DUP – Page 41 – Slugger O'Toole

Jimmy Spratt to leave the Assembly in September

David McCann on June 30, 2015, 5:17 pm

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They've united, so have we! Vote Spratt - DUP election poster featuring pictures of SF's Alex Maskey and SDLP's Alasdair McDonnell

Report from the Belfast Telegraph that the South Belfast DUP MLA, Jimmy Spratt will step down from the Assembly this September due to health reasons. This will mean that from September 4 out of 6 MLAs in the constituency will have been co-opted leaving just Michael McGimpsey and Anna Lo as the only reps who were elected in 2011. A few things could happen here. The DUP could do what Sinn Fein did with Mairtin Ó Muilleoir and Alex Maskey. …

Cartoon – “Do you do big Mács”

Brian Spencer on June 13, 2015, 1:29 pm

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Former Mayor of Belfast and Sinn Fein councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile said not being able to place an order in Irish at McDonalds is an example of where equality of rights of Irish speakers isn’t being met. 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/

Cartoon – Parity of Steam…

Brian Spencer on June 4, 2015, 12:50 pm

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On Wednesday June 3 2015 an Irish tricolour appeared for around ten minutes atop Stormont; cue unionist outrage, and steam bellowed from the ears. 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/

Belfast City Council votes in favour of Same Sex Marriage

David McCann on June 2, 2015, 10:18 am

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Belfast City Councillors voted in favour of Same Sex Marriage last night. The motion which was brought by Alliance Party Councillor, Emmet McDonough-Brown and seconded by Sinn Fein’s Jim McVeigh was passed 38 votes in favour to 13 against. Two councillors from the SDLP group abstained on the vote. Speaking on his motion Cllr McDonough-Brown said that people who want to be able to commit to each other should be able to and that fundamentally we had a choice to …

Another Societal Milestone Passed; What Next for Progressing Ireland?

Daniel Collins on June 1, 2015, 9:41 am

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Last Saturday’s overwhelmingly positive referendum outcome in support of constitutional recognition for same-sex marriage was a great result for progress, equality, liberty, inclusion, rights for everyone and all things good in Ireland. It was a proud and historic moment for Irish society generally and especially for those Irish citizens living in the Republic who had and positively utilised the residential privilege to vote. To think homosexual acts were only decriminalised in the state 22 years ago in 1993… Having found themselves under the repressive moral and …

Five thoughts on the #MarRef (including what next for fortress Norn Iron?)

Mick Fealty on May 24, 2015, 11:55 am

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A few personal thoughts on yesterday’s referendum, and then five more… One, this was a victory for middle Ireland, not just its radical edges. 80% in some working class areas of Dublin and majorities in plain if slender majorities each of the two Donegal constituencies (last time we’ll see that happen before the next general election probably) suggest this was genuine and popular vote, from more than the metrosexuals of D4. Two, for once political parties and the people where …

Jenny Palmer: Betrayed by the DUP

The Firemen on May 20, 2015, 10:00 am

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Yesterday was not a good day for the DUP. First was the verdict on the Ashers ‘gay cake’ case – an issue that seems to have become inextricably linked to the DUP thanks to the support from figures within the party. Paul Givan appeared on television shortly afterwards to give his ‘verdict‘ on the actual verdict. Mr. Givan also committed to pursue his doomed conscience clause. Then came last night’s compelling BBC NI Spotlight programme on Jenny Palmer; the ‘whistleblower’ who …

Cllrs Jenny and John Palmer quit the DUP

David McCann on May 19, 2015, 5:08 pm

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The Councillor at the centre of the Red Sky debacle had announced that she will leave the DUP along with her husband, John, who is also a Councillor in Lisburn. The news was broken by BBC Spotlight who will be airing an interview with Cllr Palmer tonight on BBC One at 10:45pm. Here is some of the back story from the BBC; In July 2013, Mrs Palmer told Spotlight that she had been ordered by a DUP special adviser, Stephen …

Propagation of patriarchy and restriction of female bodily autonomy is the unifying bridge between Nationalism and Unionism in Northern Ireland.

The Plath Diaries on May 12, 2015, 4:04 pm

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In October 2013, Sarah Ewart braved the public gauntlet by speaking on the Stephen Nolan show of her experience as a pregnant woman carrying a foetus with fatal abnormalities. Few could find themselves unmoved by Ewart’s tragic story – made worse by archaic laws in Northern Ireland forcing her to travel to England to pay for abortion services. Speaking to an audience that included an individual who would soon be convicted of harassing Marie Stopes director Dawn Purvis, Ewart argued …

#DUPshuffle …the new ministerial line up

David McCann on May 11, 2015, 4:05 pm

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The departure of Jim Wells as Health Minister has given the First Minister an opportunity to conduct a more wide ranging reshuffle of the DUP ministers in the Executive: Department of Finance: Arlene Foster Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: Jonathan Bell Department of Health: Simon Hamilton Department of Social Development: Mervyn Storey Junior Minister in OFM/DFM: Michelle McIlveen Fun Fact: The departure of Jim Wells and the addition of Michelle McIlveen has seen the average age of the DUP …

