DUP – Page 35 – Slugger O'Toole

Orange Order rates relief: £8.12m. (Twaddell policing costs: £24m, and counting… )

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on June 23, 2016, 2:05 pm

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At the NI Assembly on Monday, Christopher Stalford received an answer to an assembly question directed at Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, the Finance Minister, as to the rates relief statistics for Orange Halls. The response tells us that since April 2006, the Orange institution has saved an estimated £8.12 million by being exempt from paying rates. During this time, of course, the DUP used the much criticised ‘Petition of Concern’ mechanism to block a Sínn Fein bill which would have enabled amateur sports clubs (such …

Paisley: The only solution for those of us who believe in democratic accountability is to Vote Leave

Soapbox on June 22, 2016, 10:00 am

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The European Referendum campaign, on both sides, has focused largely economic issues and immigration. Those are important and valid issues which deserve to be fully debated, but they are not the only factors people should weigh up when deciding how to cast their vote. Even the most ardent Europhiles are usually forced to admit there is a democratic deficit in the European Union. They will usually accept too that public awareness of the European Union institutions is low, but of …

Former UUP MLA defects to the DUP

David McCann on June 18, 2016, 10:49 am

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Sam McBride in today’s News Letter has an interesting report noting the defection of former UUP MLA for Fermanagh & South Tyrone, Alastair Patterson to the DUP. Speaking about the decision Patterson said; “This move to join the DUP was a step I needed to make. At the Assembly election in May the people of Northern Ireland delivered a clear and resounding message of endorsement of Arlene Foster as their First Minister and the leader of unionism. “Unionism in Northern …

UUP & SDLP unite to attack clamp down on opposition speaking rights

David McCann on June 7, 2016, 7:52 pm

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Alex Attwood and Robin Swann conducted the first act of co-ordination between the UUP and SDLP as the official opposition in the Assembly today over the DUP and Sinn Fein’s attempts to change rules around when the opposition can lead debates. Speaking jointly both MLAs said; In key votes on Assembly business, the DUP and Sinn Féin have shown both their arrogance and their fear, with a slap in the face for our democracy. “In March, the five parties on …

Self effacement from Martin McGuinness is a sign of maturing power sharing, not nationalist sell-out

Brian Walker on June 4, 2016, 12:34 pm

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Was it only yesterday that conventional wisdom had it that a confident Sinn Fein were carrying all before them and that the DUP were left lumbering behind, cross and near to open rowing? The result ending in deadlock and near-breakdown? Two subtly written articles in the Irish News this week speaking with the voice of moderate nationalism have sounded notes of alarm that the boot may now be on the other foot and it’s feeling uncomfortable. The unsubtle version of …

Ian Paisley – “We are Irish!”

Brian Spencer on May 29, 2016, 3:54 pm

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Of the DUP membership, 1.4% self-identify as Irish. Yet the founder of the DUP was 100% Irish. This is not speculation or conjecture or troublemaking, this is a statement of fact based upon unequivocal and repeated testimony from Ian Paisley. Ian paisley wrote in 2012 on the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant: “Edward Carson was a life-long Irishman, as well as being a life-long unionist, and that made all the difference… On this 28th day …

Even watching Glentoran didn’t help!

Soapbox on May 29, 2016, 12:52 pm

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Councillor John Kyle (PUP)

William Ennis is a member of the Progressive Unionist Party It’s probably one of those feelings which can’t really be described, such a burning disappointment that even tears seem pointless. I recall meeting a friend of mine who was an Alliance party activist in town the day after Gavin Robinson’s victory over Naomi Long. He smiled, we chatted, we had a beer, but I instantly recognised the mask he was wearing, the guy was actually a shell. This Progressive Unionist …

The New Departmental Committee Chairs

David McCann on May 25, 2016, 2:02 pm

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The Assembly also nominated the new chairs of the various departmental committees that will have to scrutinise legislation and the work of ministers. Executive Office- Mike Nesbitt Department for Communities- Colum Eastwood Department for the Economy- Conor Murphy Department of Education- Barry McElduff Department of Health- Paula Bradley Department for Infrastructure- William Humphrey Department of Justice- Paul Frew Department of Finance- Emma Pengelly Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs- Linda Dillon David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South …

Cartoon – ‘Marlene’

Brian Spencer on May 21, 2016, 6:08 pm

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It has a satisfying and even harmonious ring, and the people have really taken to it. The portmanteau and new byword for the Executive Office – ‘Marlene’. While Jim Allister bequeathed it to a popular audience on BBC The View on May 19, it’s recognised that Paul Gallagher first coined the sobriquet back in January 2016. The First office has been abandoned by the small parties, and now they face an outbreak of belittling name-calling. Alliance won’t come to heel and the parties of …

Foster & McGuinness lash out at the SDLP over opposition

David McCann on May 19, 2016, 3:34 pm

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Arlene and Martin getting their shots in first…. David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

