Basil McCrea – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

NI21: McCrea investigation stalls

Turgon on June 14, 2014, 12:37 pm

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The soap opera which is NI21 continues. Last night the BBC reported confusion over the investigation by Carecall into the allegations against Basil McCrea. There was also the suggestion that the party had decided no further action was required. Today the Belfast Telegraph have reported that the investigation has been stopped part way through. This appears to be because Carecall require permission from the party chairperson Jane Howson for it to continue. Ms. Howson has withheld this permission. John McCallister …

Cartoon – Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Brian Spencer on May 24, 2014, 8:31 pm

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It’s Basil! Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

“It’s a good day for PR” said NI21’s Johnny McCarthy, elected to Lisburn & Castlereagh Council

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 24, 2014, 5:45 pm

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After a week in which NI’s newest political vehicle seemed to veer into a ditch, NI21’s council candidate Johnny McCarthy in Lisburn North DEA won a seat and depriving the DUP of a 21st representative in the 40 seat council. It was a shock since everyone had written off his chances earlier in the day. After yesterday’s nail-biting 20 vote finish between Alliance’s Aaron Mcintyre and NI21’s Christina Dobson in Downshire East, all eyes had been on David Cairns with a …

John McCallister: For the sake of NI21 and, indeed, for his own sake, [Basil] must now step aside for the duration of the investigation

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 23, 2014, 10:01 pm

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John McCallister issued a statement tonight calling on Basil McCrea to step aside as NI21 leader while allegations are investigated. While many NI21 candidates seem keen to keep going in politics, what shape the party will be in this time next week is hard to predict, never mind next year. Tina McKenzie told the BBC that she was “seriously burned from politics and very hurt and shocked and devastated”. She’s been eliminated from the Balmoral count, polling only 256 first preference …

Cartoon – Rory McIlroy redesignates

Brian Spencer on May 21, 2014, 4:50 pm

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Drawing on the hoof. Excuse the scratchiness. Should read: “I’ve decided to redesignate myself as “SINGLE”. Union with Caroline woz too 20th century.” Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

“What has changed is that it is a clear message to the people of Northern Ireland that NI21 is a cross-community party…”

Pete Baker on May 20, 2014, 10:10 pm

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According to a BBC report, the NI21 party executive has announced a policy change on the eve of the party’s first foray into an actual election. From the BBC report NI21 has announced it will change its designation at the Northern Ireland Assembly from unionist to ‘other’. The party’s executive took the decision ahead of Thursday’s European and local government elections. NI21 was set up by MLAs Basil McCrea and John McCallister, after they quit the Ulster Unionist Party in …

NI21 launch a diverse squad of 47 council candidates – will any get elected?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 23, 2014, 3:43 pm

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NI21 launched their council candidates in The MAC this morning. Just before 10am, a lost-looking Mark H Durkan walked through the MAC’s downstairs foyer. He hadn’t come to throw his lot behind Tina McKenzie, but was instead early for his appointment with Alex Attwood at the Electoral Office around the corner! Chatting to NI21 candidates, it was clear that this was their first foray into politics. Most I spoke to were driven by a frustration and a desire for political …

McCann meets….@NI21Chair Tina McKenzie

David McCann on April 7, 2014, 4:05 pm

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This morning I met NI21’s newly minted European candidate, Tina McKenzie in the Europa Hotel for one of her first interviews as the party candidate. Bouncing in and full of passion we spoke for just over twenty minutes as she regaled me with her ideas and plans for the campaign to come. I know the Sluggerverse has been critical of Tina and NI21 for a lack of policies in regards to Europe, so, this is what I wanted to primarily …

NI21 issue open call for council candidates: fresh politics or desperate measures?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 31, 2014, 11:37 am

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Relatively few people seem to wake up in the morning and decide to be a politician. Existing party activists recognise the gifts and passion in people they see and invite them to join, and invite them to run. Time and after time at the Alliance conference, and again at the Green Party conference, speakers recounted who had approached them and got them involved. The power of the personal invitation. Stand for council and be a part of building a better …

Uno Duce, Una Voce-NI21 and the Basil Show

David McCann on March 6, 2014, 8:38 pm

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When I attended the NI21 launch on that hot night in June 2013, I was impressed with the calibre of the people in the room and the buzz of the MAC. For a moment I thought, jeepers I could be witnessing the birth of a new political force here. The only thing I thought that could possibly go wrong for the party would be is if it became the Basil McCrea show and he dominated every aspect of the party’s …

NI21 inaugural conference launches some policies & starts the job of converting supporters to votes

