The Problem With (Earthly) Blind Faith

A quick observation about the devastating, unfolding story around the loss of Wrightbus jobs in Ballymena and the interwoven fortunes of Green Pastures Church. Look carefully at the wider issue and you’ll see one of the significant downsides to a church gathering a vast amount of money, power and influence: it becomes too big for some, even on a subconscious level, to criticise. This means defensive barriers begin to be erected as almost reflex action. Let’s treat Wrightbus and Green …

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JTI ‘consultation’ and the economic folly of NI’s politics of ‘separate development’…

If Gallahers leaves Ballymena it will mark the end of one of Northern Ireland’s long term industrial successes. Originally founded in Derry in 1857 by Tom Gallaher, the Gallaher group built itself up into a world wide concern by the end of the 19th Century. Ian Paisley Junior was very quick to pin the blame on Sinn Fein MEP Martina Anderson for voting through anti smoking regulations in the EP, even though a quick look at the figures (514 in favour to 66 against, with …

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UTV North Antrim Election Twitter roadshow

So next Wednesday we are going to the Braid Arts Centre in Bridge Street Ballymena to host a discussion of the issue facing the voters of North Antrim. We’re hoping to draw in opinion from across the constituency, from Ballycastle down through Ballymoney and Ballymena not to mention the vast rural hinterland. As you can see from my interview with Marc Mallett earlier in the week, it will be held in an open format, and the point is to initiate …

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Launching the UTV Twitter Road Shows…

As some of you may have seen last night or on Twitter, I’ll be hosting a number of Twitter Roadshows for UTV over the next few weeks. In all there will be four of events, starting next Tuesday evening at the Park Avenue Hotel, (our initial thread on East Belfast is still rolling) where the discussion will focus on issues relating to East Belfast (hashtag: #Bele11). There are only a small number of spaces available on the night, as I’ve said …

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