NI Secretary of State – Slugger O'Toole

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State league

Peter Donaghy (Salmon of Data) on February 13, 2020, 11:38 pm

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As part of today’s cabinet reshuffle, the Prime Minister Boris Johnson has dismissed Julian Smith from his post as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after 204 days in the role. Julian Smith has proved a popular Secretary of State with people from all areas of the community. His efforts were crucial in getting power-sharing re-established at Stormont following the collapse of the Executive in 2017. Former Conservative party chair Brandon Lewis has since been announced as his successor. It …

Brandon Lewis is the new NI Secretary…

Brian O'Neill on February 13, 2020, 5:26 pm

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Brandon Lewis becomes the fourth Northern Ireland secretary in four years. Who he I hear you ask? From his Wikipedia entry: Brandon Kenneth Lewis CBE PC (born 20 June 1971) is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland since the February 2020 cabinet reshuffle. Lewis previously served as Minister for Security and Deputy for EU Exit from 2019 to 2020, and Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio from 2018 …

“In the Autumn, Northern Ireland must have a proper Budget in place…”

Pete Baker on July 19, 2017, 4:38 pm

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As the only adult (politician) left in the room, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, has intervened, for a second time, on NI Executive business and reallocated £131 million in funding to local departments [pdf file (216kb)]. From the BBC report Health and education are the major beneficiaries of £131m in additional money for Northern Ireland. The move was announced by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire, as part of a reallocation of funds known as a monitoring round. Health …

What could outsiders do to end the tragic farce over dealing with the past?

Brian Walker on December 15, 2016, 1:12 pm

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“A big push” on legacy issues is being promised by secretary of State James Brokenshire as the Belfast Telegraph reports, following the failure to meet the deadline to implement the legacy part of Fresh Start. Whether it will mean anything more than UN attempts to end the horrors of Syria remains to be seen. Brokenshire presents himself as an honest broker but in truth whether he realises it or not, he is as much a party to deadlock as the …

Tackling Paramilitary Activity: “government funding will not be released until the Executive agrees a more detailed action plan”

Pete Baker on October 25, 2016, 6:23 pm

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As I noted in a post in September In July, the NI First and deputy First Ministers and Justice Minister, Claire Sugden announced the publication of the NI Executive’s Action Plan for Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality and Organised Crime – 147kb pdf file here. Costing £50 million over 5 years, it’s jointly funded, £25 million each, by the NI Executive and the Brits the British Government. At the launch of that action plan The [Northern Ireland First Minister, Arlene Foster, deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness and Justice Minister, …

High tech can soften the prospect of a hard border, but it’s no Trojan horse.

Brian Walker on October 10, 2016, 12:23 am

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The Guardian has posted an early lead from its Ireland correspondent Henry McDonald quoting NI Secretary James Brokenshire saying that: London and Dublin will work to strengthen Ireland’s external borders in order to combat illegal migration into the UK once it leaves the European Union. “There was now a high level of collaboration on a joint programme of work” between the two states to control immigration. We have put in place a range of measures to further combat illegal migration …

On dealing with the past, Brokenshire should demand Executive action or withdraw the money

Brian Walker on October 8, 2016, 1:24 pm

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James Brokenshire is at least the eighth secretary of state to utter warm words about dealing with the past. It’s almost two years since the abortive Stormont House Agreement described new structures headed by a new Historic Investigations Unit. £150 million will be made available by Westminster over the next five years to implement the full package. Brokenshire is the latest UK minister to acquaint himself of “the raw emotion, the pain etc” and to repeat the government’s pledge of …

US Consulate: “We anticipate that a US trade and investment delegation will visit Northern Ireland in the first half of 2017”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2016, 8:07 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has, in effect, called ‘bullshit’ on Martin McGuinness‘ claim that a proposed US investment delegation to Northern Ireland has been postponed “directly as a result of the vote” in the UK-wide EU membership referendum. Unlike the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, echoed by his party colleague, Conor Murphy, the Secretary of State named the source of her information …Theresa Villiers said that the US Special Envoy Gary Hart had blamed the decision of …

French President Francois Hollande :”The negotiations will be conducted with the United Kingdom, not with a part of the United Kingdom”

Pete Baker on June 29, 2016, 8:23 pm

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With the UK Parliament sovereign, and Sinn Féin’s calls for a border poll dismissed as an unwelcome distraction, quite where the “very special place” Martin McGuinness thinks Northern Ireland is in isn’t entirely clear. Nor whom he thinks he can press that “case” with in his attempt to ignore the UK-wide referendum result. He should remember, however, that neither he nor his party, alone, speak for the Northern Ireland Executive. He should also pay very close attention to the responses the Scottish First Minister is …

Theresa Villiers: “ultimately it is parliament’s decision whether we repeal the 1972 European Communities Act or whether we don’t.”

Pete Baker on June 27, 2016, 7:22 pm

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Andy’s valiant attempt at providing clarity on the role of the devolved institutions in the UK’s withdrawal from the EU doesn’t appear to have worked for some of our local representatives. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, couldn’t have been clearer. “In the weeks and months ahead we will be working with both the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on all these matters,” [Theresa Villiers] told BBC’s Sunday Politics show. “But ultimately it is parliament’s decision whether we …

“Provisional IRA members believe the Provisional Army Council oversees both PIRA and Sinn Féin with an overarching strategy.”

