G8 Summit

G8 Summit: “Of course, the event did not come for free…”

Pete Baker on July 2, 2013, 4:09 pm

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As the BBC reports, the Northern Ireland Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, has revised, upwards, his estimate of the cost of the recent G8 Summit in Fermanagh. Here’s the relevant extract from Hansard There has been much focus on the cost of the G8 event. The most important thing is that we successfully delivered a safe and secure event, and, for that, I give my sincere thanks to the PSNI. Of course, the event did not come for free, and, …

#G8 and tax: “In the end, leaders are led…”

Mick Fealty on June 20, 2013, 11:16 am

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This is a rather optimistic and upbeat summation of the ‘achievements’ on Tax at the G8 in Lough Erne from Ben Phillips… In the end, leaders are led, and the power of the people is stronger than the people in power. Can one intergovernmental meeting fix it? No. But after this year of corporate scandal, popular mobilisation, media controversy, shuttle diplomacy, and leaders’ gatherings, no one representing a major government – no one – now says that campaigners’ ultimate aims …

Let’s praise David Cameron for creating a brilliant showcase

Brian Walker on June 19, 2013, 5:30 pm

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First of all there was the simple pleasure at Lough Erne looking wonderful, an English friend saying “didn’t Enniskillen look beautiful” and even the rain staying off, mostly. I admit I was chuffed to see Jon Snow presenting lakeside “fresh in from Iran.. on a beautiful Fermanagh evening.” And never mind Obama. Unfashionable as it is to praise any British Prime Minister for anything they do on this island, let’s hear it for David Cameron whose bold and imaginative decision …

#G8, transparency, tax and “the soft bigotry of low expectations…”

Mick Fealty on June 18, 2013, 4:41 pm

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On tax, and transparency, here’s the final communique from Lough Erne. Ten “shoulds”, all of them ‘good things’, based on self reporting. Ah, “the soft bigotry of low expectations” says Joseph Cotteril. No imminent world government then? As The Economist noted last week: …offshore centres such as the Cayman Islands and Jersey, corporate service providers have had to collect ownership information since they first came under international pressure a decade ago, though they are sometimes slow or unwilling to turn it over …

Obama strikes a note of realism in making a cautious appeal to open a gate in the peace walls before tearing them down

Brian Walker on June 17, 2013, 2:09 pm

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While it causes a thrill to see Obama in town, lockdown bloated security hassle and all, visits by presidents, prime ministers and even popes are now subject to the law of diminishing returns. Timed to deliver a powerful boost the fledgling peace process in 1995, Bill Clinton’s impact at the City Hall was bound to be hard to beat. Obama had a less visionary message to deliver to the obligatory “youth,”- that at least you have a different context to work …

“Adding more weapons to this volatile situation could destabilise the entire region…”

Pete Baker on June 15, 2013, 6:42 pm

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The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers were in a sunny Downing Street garden yesterday, welcoming that suspect package, and extolling the virtues of demonstrating “peacefully, positively, constructively” [Is that with, or without, a Thompson sub-machine gun? – Ed] Without, probably… ANYhoo, on the same day Sinn Féin released the text of what appears to be a different speech to that delivered in Downing Street by the Mid Ulster MP Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness – made at …

‘#G8 development dividend in the balance’ – 5 issues to watch

Mick Fealty on June 15, 2013, 9:20 am

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This is a guest post from Overseas Development Institute (ODI) Director Kevin Watkins Effective action at the G8 summit could see Africa reap a ‘development dividend’ that boosts poverty reduction and sets the region on a course for more self-reliant growth, according to the Director of the UK’s leading development think tank. The ODI has described Lough Erne as a ‘high stakes’ summit for the world’s poor. ODI Director Kevin Watkins said that more stringent rules on tax evasion could prevent the …

G8 Summit: “Gardaí will place a particular emphasis on securing the Border…”

Pete Baker on June 6, 2013, 5:27 pm

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According to the Northern Ireland Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, the NI Executive will face a bill of £6 million from the £60 million total cost of hosting the G8 Summit in Fermanagh on June 17th and 18th – the UK Treasury is expected to provide the rest of the funds required. But, as the Irish Times reports, the neighbouring state on the island is also making preparations. Some 900 gardaí will be in the region for the period covering the …

Matt Baggott on flag protests, Boston tapes, G8 summit, drones & social media

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 23, 2013, 9:00 am

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It’s all looking a bit fraught. We need a recovery plan. The words of the Chief Constable Matt Baggott describing the fortunes of his football club rather than the PSNI’s response to the flags crisis. Though the words must echo what went through the PSNI senior officers’ minds when the flags crisis didn’t abate before Christmas. Monday’s post covered PSNI transformation, regulation and vocation. Remember that blogs aren’t newspapers, so not every post has to try to make a news …

“processing it through their stunted, trivial prism of partisan loyalty…”

Pete Baker on March 10, 2013, 7:47 pm

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At the Guardian, Glenn Greenwald makes a number of important points about the reaction to US Senator Rand Paul’s 13-hour filibuster against John Brennan’s nomination as head of the CIA. From Glenn Greenwald at Comment is Free Last week’s 13-hour filibuster of John Brennan’s confirmation as CIA director by GOP Sen. Rand Paul was one of the first – and, from the perspective of media attention, easily among the most effective -Congressional efforts to dramatize and oppose just how radical …

For what is Northern Ireland going to be known in 2013?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 29, 2012, 3:32 pm

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As NI2012 Our Place Our Time comes to a halt, does Northern Ireland Tourist Board have a fight on its hands to maintain this year’s impetus? Competition comes from Tourism Ireland’s The Gathering (which Tourism Minister Arlene Foster made no mention of in her party conference speech at the weekend) not to mention VisitScotland’s three month Winter Festivals promotion. On top of a series of high profile events, The Gathering’s website has a call to action, encouraging Irish families and …