Parties

A problem with presentation?.. or content?

Pete Baker on September 23, 2005, 5:48 pm

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Sinn Féin published the official text of Gerry Adams’ speech to party members in South Armagh yesterday.. and cautioned to “Check against delivery”. Fortunately the Irish Times’s Gerry Moriarty did just that[subs req], and noted some interesting divergence from the script.From the Irish Times report – Senior republican sources have insisted the historic importance of the July statement has been underestimated and Mr Adams in again departing from his script last night developed this theme. “This is something that in …

Unified in opposition

Pete Baker on September 20, 2005, 9:59 pm

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The Belfast Telegraph reports on a rare example of politicians here, from all parties, setting their ideological differences aside to criticise the government’s anti-poverty strategy.. or, rather, the lack of a strategy. The campaign which united them is Enough is Enough, organised by NICVA. Poverty, eh? Down with that sort of thing. Pete Baker

Buying into the charade

Pete Baker on September 19, 2005, 9:26 pm

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In a further occasional article for Slate.com, Scott MacMillan looks again at the developing situation here and sees unionists[of various hues], in addition to witnessing a failure of political leadership, learning from “a public-relations campaign on the part of IRA leaders”.He concludes by pointing out that the PR campaign, culminating in the IRA’s July statement, relied heavily on the reaction to that statement from the British and Irish Governments – In fact, the IRA’s July statement was no breakthrough: It …

The Northern Bank robbery – it hasn’t gone away

Pete Baker on September 18, 2005, 7:12 pm

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We’ll have to wait until Thursday to actually see the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation into The Big Heist – as they refer to the Northern Bank robbery – an investigation carried out by journalist and author Kevin Toolis. But several of the Sunday papers carry reports on the allegations contained in the programme – Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Sunday Business Post and the Sunday Life. Interestingly they each focus on slightly different aspects of the programme.The Sunday Business Post focuses …

Make Tacky Jingoist Political Campaigns History…

Belfast Gonzo on September 10, 2005, 11:33 am

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NO sooner was the Shankill Mirror (still not updated online) off the presses announcing the Love Ulster campaign than Martin McGuinness steps up to present the equally catchy Make Partition History campaign. With total decommissioning imminent (if not already complete), this should convince republican doubters – how can it be surrender when everyone is celebrating? At least it’s guaranteed to get better press than Love Ulster did. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

“I can tell you all the things they’re against”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2005, 4:04 pm

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Both the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times note the comments of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in an interview yesterday. As the IE reports, when asked whether he saw any circumstances in which Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin would form a coalition, he replied firmly: “No, I don’t.”The Irish Times report the Fianna Fáil leader’s comments here – Mr Ahern said he believed Sinn Féin was on the way towards embracing totally peaceful means. But their economic policy was “the length …

Mixed messages over murder…

Belfast Gonzo on September 2, 2005, 6:01 pm

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THE DUP’S Ruth Patterson put forward a motion in Belfast City Council last night expressing sympathy to the family of UVF murder victim Craig McCausland (20) and urging politicians to urge anyone with information to contact the police. Councillor David Ervine of the PUP (which has links to the UVF) left the council chamber before the vote, while Sinn Fein abstained on the vote, saying it was politically motivated. It may well have been, but who should witnesses contact if …

Clarke’s a Tory rogue..!

Belfast Gonzo on August 31, 2005, 6:43 am

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KEN Clarke is to make another bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Do you find him appealing? Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

The new “us’uns”…

Belfast Gonzo on August 25, 2005, 8:18 am

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REPUBLICANS have been exploring the possibility of tapping into the growing foreign worker vote in order to strengthen their political position, the News Letter has reported. Sinn Fein MLA for Newry and Armagh, Davy Hyland, said: “There certainly are large numbers of them here in Newry. I passed a house recently where about 50 were having a party and, as they are mostly Catholic, they are more sympathetic to the nationalist outlook.” Who says republicans can’t be prejudiced?! Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com

