EU – Page 10 – Slugger O'Toole

‘Women lose out in Northern Ireland’

Paul Gosling on May 24, 2019, 7:00 am

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More must be done in Northern Ireland to make society open for women and for minorities, argues Alexandra De La Torre, the co-ordinator for NICVA of the Next Chapter, which has the objective of strengthening women’s engagement in civic society and participation in society. Alexandra is interviewed in the latest Forward Together podcast. “I think it is fundamental for civil society to create spaces where there is room for everyone,” she says. “Spaces that are inclusive for women, inclusive for …

‘We have a political process instead of a peace process’

Paul Gosling on May 20, 2019, 7:00 am

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Northern Ireland has “had a political process at the cost of a peace process”, believes Clare Bailey MLA, the leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland. She is highly critical of the limited progress since the Good Friday Agreement 21 years ago and the lack of real social integration. She was speaking in the latest Forward Together podcast. Clare questions who has benefited since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. “Certainly within the working class and the most …

The Brexit Party look set to dominate at the European Elections in Great Britain as the Conservatives collapse

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) on May 20, 2019, 2:18 am

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The Conservatives are on the verge of being virtually wiped out at this Thursday’s European election, whilst the Brexit Party look set to improve on the 24 seats that Ukip won at the 2014 poll. Using the data from this YouGov poll and analysis on the number of seats won by the vote received in the 2014 election, I estimated the probability of each party winning each seat in each European constituency. The Brexit Party would be, by far, the …

Naomi Long is the strong favourite to win Northern Ireland’s third European Parliament seat

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) on May 19, 2019, 1:52 pm

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At the European elections on Thursday the 23rd of May, Northern Ireland will elect three MEPs, who will each serve a term of indeterminate length between zero and five years. Of the incumbents (Martina Anderson of Sinn Féin and Diane Dodds of the DUP), both are guaranteed to keep their seats. Danny Kennedy of the UUP is running following the retirement of Jim Nicholson. Both Naomi Long of the Alliance Party and Colum Eastwood of the SDLP are in contention …

In praise of Citizens’ Assemblies – Peter Sheridan believes they can provide solutions to some of Northern Ireland’s most intractable problems

Paul Gosling on May 17, 2019, 7:00 am

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Citizens’ assemblies should be widely used to address the problems faced by communities across Northern Ireland, argues Peter Sheridan, the chief executive of Co-operation Ireland. He was interviewed in the latest Forward Together podcast. “It works in Canada, it works in Iceland: there are examples all around the world.” Speaking before the murder of Lyra McKee, Peter continues: “You pick an area and pick a problem, you randomly select a group of people from the electoral register and depending on …

NI European Election Data Modelling Exercise

Niall Kelly on May 15, 2019, 4:26 pm

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With political polling in Northern Ireland still extremely rare, it is always interesting to see what LucidTalk produce, and with the European election barely a week away many people have been eagerly awaiting the results of their first European election poll. Whilst the headline results are interesting, it is when we delve deeper into their dataset that we can create a model which gives an insight into where the 3 MEP seats could end up. Note on the method: this …

“A leadership vacuum” that must be filled

Paul Gosling on May 10, 2019, 7:00 am

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A leadership vacuum is causing harm across Northern Ireland, including in loyalist areas, and contributes to the lure of paramilitaries, warns victims’ campaigner Alan McBride in the latest Forward Together podcast. “I think we probably need to put a lot of investment into areas like East Belfast and the Shankill and other areas to try and improve the leadership potential,” he argues. Alan adds: “As a grassroots working class Protestant loyalist myself, I have a real feel for that community. …

Theresa May wants a Stormont deal before she quits; but will Penny Mordaunt queer the pitch over Army prosecutions?

Brian Walker on May 9, 2019, 11:55 pm

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Theresa May is back again looking for DUP support to get the withdrawal Bill through the Commons either before 23 May the day of the Euro parliament elections or in mid- June, if her party haven’t turfed her out by then. Her bid for support presumably features a customs arrangement with regulatory alignment added in order to dispose of the bogey of a border down the Irish Sea. The pitch hasn’t worked so far with the DUP or in those …

Brexit is hard enough to live through without the Irish going bananas about the end of Britain

Brian Walker on May 6, 2019, 5:57 pm

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Joan Redmond is a high achieving young Irish historian who took a master’s in Cambridge and now teaches in King’s College London. She also tells us she’s married to an Italian. In the Irish Times she gives an account of how Brexit is making her feel insecure. While Irish history has always had a presence in Cambridge, it is something of a declining force – for the worse, as we have seen with the current standard of debate and knowledge …

Jane Morrice launches her #euni19 campaign: pizza and spaghetti, and fish and chips #VoteJane2Remain

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 6, 2019, 2:47 pm

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Life-long Europhile Jane Morrice launched her colourful campaign this morning. She wants to press for a People’s Vote on any deal with a clear option to indicate a desire to remain in the EU, and for any deal to include special recognition of Northern Ireland, essential she says, due to its unique frontier and people’s right to EU citizenship.