Age Profile of the New Assembly

David McCann on May 16, 2016, 11:11 pm

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The votes are in and the new MLAs have all signed the register. Some of you will remember back in late 2013, I totaled up the ages of the parties in the last Assembly. I managed this time to get the ages of 107 of the 108 MLAs which means that this should be a more accurate reading of the current age profile of the Assembly. Parties The youngest Assembly group is the Green Party with an average age of …

Martin McGuinness: “We now wait to see if SDLP will stand by the principles of the Good Friday Agreement or follow the UUP into opposition…”

Pete Baker on May 12, 2016, 8:57 pm

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The response of Sinn Féin’s new MLA for Foyle, Martin McGuinness, to being upstaged – at the moment of his re-appointment as Northern Ireland deputy First Minister – by the UUP leader Mike Nesbitt’s announcement that his party had unanimously agreed to go into official opposition in the NI Assembly, betrayed a confused, or forgetful, party lashing out at sceptics, and potential sceptics, alike. [Nobody puts Baby in the corner… – Ed] From the Sinn Féin press release [added emphasis throughout] Speaking after …

The benefits of an official Opposition and the rush to claim the title.

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on May 12, 2016, 4:28 pm

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Following the 2016 Assembly Election, there is now an opposition in Stormont (or sorts). But why should a party take it, as the UUP have stepped forward to do. For the last number of years, the opposition to the executive, such as it is, has been unofficial, disparate and unruly. The naughty corner at Stormont, with John McCallister, Steven Agnew, Basil McCrea, Jim Allister, David McNarry & Claire Sugden (interestingly, 3 of those were elected to that last Assembly as …

On The Doors: Review of the 2016 Assembly Election

David McCann on May 10, 2016, 9:07 pm

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For the last time, Allison Morris, John Manley and myself sat down to review the results of the 2016 Assembly Election. We talk about the performance of the various parties and what impact a greater number of female MLAs will have in the chamber. David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

After the election, the DUP have a new leader and a hard won joint agenda with Sinn Fein

Mick Fealty on May 10, 2016, 2:54 pm

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I’m not sure I’ve read a convincing account of why the DUP won back most of their high tide mandate so convincingly and with such ease. One of the more obvious reasons for that is that the DUP is probably the party most members of the media love to hate most. It’s hard for many of us to forget the transgressions of the Paisley years. But the man who put in the footings of this more modern (and more female) …

McGuinness: “Work on the programme for government has been going on prior to the election for some months.”

Pete Baker on May 9, 2016, 2:55 pm

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With only two weeks set aside to allow the new Northern Ireland Executive’s Programme for Government to be thrashed out, and agreed between the parties, you might think that time was of the essence. But apparently not… The BBC are reporting that there will be a delay to the start of those negotiations. That may be a surprise to the new Sinn Féin MLA for Foyle, Martin McGuinness. On Sunday he told the BBC that “On Monday, we will be entering discussions …

Arlene’s triumph: time for others to reconsider their pitches and where that horse is

Turgon on May 7, 2016, 6:48 pm

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So the results are all in. The result: nothing has changed and a bit has changed. The fall in the nationalist / republican vote and levels of seats has been analysed and will bear further analysis. The changes or lack of them on the unionist side are, however, just as interesting. Ben Lowry and Sam McBride in the News Letter have their analyses and I would demur little from either of them. Arlene Foster and the DUP’s triumph is marked. …

Slugger Verdict: Ranking the PEBs of #ae16

David McCann on May 3, 2016, 10:13 pm

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It is now an annual election tradition on Slugger that we get a panel together to rank the party election broadcasts of all the political parties. Our panel of broadcaster, Jim Fitzpatrick and MCE Public Relations Director, Chris Brown got together to rate each broadcast out of ten. And the winner is….. SDLP we thought was incredibly well put together, with great shots of the party leader and profiles of the candidates. There was also a consistent theme throughout and …

Declan Kearney on reconciliation: a longer term project than #AE16

John Ó Néill on May 3, 2016, 5:02 pm

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One of the benefits of an election campaign is that the political parties issue written statements reflecting where their thinking currently sits. What is revealing about the current crop is that there is still such a huge contrast in the language around peace and reconciliation from Sinn Féin and the two main unionist parties. Specifically, it is the absence of any desire for reconciliation in the messages of the DUP and UUP. This chimes with the comments made by President Michael D …

#ProjectFear: DUP profiting from projected danger of a false political prophesy?

Mick Fealty on May 3, 2016, 7:15 am

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Last week Sam McBride pointed to an important underlying truth of this Assembly election campaign. Whilst Arlene Foster may get political money out of using her main partner in government at OFMdFM as some latter-day Guy Fawkes scare figure, there’s very little danger of it happening. At first glance, the gap may seem much closer than it actually is. Indeed, over two or three elections it’s possible to conceive that the crude mechanism of making the leader of the largest single …