Could DU(P) better…

Belfast Gonzo on August 19, 2005, 2:27 am

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THE DUP is still coming under fire for not doing enough to combat sectarian attacks in the Ballymena area, and with a loyalist parade in Rasharkin tomorrow night, more trouble is expected from the knuckledraggers behind the violence. Concerned about future republican activity, the DUP is saying plenty about the imminent demise of the RIR and police station closures. Yet it has said comparatively little about those who present the biggest threat to both its unionist voters and Catholic constituents …

manipulating public opinion

Pete Baker on August 10, 2005, 4:14 pm

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The Irish Times editorial today follows up on its, generally overlooked elsewhere, report yesterday in which Gerry Adams’ chief spokesman [Gerry’s on holiday dontchaknow] admitted that Adams was wrong when he claimed that the Taoiseach had given a commitment that “MPs elected in the six counties will be able to speak in the Dáil”.. a claim which Ahern corrected, as noted here.. they had to unspin the admission though – SF admits Adams wrong on Dáil speaking rights “Perhaps Gerry …

“a sophisticated, resourceful and multi-million-dollar criminal enterprise”

Pete Baker on August 1, 2005, 6:17 pm

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When Ed Moloney gave his initial reaction to the IRA statement, on RTE’s News at One he was met with a barrage of ad hominem attacks from SF ally Niall O’Dowd and, more particularly, former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds – listen here. Moloney expanded on the theme in an Irish Examiner article the following day, and the Sunday Herald carried another astute article by him yesterday “No matter what was in the IRA statement of this week, there can be little …

Sinn Fein special website…

Mick Fealty on July 29, 2005, 3:21 pm

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Sinn Fein have upped their game online with this peace process special site. It has statements from them, the two governments and other players. We’ve no idea how long it will be up there, but we hope that whatever replaces it will keep some of the simplicity of this one. 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 …

Playing The Process

Pete Baker on July 28, 2005, 10:38 pm

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The BBC’s political correspondent Martina Purdy has an astute assessment of how Sinn Féin have played The Process to date, and how they will likely continue to play it – Go read it – As I noted yesterday, the processing will continue. Pete Baker

Adams continues the hype

Pete Baker on July 28, 2005, 4:20 pm

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The Press Association have Gerry Adams’ statement in advance of a 4pm press conference – already attempting to shift the focus onto others – meanwhile RTE report that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is “broadly happy” with the Provisional Movement’s statement.. We continue to wait. Pete Baker

“a ball of smoke”

Pete Baker on July 27, 2005, 6:47 pm

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I hadn’t looked at the Irish Times when I posted my earlier comment today, but I see Vincent Browne, sort of, agrees. From his opinion piece in today’s Irish Times – The IRA is not going to disband. The IRA is not going to end what is called criminal activity, not for now anyway. The IRA may decommission most of its weapons but it will retain some. From Vincent Browne’s opinion piece in today’s Irish Times – The IRA is …

Waiting for Gerry

Pete Baker on July 27, 2005, 3:50 pm

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As the hype continues, RTE, BBC, etc.. The Guardian’s Ireland correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, sums up the situation well. But timing is everything and many remain cautious. The republican machine prides itself on news management. It would not want to make its historic announcement when it was not guaranteed to top the news agenda. Having often bombed London, the IRA does not now want to be associated with Islamist suicide bombers or risk seeing its groundbreaking announcement relegated to a paragraph …

Legislate in haste, repent, REPENT! at leisure…

Belfast Gonzo on July 22, 2005, 6:42 pm

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THE DUP has been taking quite an interest in the new Anti-Terrorism Bill. Jeffrey Donaldson wants phone tap evidence to be made admissible as evidence in court. But Jim Shannon has other concerns. He believes that “laws to be rushed through by the Government in the wake of the London bombings could effectively outlaw open-air evangelism“. Could anti-terror laws really mean the end for the manic street preachers that do our heads in? God only knows how many lost souls …

Double standard of the week…

Belfast Gonzo on July 20, 2005, 11:03 pm

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YESTERDAY, former Assembly Public Accounts Committee chairman Billy Bell complained strongly about the “callous penny pinching and indifference shown towards the elderly” by the Government. Bell is furious that it refuses to pay the full economic cost of caring for the elderly – fair enough. But one wonders why Bell voted AGAINST free personal care for older people when he was a member of the devolved government at Stormont in June 2002. Alliance’s Kieran McCarthy takes Bell to task for …

Sluggerette gets UUP position…

Belfast Gonzo on July 19, 2005, 8:13 pm

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CONGRATULATIONS to Slugger contributor Rebecca Black, who has been appointed by Sir Red Empey to be an assistant to the UUP’s new education spokesman, David McNarry, who had previously contended for the party leadership. Belfast Gonzosluggerotoole.com