At the time of the last UUP leadership election, I said the best person for the job was Ian Marshall. There were just two minor issues, he was not a politician or even a member of the UUP. That situation has since been rectified, at least the UUP member part. Delighted to join Doug and the UUP. Time for a union of people, embracing inclusivity, diversity and building relationships across an island and between two islands. Thanks to @SuzyJourno & …
Unionists should engage in the conversation around the proposal for a Bill of Rights, recognising that it can help protect their interests and human rights, says former Progressive Unionist Party councillor Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston. She was talking in the latest Forward Together podcast from the Holywell Trust. “I think human rights themselves are important because they help protect against abuse by those who are more powerful”, says Julie-Anne. A Bill of Rights can also be used as a means of fighting …
Tune into NvTv this evening at 20:11 – or watch it here from 20:15 – to catch Episode 39 of Slugger TV. David McCann is joined by commentators Julie-Anne Corr Johnston and Tim Cairns to discuss how Northern Ireland is coming out of lockdown and what sort of economy we will emerge into, as well as the fallout of Dominic Cummings’ trip to Durham on Boris Johnson’s political currency. Edited by Alan Meban.
PROGRESSIVE UNIONIST PARTY kicked off the new season of party conference. The Chief Constable George Hamilton visited along with Jude Whyte and Malachi O’Doherty. An eclectic bunch of motions were debated. And elected representatives talked about the opportunities for the party.
Under the title of Perspectives on Loyalism in 2015, Dave Magee had assembled a panel who unpacked their academic and personal impressions of the so-hard-to-define term ‘loyalism’ in front of a listening audience at Corrymeela’s APERTURE festival this afternoon. Sandwiched in-between academic Sophie Long [talk embedded at bottom of this post] and rapper/teacher Jun Tzu (Jonathan Hamilton), Belfast City Councillor for Oldpark, Julie-Anne Corr Johnston delivered the following address. – – – Assuming everyone has one, could I ask you …
The petition of concern was designed to protect minority rights in the Stormont Assembly. As former SDLP leader Mark Durkan explained “the petition of concern facility was put into the agreement to safeguard communal sensitivities and specifically to protect equality and human rights considerations”. Alliance MP Naomi Long pointed out that “the petition of concern was designed to offer protection to minorities within the assembly, where decisions of a sensitive nature risked being imposed upon them against their will.” Unfortunately …
