DUP – Page 53 – Slugger O'Toole

“Our job is to express the concerns as we hear them in the community…”

Pete Baker on March 4, 2013, 8:55 pm

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If it’s not Sinn Féin complaining about ‘political policing’, it’s the DUP. Mr Robinson said that trust needed to be rebuilt. “It’s important that the police gain the confidence of the unionist community, or regain the confidence of that section of the unionist community who have lost confidence in the police, by showing that his actions were entirely even-handed,” Mr Robinson said. “Our job is to express the concerns as we hear them in the community. [Good to see both parties are still …

“after some people made it clear they were not prepared to make witness statements to investigating officers”

Pete Baker on February 15, 2013, 1:03 am

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An Irish Times hosted PA report adds some interesting detail to the story of the arrest, questioning, and subsequent unconditional release – after being in custody for 36 hours – of Shankill bomber Sean Kelly following the apparent punishment shooting of an 18-year-old in Ardoyne. From the Irish Times report It is understood detectives had been granted an extension to keep [Sean Kelly] in custody for a further period, but then released him after some people made it clear they were not prepared …

Home Rule, Rome Rule and Gay Marriage

Gerry Lynch on February 7, 2013, 12:58 pm

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Last September, Unionists paraded in their tens of thousands through Belfast to celebrate the centenary of the Ulster Covenant. From the days of Lilibullero in the 17th Century, Ulster Protestantism has always had a particular genius for summing up its political causes in easily remembered ditties and catchphrases. Perhaps the easiest slogan to remember of all from that era is “Home Rule is Rome Rule”. That encapsulated the fears that Irish self-government would inevitably lead to a clericalised, priest-ridden state. …

“a 65% to 17% majority for Northern Ireland remaining in the UK suggests little room for doubt.”

Pete Baker on February 5, 2013, 11:49 pm

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From the conversation on BBC NI Spotlight tonight there are challenges for all the political parties in the results of the polling by Ipsos Mori. But here are the reported results on the constitutional question. Not surprisingly, more than 90% of those who identify themselves as Protestants told the pollsters they wanted to stay in the UK. But on the other side of the religious divide, a substantial 38% of Catholics also favoured remaining within the UK – three percentage …

Will unionism’s long 2012 be seen as the year when the wave broke?

John Ó Néill on February 1, 2013, 10:37 am

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With the #flegs protests seemingly diminishing, it seems like a good time to wrap up where 2012 has brought unionism, although it can be pretty much summed up in one word – crisis. It was a year in which there were early signs of modest progress visible to DUP leader Peter Robinson in March and by November he felt confident to proclaim that the constitutional debate had been won. And remember, in 2012 we were told repeatedly how ‘Catholics’ were being taken within, and reciprocating, the embrace of unionist outreach. Looking past the rhetoric, …

Villiers: “It is crucial that political leaders here concentrate on working together on pressing economic and social issues…”

Pete Baker on January 23, 2013, 2:05 pm

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Both the Irish and British Governments have given their answer to Sinn Féin’s fanciful notion of a border poll. [Catch yourselves on? – Ed] Indeed. Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dáil “I think we have a lot of work to do both here and up North before people’s mentality and views change about the future of the island,” he told Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams. The Taoiseach said it was a matter for the British government to decide whether to …

Cartoon: #flegs #legs #begs

Brian Spencer on January 15, 2013, 11:11 pm

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Your captions please! 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/

“If you set so much store by symbols then don’t be surprised if…”

Pete Baker on January 15, 2013, 4:04 pm

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In the News Letter, Alex Kane has some sensible advice for the recently convened unionist forum. From the News Letter article So can we stop falling over ourselves in a headlong rush to jump into every elephant trap set for us by Sinn Fein and Gerry Adams’ continuous loop guff about the inevitability of unification? If you set so much store by symbols then don’t be surprised if Sinn Fein keeps gnawing away at the symbols. I don’t need a …

Peter Hain: “I took some risky decisions to engage with people who were on the fringes…”

Pete Baker on January 13, 2013, 4:56 pm

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The BBC reports more self-aggrandisement disguised as political comment from the erstwhile Secretary of State for Wales, etc, Peter Hain. From the BBC report “In Northern Ireland, I think there is a particular issue with the loyalist community and I do not think the government is doing enough to engage with them,” [Peter Hain] said. “I took some risky decisions to engage with people who were on the fringes and some actually almost in uniform as it were, in paramilitary …

