THE DUP has not ruled out the possibility of (officially) talking to loyalist paramilitaries. While it never (unofficially) stopped the DUP in the past, if talks do occur, it paves the way towards talks with republicans in Sinn Fein – particularly if the IRA has gone much further towards decommissioning and ‘going out of business’ than the UVF and UDA. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com
“IN the real world,” said Michael Howard in a moment of clarity the other day, “if you screw up, you lose your job. It’s called accountability.” Eric Waugh takes a hard look at the lack of democratic accountability in the previous administration, how incoherent the last Executive was and why the Assembly needs a strong Opposition. What democrat would disagree?If the long-lost friends in the UUP and SDLP are serious about going into Opposition, I wonder how they will cope …
While the semaphore continues with increasingly shrill demands of “do deal now!”, as blogged here and here, and what some have argued is a carrot being offered.. there is also the hint, or two, of a stick of sorts. Update (if anyone’s interested) Looks like someone’s recognised that stick. Not once, but twice Pete Baker
The Derry Journal asks what stratagems have been put in place to handle the surrender of Loyalist guns? 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
Jeffrey Donaldson and Martin McGuinness agree that a settlement must be made by the end of the month. Whether they will agree to agree remains to be seen, in what looks like an end point (of all end points?) in what must be the dullest game of chicken in political history. Note: on 21st of December last year Tony Blair told us this review would be “short, sharp and focussed”. Ho hum – and on it goes… Mick FealtyMick is …
A cynic would describe it as choreographed. No sooner had the PUP’s David Ervine asserted “We are about to see serious movement by the IRA” than SF’s Martin McGuinness was impatiently insisting of the DUP “why not do this deal now?” before a 31st October ‘deadline’. Pete Baker
Jude Collins argues that it is not simply US politics which has subtituted optics for politics. Despite all the fuss about Dr Paisley’s visit to Dublin last week – and the deputy leader’s meeting in Dublin Castle a few weeks before, nothing will cover for the absence of substantive agreement. 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 …
Seán Farren believes that the DUP must produce serious evidence that it is genuinely interested and motivated by the opportunity for partnership government. However he’s convinced there should be no ‘serious’ blocks to finding a widely acceptable accommodation in some form or other.By Seán Farren The DUP’s recent conversion to a possible partnership with other parties to form an executive and allow for the restoration of all of the institutions set up under the Good Friday agreement is being widely …
Brian Feeney beleives that its previous acceptance of additions to the Belfast Agreement leaves the SDLP between rock and a hard place when it comes to resisting changes negotiated by Sinn Fein and the DUP. 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
It was quickly buried under an avalanche of often contradictory spin, but, on Friday, Ireland’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, made the Irish Government’s primary objective for the ongoing negotiations crystal-clear in his first full-length radio interview on Northern Ireland – “We have to keep as a keynote the issue of decommissioning, paramilitarism, the end to that and, at the same time,… we have to ensure that we cannot in any way transgress the key fundamentals in that …
The Alliance Party seem to have spotted a gap in the ongoing public negotiations which the two main Unionist parties have neglected to nail down – the devolution of responsibility for Policing and Justice. According to their Justice spokesman, Stephen Farry, “A target date of two years should be established as part of any deal between the parties and the governments” as part of a “triple-lock” that must be sprung before responsibility for policing and justice is devolved to the …
AFTER his meeting with Sinn Fein today, the Taoiseach admitted that changes to the Agreement would have to be made to enable process. The SF team flew to London afterwards, with everyone seemingly in agreement that changes to the GFA are possible, so long as they are not ‘fundamentals’.And with troop levels set to be slashed by Christmas (by which time decommissioning may no longer be an issue), and IRA movement expected very soon, elements of a choreographed deal appear …
Suzanne Breen’s piece in the inaugral issue of the Village, is about the most comprehensive reporting of the thinking at the heart of the DUP to the media mainstream – well worth reading from top to bottom!On powersharing: “If we don’t have a Fenian about the place, we won’t get power. If we constantly obstruct Sinn Féin, the whole set-up will collapse. Most ordinary unionists and nationalists no longer have faith in devolution. They don’t believe the Assembly and Executive …
There’s been a lot speculation about what the consequences of the so-far-mythical Plan B, much of it in nationalist quarters centring on the possibility of joint authority as punishment for the majority Unionist parties for ‘defaulting’ on the Belfast Agreement. But Henry McDonald believes closure of Stormont is a more realistic outcome, as a two way punishment for not finding a new interpretation of the old deal. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …
Tom McGurk is pleased to see the DUP prepared to do deals in Dublin, but believes the party will have problems selling anything they might agree to:”What complicates their problems is their multi-element constituency. In the same party, there are Paisley’s original religious and political groupings and the new politically opportunist lobby led by Jeffrey Donaldson. All want power, but they are prepared to pay very different prices for it. That’s the very complex political bill currently being calculated”. Mick …
Well, not really. But Alex Kane argues that a low level but volumous series of diatribes between the UUP and DUP press offices, is a poor substitute for real political argument. The real issue is, he believes, is whether the DUP can cut a deal for Unionism at large. If they fail, he believes, there is no other political actor capable of ‘picking up the pieces’.By Alex Kane A vaccine that prevents sheep from breaking wind has been developed by …
Maurice Hayes is convinced that there’s been a substantial change in the character of the DUP’s political project. And the paper’s editorial confirms this perception viewed in the long term.”Any settlement involving Sinn Fein in government will be a hard sell for the DUP leadership – impossible if it does not have the Doc’s thumb print on it – which is why his presence in Dublin is so important and so significant. The visit too, the fact that it was …
David Vance may have been the star turn of last night’s Hearts and Minds – but the set piece debate between Chris Farrington and Alison O’Connor is the best viewing this week, as they dissect the current situation viz-a-viz the DUP. Nice spot with Tom Kelly and Austin Curry on future of the SDLP. All in all, a great relief from the usual four man party scrum! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …
THE full text of US Envoy Mitchell Reiss’s speech to the National Committee on American Foreign Policy in New York on Thursday is copied below. Secretary of State Paul Murphy’s speech to the Labour Conference is proving a little harder to track down, as it is a Labour Party document, not an NIO one.Ambassador Mitchell B. Reiss The National Committee on U.S. Foreign Policy New York City September 30, 2004 Introduction It is a pleasure to be with you in …
UNIONISTS were cautious about Tony Blair’s suggestions at Leeds Castle that the IRA was about to end all paramilitary activity and decommission – though one DUP delegate seemed confident the latter would be dealt with by Christmas. However, it’s action, not words that was demanded, so there will be much interest in the next two IMC reports. There seems little doubt that the next one will report a hugely dramatic reduction in IRA paramilitary activity.If that trend continues and decommissioning …