Pete Baker on October 20, 2015, 2:48 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has published the assessment of “the structure, role and purpose of paramilitary groups focusing on those which declared ceasefires in order to support and facilitate the political process”. Theresa Villiers’ statement to Parliament is here. The letter to the Secretary of State [pdf file] from the independent reviewers confirming the completion of their assessment is also available. We are satisfied that: i) MI5 and PSNI have engaged fully with us, consistent with their duties and constraints: …

“Still, there are words for the sort of reception meted out, and the most polite are ‘low’ and ‘key’.”

Pete Baker on July 31, 2015, 5:17 pm

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Meanwhile, back at the ranch… or, rather, as far away from the ranch as you can reasonably get… For the benefit of those concerned about accountability and the democratic process… Liam Clarke has some points to make about Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, and the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Sinn Féin MLA Martin McGuinness’ recent, separate, trips to the US. In that situation, how much priority would you give when tapped on the arm and told that the Northern Ireland …

Lord Carlile: “Peace is in no small way the result of these efforts by PSNI and MI5 personnel.”

Pete Baker on March 26, 2015, 7:33 pm

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On 20th March the Order in Council extending the operations of the UK National Crime Agency to Northern Ireland came into power – despite the challenge that presents to the Speaker of the NI Assembly – bringing us into line with the rest of the UK in the process. On the same date the NI Secretary of State of State, Theresa Villiers, made a written statement to the House of Commons on the report by Lord Carlile, the independent reviewer of national security …

Theresa Villiers: “It is in the interests of everyone affected… that a way forward is found towards a local resolution.”

Pete Baker on October 7, 2014, 2:54 pm

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As the BBC’s Mark Devenport reports, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has proposed that a panel of “experts” be appointed with the objective of mediating “an agreed accommodation between local people in respect of Loyal Order parades in the Twaddell and Ardoyne areas of north Belfast”. The official NIO statement includes the terms of reference, key principles, and the proposed structure of the panel and its timescale. Terms of reference In order to mediate an agreed accommodation between local …

Peter Hain: “since I was running the place I could more or less do what I wanted to do…”

Pete Baker on June 29, 2014, 5:23 pm

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The former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland [and Wales, etc! – Ed], Peter Hain, has been reminiscing about the good old days… “When I was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in 2005-07, [Prince Charles] was delighted when I told him that since I was running the place I could more or less do what I wanted to do. “I was able to introduce a trial for complementary medicine on the NHS, and it had spectacularly good results, that …

OTR scheme review judge named, and NI Affairs Committee launches inquiry

Pete Baker on March 11, 2014, 10:01 pm

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Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey might well think “it would’ve been better to have left the issue alone” [I couldn’t possibly comment… -Ed]. But that’s not happening. Today the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, informed the House of Commons that “the Rt Hon Lady Justice Hallett DBE has been appointed to conduct an independent review of the administrative scheme to deal with so-called ‘on-the-runs’”. The terms of reference of the review are: to produce a full public account of the operation and …

#ShinnersList and the unravelling Chamber of Secrets…

Mick Fealty on February 27, 2014, 7:26 amComments Off | Readers 1844

On the principle of blog what you know, publish learn more and then blog more, here’s as much sense as I can currently squeeze out of this OTR business. I’m sure more will emerge over time. 1 After a day of talking up two divergent matters (Hain’s controversial administrative deal with SF, and the general issue of OTRs) and the ongoing issue of the OTRs, it finally became clear from Gerry Kelly last night that Peter Robinson was never let …

“The Government communicated back the response to Sinn Fein via a letter from the Northern Ireland Office…”

Pete Baker on February 26, 2014, 2:23 pm

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Via the Guardian politics live-blog. Worth noting the written ministerial statement from the NI Secretary of State, dated yesterday, which details the mechanism of the on-the-runs administrative scheme [added emphasis throughout] The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mrs Theresa Villiers): On 21 February, Mr Justice Sweeney ruled that an abuse of process had taken place in the prosecution of John Downey for offences relating to the Hyde Park bombing which took place on 20 July 1982. Mr Downey was part …

Theresa Villiers: “in the meantime, the Parades Commission remains the legally constituted body responsible for determining these matters…”

Pete Baker on December 13, 2013, 5:26 pm

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In the continued absence of “locally owned arrangements”, the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has appointed a new chair, Anne Henderson, and 4 new members to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland. They will replace the current commission members, most of whom were appointed in 2010 by the then NI Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, and will take up their posts on 1 January 2014 . BBC report here. From the NIO press release [NI Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers] I very much …

DCC Judith Gillespie: “Policing remains one of the most visible institutions whose actions are interpreted through opposing narratives and lenses…”

Gary Kent on October 24, 2013, 2:03 pm

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One woman dominated the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly this week in London – not the Secretary of State Theresa Villiers who opened the Assembly on Monday, but Judith Gillespie OBE, Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI. She was no uninspiring plod – all proceeding northerly in strangulated officialise. She brought passion, conviction and incisiveness to the table. Her “sterling” speech, as Paul Bew put it, was also described as a tour de force in outlining the journey from the RUC into …