will own it and lead it.” But it can’t. Tonight, “the new political space” will be seen at the front of the City Hall, where I doubt those mingling in the Christmas Market will care too much about any flag flying above them. Round the back, will be the “old” political space, full of …

DUP leaflet accuses Alliance Party of ‘ununionist activities’…

Mick Fealty on November 13, 2012, 7:34 pm

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So, the DUP even up the councillor score on Belfast City Council and now there’s a leaflet specifically attacking the Alliance party. Anyone feel a heave coming on? Here’s an interesting detail: The UUP has also confirmed its councillors were involved in distributing the leaflets and said flag policy was an emotive issue for unionists. The leaflets are printed in the Alliance party’s distinctive yellow colours and include the telephone numbers for its headquarters and east Belfast office. Over the …

A new take on pride and prejudice…

Belfast Gonzo on August 1, 2012, 10:26 am

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SO fair play to Lord Mayor of Belfast Gavin Robinson for being the first from the DUP to take a seat on the panel of Belfast Pride Talks Back debate. I’m sure he doesn’t feel any less straight the morning after the night before, and the move certainly upstaged the rest of the panel. Whether it actually means anything in terms of their policies remains to be seen. As a mayor for everyone, will Gavin be at the Gay Pride parade, …

As the UUP continues its long gentle journey downwards…

Mick Fealty on June 22, 2012, 2:25 pm

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Who would be in the poor UUP? Alex Kane noted in the Belfast Telegraph on Wednesday, it is the gift to journalists that just keeps on giving, regardless of who is in charge. And the new leader does not have his troubles to seek: The problem is that there is no sign of the better policies, better organisation, or the better communications. Indeed, an opinion poll in the Belfast Telegraph last week put the UUP – at 11% – on …

Girdwood and the problem of shared spaces in contested areas…

Mick Fealty on May 25, 2012, 3:39 pm

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So that evening, the party walked from the CSI committee: At Tuesday’s meeting Alliance brought things to a head by presenting a list of eight essential items which they believe should be on any document to promote a shared society. It includes a review of segregated housing, a framework for dealing with illegal flags and emblems and a test of all public spending to ensure it prioritises sharing over separation. That same night that Spotlight programme put a lighted flame …

Being an all-Ireland party has its downsides – Sinn Fein’s inconsistency on property taxes

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 21, 2012, 9:48 pm

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Fine Gael TD Brian Hayes spoke at the North-South East West panel at the Alliance conference this afternoon. He spoke about the inconsistency of Sinn Fein’s positions in different parts of the island of Ireland. You can listen to his comments (should start at 8 min 36 secs): And as the minister of state for the Department of Finance I’m interested in Northern Ireland’s household charges and property taxes. I understand your property tax works out at an average of …

Round-up of today’s Alliance party conference [including audio of speeches]

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 21, 2012, 8:24 pm

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Alliance shifted their conference this year to a larger venue. More exhibition space, more spaces to chat, a larger hall, and a lot more parking. It was a good move and party members and exhibitors alike seemed universally positive about the new venue. The mood was upbeat though definitely not smug. A pride was taken in Alliance values being translated into policy decisions in two departments. Some big characters who shaped the party’s policies and growth were remembered: Oliver Napier, …

Animated Alliance #apni12

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 19, 2012, 7:23 pm

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Alliance party political and party election broadcasts have a style all of their own. The yellow brand and the Naomi Long avatar are perfect for animation. This week’s party political broadcast being shown on BBC and UTV in the run up to their conference on Saturday continues the theme. Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast)Alan Meban. Tweets as @alaninbelfast. Blogs about cinema and theatre over at Alan in Belfast. A freelancer who writes about, reports from, live-tweets and live-streams civic, academic …

Alliance Party conference preview #apni12

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 19, 2012, 9:00 am

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Alliance leading change banner

The Alliance Party conference on Saturday finishes the 2011/12 season of party conferences. [Sinn Fein’s Ard Fheis (which was postponed from last spring to the autumn) will take place at the end of May in Killarney.] This year Alliance’s venue switches from the mobile not-spot of the Dunadry Hotel to the DUP-favourite mobile not-spot of La Mon Hotel. Moving on from the party’s recent strapline of “Leading Change”, the 2012 conference theme is ‘Delivering Change” and the morning agenda includes …

Fees gap to be paid by GB students…?

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2011, 5:03 pm

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THE decision to freeze student fees here seems to be going down well, but it won’t come without cost. And that cost – half of it – will be borne by the Department of Employment and Learning. It would be difficult to argue that learning should come at the expense of employment services in the middle of a recession when the jobless total is almost twice what the department is budgeted to deal with. As the Minister said in June, …

Alliance go back to college and work – what did their manifesto say about DEL?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 14, 2011, 7:23 pm

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stephen farry alliance

In the end, I never got round to reading the 150 page Alliance manifesto before the election. On Friday night, the five main parties informally ran d’Hondt to select their ministries – and announced the informal selections via the Executive’s twitter account, controversially some suggest – allowing them to spend the weekend making informed choices about suitable ministers from their elected MLAs. With nine ministries selected, Alliance had no option but take the remaining Department for Employment and Learning as …

Tom Elliott can he lead?

Blank on May 8, 2011, 9:45 am

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Tom Elliot became a surprising story of the election with his outburst in Omagh and he is destined to be at the centre of things throughout the coming days. With his party achieving 16 seats and Alliance 8 as things stand the UUP will lose a ministry. That is unless he can tempt party reject David McClarty back into the fold. Though as Mark Devenport notes the Alliance party could then try to cook up a counter deal with Steven …