NI21

McCallister: “This has been the most toxic and poisonous experience of my entire life.”

| Readers 150

Last night the Vixens hosted a statement from the NI21 Executive about the recent allegations  and just who stopped the Carecall investigation. Tonight the party deputy leader, John McCallister speaks to Slugger responding to what he believes is an inaccurate statement from the party executive and paints a bleak picture of his future in the party, alongside what he believes is the inevitable death of the party. I began the interview by asking him to respond to the statement that …

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NI21: McCrea investigation stalls

| Readers 116

The soap opera which is NI21 continues. Last night the BBC reported confusion over the investigation by Carecall into the allegations against Basil McCrea. There was also the suggestion that the party had decided no further action was required. Today the Belfast Telegraph have reported that the investigation has been stopped part way through. This appears to be because Carecall require permission from the party chairperson Jane Howson for it to continue. Ms. Howson has withheld this permission. John McCallister …

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Election results 2014: Unionism’s natural internal level

| Readers 106

The dust is beginning to settle on the election. In actual fact the dust settled fairly quickly as there was not much created. On the nationalist / republican side there seemed remarkably little though I will leave discussion of that to those better qualified. On the unionist side there was slightly more but only slightly and if the results were compared say to the mainland GB elections one would say business as usual. Diane Dodds gained a small percentage at …

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After the election… NI21…

| Readers 135

So, before I get to finish off with the big boys and girls of Northern Ireland (Sinn Fein and the DUP tomorrow and Thursday), lets go briefly to the smallest of all the challengers, NI21. I suppose it helps prove one of FitzJamesHorse’s most persistent contentions about NI politics, that just because the media say they love you doesn’t mean they actually do, or that the voters will. To look at the hard figures, Tina McKenzie lifted 10,553 or 1.7% …

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Cartoon – Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

| Readers 53

  It’s Basil! Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

“It’s a good day for PR” said NI21’s Johnny McCarthy, elected to Lisburn & Castlereagh Council

| Readers 139

After a week in which NI’s newest political vehicle seemed to veer into a ditch, NI21’s council candidate Johnny McCarthy in Lisburn North DEA won a seat and depriving the DUP of a 21st representative in the 40 seat council. It was a shock since everyone had written off his chances earlier in the day. After yesterday’s nail-biting 20 vote finish between Alliance’s Aaron Mcintyre and NI21’s Christina Dobson in Downshire East, all eyes had been on David Cairns with a …

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John McCallister: For the sake of NI21 and, indeed, for his own sake, [Basil] must now step aside for the duration of the investigation

| Readers 98

John McCallister issued a statement tonight calling on Basil McCrea to step aside as NI21 leader while allegations are investigated. While many NI21 candidates seem keen to keep going in politics, what shape the party will be in this time next week is hard to predict, never mind next year. Tina McKenzie told the BBC that she was “seriously burned from politics and very hurt and shocked and devastated”. She’s been eliminated from the Balmoral count, polling only 256 first preference …

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Cartoon – Rory McIlroy redesignates

| Readers 91

Drawing on the hoof. Excuse the scratchiness. Should read: “I’ve decided to redesignate myself as “SINGLE”. Union with Caroline woz too 20th century.” Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

#NI21: Was John McCallister pushed before he jumped?

| Readers 127

So, a short addendum to my rhetorical question from this morning. On Talkback Martina Purdy has added a little more to the explanation of what’s been going. She suggests that the decision to undesignate (if it gets returned to the next Assembly) is a response to the new people it has drawn in from a highly diverse set of backgrounds. However, there may also be other factors involved. Post unionism for instance was always going to be more attractive to …

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NI21 falling apart just as it approaches its first hurdle?

| Readers 78

Sam McBride reports John McCallister’s comments in The Newsletter… “The way in which the [NI21] executive was handled points to a lot of the dysfunctionality in the party. There was no agenda sent out. This was organised this afternoon; I was literally told to come down from my constituency to Belfast to do it, with no idea what it was about.” He said that the meeting consisted of a “15 or 20-minute discussion with everyone keen to get back out …

