Going back a week or two, John O’Farrell wrote this run down of the political parties and their stances on Europe. The similarties are greatest between what many suppose are the most inveterate enemies in Northern Ireland politics.The DUP’s stance on the euro and the EU Constitutional Treaty (and, indeed, membership of the EU) was expressed by their MEP Jim Allister last January: “It is not, nor is it an end in itself, rather for the Euro fanatics who drive …
It was a bit of a struggle out bed this morning after the night before. First stop, Good Morning Ulster. Seamus McKee picked up many of the threads from last night’s debate so deftly thrown on to Slugger by Richard. It’s strange. Most of the time I post stuff on Slugger, people around me rarely ask about what’s up there, or why I said this or that. This morning within twenty minutes I met two senior politicians, who quizzed me …
THE Electoral Commission has set up a study to find out why young people are disengaging from politics. In the 2001 General Election, only about 35 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds voted. Will you be voting on May 5? If not, why not? It seems that despite rumours to the contrary, young people are interested in politics, but perhaps it’s certain issues and not party politics that floats their boat.Stuart Mullan, outreach officer at the commission’s Belfast office, said their …
I am aware that in my 15 offerings thus far, I am yet to criticise anyone other than the DUP and Alliance. I can defend this by saying that the Sinn Fein campaign has been very quiet in these fairly early days (as Brian Feeney pointed out at Slugger goes live earlier, they always do) and the only significant event in it has been so laughable that I felt confident to rely on Mick’s impartial reporting to illustrate that. That …
I do love the DUP website. I have today been looking at their lovely cartoon section and I have a question. Anyone see any new ones? As far as I can see its just the same recycled message from 2-4 years ago! Granted they appear to have comissioned ONE new offering this time around, however the message, which I read as “we’re bad, but we think the other lot are worse”, is no different. Michael ShillidayI used to write and …
David Ervine rounded on Liam Kennedy, who is standing on a Human Rights platform in Gerry Adams’ West Belfast constituency, saying: “Liam Kennedy seems to be saying, in his professorial tones, David Ervine has ability but must try harder. That man does not have the ability to mark my work, because he wouldn`t know what I do in a day”. Slugger will be seeking a ringside seat at what looks like it could be a lively debate on Thursday. Mick …
Robin Cherry of the UUP reckons that with all the enforced legislative changes in farming and the rising commercial pressures of a globalising market, Ulster’s farmers need to become more militant! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
Hmmm. Daily Ireland has the understatement of the year. In reporting Ian Paisley’s controversial (though not entirely uncharacteristic) remarks about the rope and the electric chair, this report writes: “Among the UUP-held seats now looking decidedly shaky in face of the DUP assault are” and then goes on to name every single UUP Westminster seat. It even includes Sylvia Hermon’s seat in North Down primarily on the basis of a rising DUP vote and the absence of Bob McCartney this …
According to a recent vox pop on Morning Ireland the Northern Ireland Assembly is not popular just now. Hoping to built its credentials of trust, David Ford has called for the Assembly to be cut from 109 members down to about 80. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: …
Providing you can stream video on your machine, you can watch a live webcast with all the major party leaders from BBC NI that starts at 3.15pm BST this afternoon. The BBC’s political editor Mark Devenport is the chair. It should be a good warm up for the main event the this evening at Queens, especially for those of you who are far from ‘home’ and rarely get to see our ‘great leaders’ in action! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor …
UTV tonight aired the first of its two election specials. In Larne tonight we had Sammy Wilson, Roy Beggs, David Ford, Alban Maginnis and Mitchel McLaughlin. While the debate inevitably had a particular focus on the inter-unionist battle there was also a particularly spirited performance from David Ford who challenged Roy Beggs to rule out any UUP involvement in a leaflet being circulated in East Antrim and North Down which accuses the Alliance party of vote shredding. Clive McFarland
Just in case you missed the statements at the beginning of the election campaign.. Despite the announcement that followed Adams’s initial speech – that “The IRA will give his appeal due consideration and will respond in due course.” – Sinn Féin’s Gerry Adams tonight announced that the IRA has started an internal debate.. Ermmm.. weren’t they supposed to have started that ‘debate’ already?.. nothing on the Sinn Féin website yet.. Hmmm.. Either Dermot Ahern’s intervention has touched a nerve… or …
The Ulster Unionist Party has published a detailed mini manifesto on the issue of water charges and rates reform. Ulster Unionists reject the Direct Rule Administration’s proposals for rates reform. They fail to take account of the impact of rising house prices, would hurt those who are asset rich but cash poor (i.e. the elderly) and – according to the Government’s own assessment – would not create a burden shared equally across the whole community. The document also rules out …
The Slugger Goes Live! press panel event kicks off at the Institute of Governance on University Road tomorrow night at 7.30pm. Drop me a line if you want to reserve one of the limited spaces available. And if can’t make it we’ll be blogging live from the Institute so you can join in the craic from the comfort of your home/office/friendly local internet cafe – wherever you are in the world. If you are out on the stump (as many …
Seamus Mallon makes a brief comeback to hammer home some of the frustration his party feels about the slow progress towards a peaceful society. There’s no mistaking his passion: In 1994 the ceasefire. Remember it? The vision? The idealism that we all thought was going to come? Ah, broken legs, kneecaps blown off, fellows getting their throats cut. Young fellas being held to ransom every day of the week. Decommissioning – the year 2000. It was going to be great. …
Trevor Sargent, leader of the Irish Greens, was less damning but said he felt the Republican movement faced a rubcion moment over the issue of policing, arguing that the movement’s “equivocation does not help to build trust and certainly doesn’t help the family to get any closure on the traumatic events of their brother’s murder”. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is …
The Irish Times reports on, the Irish Government Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen’s endorsement of Mark Durkan and the SDLP during a visit to Derry yesterday – Cowen backs Durkan during Derry visit.. Hmm.. no statements about Irish Government interference in the North from Sinn Féin.. yet.The visit by the Irish Finance Minister is another show of support for Mark Durkan from political parties in the Republic – Last week Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte and Fine Gael leader Enda …
Alban Magennis argues that after 11 years of (imperfect) ceasefires, questions have to be raised over Sinn Fein’s geniune reasons for continuing to boycott the PSNI: …seven years after parties committed to the Agreement, courageous families are denied justice, crime and paramilitary gangs rob and racketeer, and people joining a changing police service are demonised? Why do some cling to the lawless way, which is not our way? People are very clear. They had hoped that all this would be …
There’s a battle going on in Unionism. It’s the battle for that most powerful of electoral commodities: the middle class voter. Traditionally a shoe in for the UUP, the party came close to offering the DUP it’s own clothes, when Michael McGimpsey launched a fiery attack on the DUP for going to Dublin and talking to big business (subs needed). Ian Paisley, the man who (according to modern political mythology) can only say NO!, seemed to revel in his apparently …
If anybody thought Alisdair McDonnell was going to tiptoe softly to polling day to keep SF voters in his South Belfast constituency on his side, well, it doesn’t look as if that’s in the gameplan. Tonight he released a statement excoriating Gerry Admans and Sinn Fein’s tardy response to the McCartney killing.A Better Way to a Better Ireland SDLP PRESS STATEMENT From Alisdair McDonnell: ADAMS IS DUCKING CRITICAL QUESTIONS ON MCCARTNEY MURDER – MCDONNELL Reacting to Gerry Adams’ latest statement …