Who is Topping the Social Media Poll

Soapbox on May 11, 2015, 1:17 pm

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Peter Purcell works in Marketing and writes a platform for us on politicians who used social media particularly well during the recent election campaign. As campaigning is now over lets leave politics to one side and take a look at who is winning on social media and leading the way for their party colleagues to follow. I have picked out three candidates that have caught my attention, but would be keen to hear who has impressed you. Naomi Long In …

East Belfast: where the progressives met their Waterloo

Turgon on May 9, 2015, 7:31 pm

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It is the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. These days, however, the French seem to celebrate it as a victory rather than a defeat. So finally we can celebrate after five horrible years as the bastion of awfulness finally fell: oh yes and it was VE day as well. Excitement amongst unionists over the defeat of Naomi Long is tempered by the fact that she was hardly a terrorist cheerleader in chief. Rather much of the pleasure …

Now Westminster is settled, here’s all the other unsettling business NI politicians need to get back to

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 9, 2015, 3:35 pm

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It’s back to work on Monday for our local politicians. There’ll be no commission on the union (though David Cameron should now outright reject the idea), no extra £1 billion of cash, and no immediate possibility of bargaining for the 45 ideas in the DUP’s plan. Though over the next parliamentary term there are sure to be plenty of tight votes in which The Northern Ireland Plan can come out of Nigel Dodds’ back pocket and be used as bargaining …

The message for unionists: pacts work

Turgon on May 8, 2015, 11:41 am

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One of the critical points in this election for unionists was in March 2013. That was when Martin McGuinness stood down as MP and in the ensuing election Francie Molloy was elected. Nigel Lutton (whose father Frederick had been murdered by the IRA and Molloy connected with that murder in the House of Commons by the DUP’s David Simpson) stood as a united unionist candidate. That resulted in a modest increase in the unionist vote which Mike Nesbitt claimed as …

“To interfere with the definition of marriage is not a simple or a trivial matter” – Archbishop Martin

Pete Baker on May 2, 2015, 11:57 pm

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Whilst some political parties are being pilloried in Northern Ireland, the chief super-naturalist head of the Catholic Church in Ireland [That’s North and South? – Ed], Archbishop Eamon Martin, has issued a statement [pdf file] of the church’s opposition to a proposed change to the Irish Constitution on same-sex marriage. From the RTÉ report [Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin] said: “Until now, Ireland has accepted that it is in the best interests of children and of society to promote …

The Unique Democracy of the DUP Part 1…

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on May 2, 2015, 9:23 pm

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In the advent of the Jim Wells debacle at the South Down hustings I found myself in an unfamiliar situation, I, as a liberal pro-union voter, had front row seats to a DUP disaster movie that I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch but yet couldn’t look away from. I’m on record stating how comfortable I am with voting Sinn Féin, I probably sit very close to Alliance-but-not-quite-entirely-there but ultimately, if I had my way..my dream scenario, there would be …

Why the DUP is genuinely open for political business with an incoming Labour administration

Mick Fealty on April 28, 2015, 3:28 pm

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Good piece from Graham Walker which if anything works a little too hard to match the DUP with a future incoming Labour government, it is nevertheless is a useful corrective to the prevailing assumption (in Britain if not NI) that their natural fit is with the Tories. In particular he notes: …social class does matter politically in Northern Ireland, contrary to what many outsiders are led to believe. The DUP draws much of its support from less well-off protestants and …

It’s resignation Jim, but not as we know it

Patricia MacBride on April 28, 2015, 9:18 am

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So Jim Wells has tendered his resignation. There’s something in the back of my mind about Peter Robinson threatening to resign before and withdrawing the threat when the storm had passed. Maybe I’m jumping too far ahead, though… A lot of commentators and journalists are proffering the opinion that the post-dated resignation is to allow for the outcome of the Westminster election and that Jonathan Bell, the current Junior Minister in OFMDFM, is the favourite to take up the health …

Marriage Equality motion fails in the Assembly

David McCann on April 27, 2015, 11:50 pm

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Today the Assembly narrowly rejected a Sinn Fein motion on Marriage Equality 47 votes in favour to 49 against. Three Alliance MLAs abstained and five SDLP MLAs did not turn up for the vote (I understand one had a family bereavement.) Of the 53 Unionists who voted just four supported the motion (Danny Kinahan, Basil McCrea, Claire Sugden and John McCallister). In speaking about the motion and the DUPs petition of concern, the Sinn Fein MLA for Newry & Armagh, …

Dodd lays into the Tories for laying into the SNP’s mandate (and side-slaps the SNP)

Mick Fealty on April 27, 2015, 11:32 am

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Those who heard this morning’s #SluggerReport will have noted the major item was Nigel Dodds’ extraordinarily adept intervention in the Westminster debate this morning in the Guardian. It surely cannot be a coincidence that Jim Wells’ has been dispatched so quickly (hint: it was nothing to do with our toothless Ministerial code) in order to clear the air and political space for this… Listening to Nicola Sturgeon’s progressive pan-British rhetoric, you could have thought you were listening to one of …