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“What has changed is that it is a clear message to the people of Northern Ireland that NI21 is a cross-community party…”

| Readers 104

According to a BBC report, the NI21 party executive has announced a policy change on the eve of the party’s first foray into an actual election.  From the BBC report NI21 has announced it will change its designation at the Northern Ireland Assembly from unionist to ‘other’. The party’s executive took the decision ahead of Thursday’s European and local government elections. NI21 was set up by MLAs Basil McCrea and John McCallister, after they quit the Ulster Unionist Party in …

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NI21 make a #freshstart with a #freshdesignation … though run risk of some #freshconfusion

| Readers 69

Tonight NI21 announced that they would be switching from a designation of Unionist to Other, joining Alliance and the Green Party in the no man’s land middle ground between the unionist and nationalist voting blocks. You spoke. We listened. We changed. We recognise that some are happy to be called ‘Unionist’, and they are of course welcome in NI21. However, as we have engaged with the electorate over the last number of months, it’s clear to us that using the …

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Slugger verdict: Ranking the Party Election Broadcasts

| Readers 192

They have been commented upon for weeks and their impact is always in question. Yet, a good party political broadcast can capture attention and make people talk. So, in that spirit I thought I would assemble a panel of judges to help me go through all of the party election broadcasts and rank them in how effective they thought they were. The other judges were PR Consultant, Carl Devlin Whyte and the broadcaster, Jim Fitzpatrick. Each of us ranked the PEBs out …

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NI21 launch a diverse squad of 47 council candidates – will any get elected?

| Readers 393

NI21 launched their council candidates in The MAC this morning. Just before 10am, a lost-looking Mark H Durkan walked through the MAC’s downstairs foyer. He hadn’t come to throw his lot behind Tina McKenzie, but was instead early for his appointment with Alex Attwood at the Electoral Office around the corner! Chatting to NI21 candidates, it was clear that this was their first foray into politics. Most I spoke to were driven by a frustration and a desire for political …

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NI21’s ‘tús maith’ !

| Readers 105

One swallow doesn’t make a Summer and one bilingual billboard can’t erase the generations of anti Irish language unionist politics – but the bold initiative by NI21 to include the Irish language in its election campaign has to be hailed as a breakthrough of sorts. Look at any of the unionist party websites and you will note the absence of any Irish language content and, on top of that, any reference to the Irish language is invariably hostile.   The …

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Trouble at NI21 mill…

| Readers 78

Having a good idea (NI21) is not the same as putting it into action… Trouble in Holywood and Clandeboye… Gerry Leddy, who had been involved with the party since its inception almost a year ago, said that he could not tell people to vote for its European candidate, Tina McKenzie, as he had “no confidence” in her. In a message posted on his Facebook page, the former North Down and Strangford constituency association treasurer said that Mrs McKenzie, who is …

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McCann meets….@NI21Chair Tina McKenzie

| Readers 77

This morning I met NI21’s newly minted European candidate, Tina McKenzie in the Europa Hotel for one of her first interviews as the party candidate.  Bouncing in and full of passion we spoke for just over twenty minutes as she regaled me with her ideas and plans for the campaign to come. I know the Sluggerverse has been critical of Tina and NI21 for a lack of policies in regards to Europe, so, this is what I wanted to primarily …

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NI21 announce their Euro Candidate @NI21Chair Tina McKenzie

| Readers 71

Ok, folks well the wait is over and it was really what we expected but NI21 have officially announced the party Chair as their European candidate. Speaking about being nominated Tina McKenzie said in a party press statement that; I want to maximise the potential of Europe and will focus on getting the best for Northern Ireland not the best for any one community. I want to represent and promote our people, their talents, skills, commitment and drive to improve Northern Ireland …

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NI21 issue open call for council candidates: fresh politics or desperate measures?

| Readers 97

Relatively few people seem to wake up in the morning and decide to be a politician. Existing party activists recognise the gifts and passion in people they see and invite them to join, and invite them to run. Time and after time at the Alliance conference, and again at the Green Party conference, speakers recounted who had approached them and got them involved. The power of the personal invitation. Stand for council and be a part of building a better …

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Uno Duce, Una Voce-NI21 and the Basil Show

| Readers 116

When I attended the NI21 launch on that hot night in June 2013, I was impressed with the calibre of the people in the room and the buzz of the MAC. For a moment I thought, jeepers I could be witnessing the birth of a new political force here. The only thing I thought that could possibly go wrong for the party would be is if it became the Basil McCrea show and he dominated every aspect of the party’s …

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