EU

There is no threat to the Union. Irish bickering north and south over the reality of Brexit has to be replaced with practical cooperation, fast.

| Readers 1604

Newton’s latest observations on the “curmudgeonly” Arlene can be counterpointed with an incredibly wise article in the Indo by Brendan Keenan, Belfast born and bred but long anchored in Dublin and with a strong sense of reality for the interests of both. Arlene’s dour comments  can be contrasted  unfavourably  with the regal visionary style of Nicola Sturgeon. But Arlene doesn’t have the field of  government to herself. In practice they are both pragmatic and when it suits them, even cooperative …

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If Medics Treated Patients As Governments Treat the NHS, We’d All Be Dead

| Readers 300

Another Secretary of State pushes determinedly, blindly on with NHS reforms, with the notion they alone can solve the great mystery of health. No matter how well intentioned, policy making is doomed to fail as before. I humbly suggest another way. The NHS is now into its 30th year of perpetual reform (perhaps we should hold an anniversary party?). Yet it is still in need of reform. At what point do the politicians wake up and conclude that, in the way …

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Dublin High Court orders extradition of suspect in 1996 PIRA mortar attack in Germany

| Readers 1033

Not much coverage of this so far, but the Irish Times reports that the High Court in Dublin has ordered the extradition of a suspect in the Provisional IRA mortar attack on a British army barracks near Osnabrück, Germany, in June 1996. In October last year, James Anthony Oliver Albert Corry (46) was arrested in Killorglin, Co Kerry, on foot of a European Arrest Warrant issued by German authorities. Later that month, Mr Corry, who is from north Belfast, spoke to a reporter …

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After Brexit and Trump, it is vital that the centre holds in France and across the world.

| Readers 1340

Like many sane thinking political followers, I awoke on Wednesday saddened at the news that an odious individual who traded on a campaign of fear had been elected President of the United States. Many commentators have rightly chastised Trump for his verbose demeanour and truly dreadful attitude to women, minorities as well as to those with disabilities. Added to that, Trump’s policies, what few he has actually discussed, could directly impact upon the world and indeed Ireland more specifically. By …

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“It was crazy to allege that the Irish government isn’t working for the interests of [northern] businesses.”

| Readers 1523

This is worth noting. It relates to Arlene’s accusation aimed at the Republic accusing them of poaching FDI opportunities away from NI. In reply to a written question from Cavan Monaghan TD Brendan Smyth, the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor noted (scroll down to Question 506) this last week: Both agencies under the aegis of my Department, Enterprise Ireland (EI) and IDA Ireland, engage with relevant bodies in Northern Ireland to pursue areas of mutual advantage. Developing all-island initiatives …

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If Ireland is facing a perfect economic storm, it’s surely time for a shift in strategy (and story)…

| Readers 595

Good points here by Cormac Lucey, on the vulnerability of the Ireland’s long established and successful FDI (or what Arlene calls, poaching – but more on that later). First, he puts in the Republic’s clever exploitation of FDI into proper historical context: Consider the impact of the foreign-owned sector another way, by comparing living standards north and south of the border. Half a century ago, living standards and income levels were considerably higher north of the border. Today, thanks largely …

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OPINION: Promote critical thinking skills for better democracy @WFDemocracy Strasbourg 2016

| Readers 343

OPINION: Promote critical thinking skills for better democracy: World Forum for Democracy: Strasbourg 2016
by Allan LEONARD for Northern Ireland Foundation
7 November 2016

The 600 seats of the hemicycle of the Council of Europe soon filled with young activists and seasoned practitioners at the 2016 gathering of the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg. I attended as part of a delegation from Northern Ireland, all beneficiaries of the Civic Activism Programme administered by Building Change Trust. Our objective was to learn and share experiences to improve democracy and equality through education.

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Gordon Brown’s plan for a constitutional convention is likely to be stillborn, but his ideas for closing the yawning UK wealth gap deserve attention

| Readers 373

A more federal UK is needed to create a more economically equal state and  buttress the Union’s survival, says the former prime minister Gordon Brown. New research starkly exposes the wealth gap between London and the regions more clearly than ever. The Northern Powerhouse plan for the north of England only scratches the surface and Brexit adds to the strains of Union cohesion. This is the gap that goes long way to a long way to explain the Brexit demand …

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Nationalists and unionists need to discard their illusions about Brexit. The gap is dangerously wide.

| Readers 2810

We begin with two different  views of the impact of Brexit in Northern Ireland;  from first, the historian and Irish Times columnist Diarmaid Ferriter, contrasted later with DUP MP Nigel Dodds. In 1998, at the time of the endorsement of the Belfast Agreement, Fintan O’Toole observed that “Northern Ireland is now a place that is arguably unique – a place that nobody claims and nobody owns, a place that is free to become whatever its people can agree that they …

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A wrong turn in Constitutional Law…

| Readers 935

On Friday, I called the High Court Ruling a constitutional nicety. Could be I was wrong about that. Carl Gardner is about as sober a legal commentator as it gets on the London beat. And he has serious concerns about the future implications of this ruling: Hmmm… 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, …