‘Let’s look again at the Eames-Bradley approach to the past’

Paul Gosling on May 6, 2019, 7:00 am

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The Eames-Bradley report was the best approach yet to how Northern Ireland should deal with Troubles legacy issues, argues Mark Durkan. The former SDLP leader and deputy first minister was interviewed for the ‘Forward Together’ podcast series immediately before declaring his candidacy for Fine Gael for the Dublin constituency in the European Parliament elections. Mark argues that the proposals tabled for the 2013 talks mediated by US envoy Richard Haass were “not as good as Eames-Bradley”. The challenge is also …

Dr Nicholas Whyte: Brexit as seen from Brussels

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 2, 2019, 11:01 am

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Wearing his hat as visiting professor at Ulster University, in an event organised by the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences and Slugger O’Toole, Dr Nicholas Whyte delivered a lecture reflecting on how the UK’s Brexit process has been perceived at the heart of the EU, noting that “Brussels may seem rather far from Belfast, but Belfast is increasingly visible in Brussels”. Watch back or read what he said …

UK Parliament Declares Environment and Climate Emergency

Claire Mitchell on May 1, 2019, 7:18 pm

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The House of Commons has tonight declared an “environment and climate emergency.” The first national parliament in the world to do so. This comes in the wake of mass civil action by Extinction Rebellion, school strikes for climate, and local declarations of climate emergency all over the world. The UK Labour Party, which proposed the motion, asked MPs to “act with commensurate urgency.” Something which the Green Party have been urging for a very long time. In the last few …

Brexit Woes and a Broken Parliament: The Perilous Path Ahead for British Democracy

Soapbox on April 27, 2019, 9:08 am

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Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement has been rejected multiple times in Parliament. The EU says it can’t be re-negotiated, but that’s beside the point. Despite two series of indicative votes, MPs refused to back any alternative version of Brexit. There also wasn’t enough support for a no-deal Brexit, nor for revoking Article 50 to cancel Brexit altogether. In other words, Parliament rejected all the options available. There were none left. Even those who oppose the withdrawal agreement cannot fairly blame it …

Brexit as seen from Brussels – A free talk by Dr Nicholas Whyte…

Brian O'Neill on April 26, 2019, 1:51 pm

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Occasional Slugger Contributor Nicholas Whyte is back in town next Wednesday to give a talk at the UU Belfast Campus at 6pm on the topic of Brexit as seen from Brussels. The talk is free to attend but places are limited so you need to book. Book your place here… This is a joint UU/Slugger event, here is the blurb… What you see depends on where you stand. Nicholas Whyte, Visiting Professor at Ulster University and a Senior Director at …

Naomi Long to stand in the European Election

David McCann on April 18, 2019, 2:01 pm

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The Alliance Party Leader, Naomi Long will stand in the European Election. Speaking about her nomination she said; “I am passionate about the EU and the enormous benefits it has brought not only to us in Northern Ireland, but also right across these islands and more widely across Europe over many decades. Maintaining stability, co-operation and collaboration at that level is absolutely vital to our future,2 she said. “The chaos and uncertainty created by Brexit has impacted every aspect of …

Children of the Ceasefire: Reflections on the Border II

Soapbox on April 17, 2019, 11:56 am

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Irish. Northern Irish. A global citizen. Three ways in which I described myself in my previous blog post. In describing this, I highlighted my concerns to being constrained to one certain identity. However, as discussions on Brexit intensify, so does the issue of the border and these constraints of identity. I am a holder of an Irish passport. I play and follow Irish sports. I have studied at an Irish university. I have been christened with an Irish name. I …

Children of the Ceasefire: Reflections on the Border III

Soapbox on April 17, 2019, 11:55 am

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The Issue of the Border in Ireland is a debate caught between two fronts. The border, as it exists currently, is representative of a physical and symbolic/metaphysical indicator of relative peace and stability in Ireland. The openness of the physical border has consequentially allowed for civil debate and meaningful reconciliation between Northern and Southern communities to flourish. The absence of a physical manifestation of the border solidified by investment through the PEACE I-IV, and EDF schemes in Northern Ireland and …

The Unity Genie is Out of the Bottle: What do Unionism and Southern Parties do Next?

Soapbox on April 16, 2019, 1:49 pm

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As we fast approach the local council elections, it’s important to assess what the results might tell us about the future of Stormont and power-sharing as a whole. Will the council elections show a growth in the Nationalist vote? And/or will we finally see a breakthrough in middle ground voters, against the vacuum and groundhog day of our local politics? I do not need to inform all where we’re at and why. We all have slightly different takes on this, …

How do we create a better society? Announcing the ‘Forward Together’ podcasts

Paul Gosling on April 16, 2019, 10:00 am

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To mark 21 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, an important new initiative begins on Good Friday, 19th April, 2019. A series of podcasts will be broadcast twice a week, seeking answers to questions about the future of Northern Ireland and the border counties. The objective is to promote a wider, more inclusive and engaged conversation about how we make progress, further solidify peace and create a genuinely shared and integrated society. We want that discussion to …