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 17, 2013, 4:38 pm

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On Saturday NI21 started their quest to turn supporters into advocates, to get members to realise that paying a tenner to join the party was only a fraction of the effort and sacrifice that will be required over the next couple of years. For supporters it was a chance to pick up their NI21 lapel badges, hear senior party members outline their vision, and meet other interested people living in their constituency. NI21’s core team should be very pleased with …

NI21 call for ministers to pledge a flag commitment & for councils to regulate. But flags aren’t the only issue?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 15, 2013, 7:07 pm

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Tonight, NI21 have launched an intervention into the debate around flags. You can read their statement and find the link to their video on an earlier post. It’s notable that the video is very careful to balance shots of Union flags and Irish tricolours. The messaging is not aimed at just one community – though perhaps one community is where the strongest reaction and criticism will come from. Over on the NI21 website I also spotted a longer position paper …

Time to show flags proper respect

Basil McCrea on September 15, 2013, 6:04 pm

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Does the Union flag represent the United Kingdom or is it a marker in a sectarian battlefield? When the flag of the country hangs tattered from a lamppost, so does our society. When it is wrapped around someone during a riot or used to attack the police, it is defiled. In no other country would this be allowed. The Union flag and the flags of all states should be treated with respect by Governments, politicians and individuals within society – …

Basil McCrea tells SF Summer School they are putting party before country…

Mick Fealty on July 3, 2013, 8:20 am

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Basil McCrea’s speech to Sinn Fein’s 4th (I think) summer school was jovial (you’d expect that), civil and delivered in a friendly tone. He had his republican audience laughing more than once. But his payload was well constructed and thought out. Although I am not sure he’s right about one border poll automatically triggering another every seven years after, he’s almost certainly spot on about the narrative Sinn Fein would use to leverage to leverage the advantages that would subsequently …

NI21 launches – looking for fresh voices rather than defectors

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on June 6, 2013, 11:36 pm

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Basil and John tonight crawled out of their Team Jasil chrysalis to reveal the NI21 butterfly. Question is, will it take off? Launched in the Metropolitan Arts Centre, a cosmopolitan wine-drinking audience, and if they’d handed out much needed icecream cones to cool down the attendees, NI21 might have been Neapolitan too. A few hundred supporters crammed into two rooms in the Belfast MAC and another two hundred watched online as John McCallister, party chair Tina McKenzie, and leader Basil …

Team Jasil – that’s John and Basil – say: “Get off your backsides and vote for people that are trying to make a difference”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 12, 2013, 9:00 am

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Basil McCrea and John McCallister were the invited guest speakers at a Friday lunchtime Politics and Change in Northern Ireland seminar run by the Institute for Research in Social Sciences at UUJ. The room was mostly full of academics and postgraduate researchers. It was an opportunity to hear John and Basil deliver what might become their stump speech, laying out the vision and principles of their new “political vehicle”. Their fledgling two seater party has been sounding out support and …

Basil McCrea finally throws in the towel … from where can UUP find hope?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on February 15, 2013, 10:33 amComments Off | Readers 525

Two months ago on 15 December, UUP leader uttered the following phrase on Evening Extra: If we have to shrink to grow, we will After John McCallister’s resignation last night, Basil McCrea has followed this morning, burning his bridges on the Nolan show. listen to ‘Basil McCrea reveals he is quitting the UUP. ’ on Audioboo Which means that the Opposition back corner in the Assembly chamber is expanding. listen to ‘Eamonn Maillie & Alex Kane comment on the news …

Basil McCrea: we are increasingly looking at a policing response that does more than just contain the situation

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 17, 2013, 9:03 pm

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Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea was interviewed on his local community radio station Lisburn’s 98FM today. Presenters of the weekly On The Record politics show – David McCann and Kerri Dunn – quizzed the whip-less politician about his previous statements on flag, the state of his party and his political future. listen to ‘Lagan Valley MLA @BasilMcCrea speaking to @dmcbfs & @KerriDunn on @lisburns98 radio’ on Audioboo You can listen to the entire 23 minute interview – with permission from …

Basil McCrea: “I have stayed with the party through thick and thin, and I will continue do so …”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on January 4, 2013, 9:49 pm

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Basil McCrea, UUP

A long-standing family committment meant that Basil McCrea was unavailable for today’s scheduled UUP disciplinary hearing. But while his party have been relatively quiet over the past 24-48 hours as flag protests have resurged, the Lagan Valley MLA has issued a statement tonight. When I joined the UUP in late 2004 some were surprised by my decision. I had no particular ties to the party, no political connections at all in fact and the UUP were a party under pressure. …

Caption Competition

Brian Spencer on December 18, 2012, 2:37 pm

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Things seem to have fallen a little silent on the Nesbitt front but let’s not let sleeping dogs lie! Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/