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Belfast International Airport MD: “Am absolutely spitting useless faceless EU bureaucrats…”

| Readers 2661

As ever, the significant part of the story behind United Airlines’ decision to end the Belfast-New York route – despite an “irregular” three year NI Executive £9 million rescue deal – lies, not in the headline, but in the details.   The first point to make, given the positioning of some parties on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, is that the airline’s decision comes after the European Commission blocked the rescue package under state aid rules.  AS the BBC report …

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Referring Brexit to Parliament is a quaint constitutional nicety, not a (fecking) crisis…

| Readers 1230

Well, it looks like a sizeable chunk of England (well, the political chatterati bit) has, as we like to say in Belfast, went nuts. It’s a shame Brian’s sage advice was not heeded by the editors of the Mail and, my own old manor, the Daily Telegraph. So here’s hree brief thoughts. Firstly, on the 50%+1 rule the Remain side lost. Nothing that happens in Parliament can ‘fix’ the result in favour of the 48%. Secondly, having been so soundly beaten in …

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Eastwood: “we will not betray the people of Northern Ireland by standing idly by…”

| Readers 1840

This is an interesting line from Colum Eastwood… The imperative now is not only to consult with the British Parliament but with the devolved administrations in Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff. The people of Northern Ireland have not consented to leaving the European Union and we will not betray them by standing idly by. Despite 56% of people here voting to remain, we may be in a position in Westminster where only three of our MPs in the North vote to …

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After a quiet day in Dublin, drama in the English High Court. But don’t get too excited…

| Readers 1144

It would be as well not to get over excited about this morning’s rejection in the English High Court of the UK government’s case that it can trigger Article 50 without the consent of Parliament.  The show isn’t over yet; the denouement was always likely  to be played out at the top. The government will appeal to the Supreme Court which is also expected to deal with the equivalent Northern Ireland appeal at the same time, after the Belfast High Court …

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High court says parliament must vote on triggering article 50

| Readers 1887

The High Court has put a spanner in the Brexit works by saying MP’s need to vote on triggering article 50. You can view more on this developing story here… A report by the BBC in June showed that the majority of MP’s support remain. Does this mean the end of Brexit? Brian O'NeillManaging Editor of Slugger O’Toole. I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in …

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Why bridge building (not merger) is exactly the right strategy for the new Opposition…

| Readers 538

One of the problems with trying to set up cross-community political agreements (you know, just to get some stuff done) is that everyone is quick to point out what you haven’t done, and how it will never work. Owen Polley is a veteran of the attempt to merge the UUP and the Conservative party under David Cameron and Reg Empey will remember the wave of negativity unleashed on the Tory leader of the opposition for daring to believe anyone in NI would …

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Micheál Martin throws a few questions at the all island dialogue on #Brexit to consider…

| Readers 1373

The Royal Hospital in Kilmainham was the venue for a series of Reconciliation Networking Forums which take place annually [amended from my mistake earlier]. The venue is now being pressed back into the purposes of north-south engagement. Unlike those previous events, this all island civic forum on Brexit (Live Feed available here) has been much more overtly political, making almost inevitable there would be no formal representation from any unionist party. It began this morning with a series of pitches from each of the political leaders and …

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The complexities of Brexit could overwhelm the British political system. For all Ireland, a bigger role needed for the GFA structures

| Readers 976

.As the “all island ” civic forum meets in Dublin bereft of unionists, a high powered think tank The UK in a changing Europe warns: “Brexit has the potential to test the UK’s constitutional settlement, legal framework, political process and bureaucratic capacities to their limits – and possibly beyond.. And they suggest the repatriation of decision-making in key policy areas including agriculture, the environment and higher education to Britain from Brussels could affect the balance of power between Westminster and the …

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EU Standardised Driving Licence, mostly, Trumps Political Psychosis

| Readers 1196

Sinn Féin TD, Dessie Ellis, has taken umbrage with the Irish National Driver Licence Service for refusing to indulge some nationalists’ political psychosis on the recently standardised EU driving licence.  From the Irish News report Sinn Féin’s Dessie Ellis spoke out after a renewed licence issued to Co Tipperary resident Thomas Murray stated ‘Northern Ireland’ as his place of birth. The 79-year-old Belfast-born driver, who has lived in Co Tipperary since 1973, previously owned a licence that simply had ‘Ireland’ …

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Arlene defends Brexit, trusts Theresa and appears to see no need for solidarity with the Republic.

| Readers 1530

First Minister Arlene Foster has burst into print in the Guardian to explain how Leave is compatible with Northern Ireland’s interests. If nothing else, it marks her out as the first person of any prominence to do so. If Martin McGuinness and Colum Eastwood are alarmist, she is almost complacent and takes a lot for granted. Yet read carefully  she is still asking for special treatment for Northern Ireland and assumes she’ll get it.  Her message is “stick with Theresa …

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