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 …

BBC DG dies who was brought down over Martin McGuinness and ” the oxygen of publicity”

Brian Walker on January 10, 2013, 12:05 am

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The Jimmy Savile affair and Iraq and the suicide of Dr David Kelly were two BBC editorial crises which cost BBC directors general their jobs. But the first in the sequence came in 1987 when DG Alasdair Milne was abruptly sacked two years after Real Lives: On the Edge of the Union, the documentary which featured Martin McGuinness as an ordinary person without horns, while at the same time being the IRA leader in Derry. The DG Alasdair Milne died yesterday. …

On the lack of unionist leadership – what would Paisley in his prime made of it?

Brian Walker on January 8, 2013, 12:20 pm

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As Paul Bew has pointed out in the Times(£), with the NIO a rump and now lacking historic memory in depth, there’s not much Theresa Villiers can do to affect the flags disturbances directly, with day to-day responsibility for law and order devolved to Stormont. Unless that is, the protests gain wider political traction as a result of Willie Frazer’s exercise in protest tourism and other spasms. This seems unlikely as the “People’s Forum “ seems as rickety as the unionist …

“Leaders welcomed the opportunity to meet and engage in a discussion…”

Pete Baker on December 21, 2012, 12:18 am

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According to the BBC report, after a “meeting at Stormont Castle, which began at 0930 GMT and lasted almost eight hours, [and] was supposed to take place last week but was cancelled after some parties refused to attend”, “The leaders of Northern Ireland’s five main parties have reaffirmed their commitment to the rule of law”. Phew. That’s a relief… Although, it’s not entirely clear from the reports which “leaders” they mean exactly. [Was Gerry there? – Ed] The UTV report has some …

Our Time? Our Place?

Brian Spencer on December 13, 2012, 4:07 pm

| Readers 43

Your captions are welcomed. 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/

Take Alliance seriously.They represent what most people want, the politics of compromise

Brian Walker on December 9, 2012, 3:10 pm

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Even to their own supporters the main parties are hardly coming out of the flag disorder looking impressive. When the chips are down the smiling cross community stuff isn’t quite cutting the mustard where it matters most. Nice people pocket the gains – they might even group around a new Northern Ireland, Peter still has a point even if he puts it provocatively. But he and Martin still have to settle with their respective enemies within. The easier bit of power …

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 …

“[The DUP] had come to terms with what it has done since 2003…”

Mick Fealty on November 30, 2012, 12:38 pm

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So, why not. Let’s have another go at the Catholic Unionist trope that’s been doing the rounds. Gareth Gordon looks at the idea of Unionist Catholics, or unicorns as Alex Kane once put it. Of all the respondents in this piece, Steven McCaffrey of The Detail is the one that has it down pat. Robinson’s tactic is about switching nationalist voters off from voting for a united Ireland. Although according to one senior political source in the party that Slugger …

Spare us a new long game of political numbers

Brian Walker on November 26, 2012, 2:38 pm

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More clearly than before as Mick observes, it is Peter Robinson’s medium term strategy and perhaps his personal legacy to enlist the support of enough Catholics to preserve the Union. But despite the superficial confidence in Peter’s leader’s speech it is loaded with insecurity. He has been forced to recognise the likelihood of an eventual Catholic majority and with it a possible loss of unionist control. While candour in politics is always a good thing, it is unfortunate that he has chosen …

Know your members: the DUP launches a significant membership survey (proposed & run by university researchers)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 25, 2012, 5:11 pm

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DUP 2012 membership survey front page

Update: A few clarifications from the DUP: “the researchers approached us and it is a funded research programme to costs party nothing”. The funding is from the Leverhulme Trust. The questions were drafted by the researchers around a year ago, building on previous work with the Orange Order. – – – Membership survey forms were being handed out to members at the DUP conference as the party works with three English universities to slice and dice and understand the make-up …

DUP conference: dogmas, Mexican bandits, turkeys, opposition, outreach #dup12

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 24, 2012, 11:36 pm

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The DUP is undeniably changing. Ten years ago who would have thought that purveyors of the trade organisation representing sellers of the devil’s buttermilk – Pubs of Ulster – would be sponsoring a drinks reception at the DUP conference? Who would have predicted that a Irish government minister would be welcomed to the DUP conference and that delegates would speak highly of his understanding of the minutiae of CAP reform? Could you imagine a Conservative Secretary of State being willing …