Parties – Page 26 – Slugger O'Toole

So you want to start a political party…what now?

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on January 4, 2015, 1:30 pm

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What do the DUP, PUP, NI21, Protestant Coalition, NI Conservatives, TUV, UKIP, Irish Republican Socialist Party, Workers Party, SDLP, 32 County Sovereignty Movement, Alliance, Socialist Party, Green Party, Socialist Workers Party, People Before Profit & the Workers Party of Ireland have in common? Every single one of the mentioned parties have formed from another party. In fact there is not a single party currently registered in Northern Ireland that didn’t exist prior to the troubles (or possibly even world war …

“The brinkmanship that seems inescapable on such occasions has become self-indulgent and self-important too”

Pete Baker on December 31, 2014, 3:57 pm

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The Guardian’s editorial on the Stormont House Agreement has some pertinent things to note about Northern Ireland’s latest deal. Although, if, as they claim, “the glass is half-full” it is also, by definition, half-empty. From the Guardian editorial The talks came very close, after 11 weeks of discussion, to falling apart, as earlier efforts under the chairmanship of Richard Haass had in fact done. It is good that the same did not happen this time. Yet there is precious little else …

The star of wonder shines through the Christmas Agreement

Brian Walker on December 23, 2014, 6:46 pm

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In Northern Ireland God seems to work in mysterious ways his wonders to perform at peak moments in the Christian calendar. Sixteen years after the Good Friday ( or Belfast ) Agreement, we have the Christmas ( or Stormont House) Agreement. Behind the details the main features are: Apparently genuine efforts by the parties to end deadlock by tackling it through a highly ambitious, comprehensive agenda . Against expectations, the dam seems to have broken. Regular monitoring of the conduct of the …

On Welfare and the Budget, reality for Stormont is acceptable

Brian Walker on December 20, 2014, 1:42 pm

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Only the rashest observer would claim that s/he has a complete understanding of the complexities of welfare payments and reform and the other details of the negotiations that are said to be reaching a climax. My feeling is that they are less about negotiations and more about accepting realities they can live with. On welfare and other public expenditure issues it hardly came as a surprise that most local politicians – and not only Sinn Fein – at first adopted …

Outsourcing solutions may be the secret of dealing with more than the past

Brian Walker on December 19, 2014, 4:42 pm

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Well, perhaps amid the encircling gloom the political parties have seen some light at last. The details of the agreement on welfare reform are awaited but it looks as if any new money will come from Westminster mainly to deal with the past which is surely fair. Adds: United Executive request for a total of £2.1 billion over 10 years. Quite a gap with David Cameron’s £1 billion extra borrowing.. but perhaps smoke and mirrors will narrow it once the welfare deal surfaces. Nothing from that …

Time for other parties to break Executive ranks as Sinn Fein sacrifices northern interests for southern ambitions

Brian Walker on December 18, 2014, 5:56 pm

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Following on from Mick, let’s begin by making the best possible case for Sinn Fein, the party which seems the most intransigent in the inter- party talks. The Conservatives’ strategy for the next five years to a produce budget surplus of £23 billion by 2019-20 is probably unsustainable, unless the rate of growth picks up dramatically. Why tamely accept it? By contrast Labour’s plan to balance only current expenditure would result in a continuing deficit of £25 billion over …

What Stormont must do to convince Cameron to up his offer

Brian Walker on December 17, 2014, 3:32 pm

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Are the political parties still hoping that David Cameron will turn into a White Knight and Save Ulster from Austerity? What does Stormont have to do to persuade him to answer their pleas to up his offer? Among the elements are: devising a proper three year plan for the first time so as the world can see how they’re spending mainly GB public money; and even more difficult, to hold out at least the prospect of following the Republic in …

Assembly reform without real change in political outlook means little

Brian Walker on December 16, 2014, 6:53 pm

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The reform ideas for the beleaguered Stormont Assembly disclosed by the BBC are well intentioned. but they’re the wrong treatment on the wrong diagnosis, as the disease is the failure of our politicians to work together effectively. Note that they’re being put forward by the British government five months ahead of the deadline of May set for the Assembly and Executive Review Committee to produce reform agreements. Westminster is at last showing a little initiative. On subject after subject – …

There Is No Alternative! (to Casement Park development plan) – Redux

Pete Baker on December 15, 2014, 4:30 pm

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Belfast High Court has ruled that the decision to grant planning permission for the controversial £70million redevelopment of Casement Park in west Belfast was “fundamentally flawed”. However, Mr Justice Horner did not quash the decision, and will take further submissions from lawyers for the Department of the Environment, the GAA and the residents group who mounted the legal challenge before ruling on what the alternative actually is. From the Irish Times report The overall bill for the redevelopment in west Belfast has now risen …

How much leverage for Northern Ireland in murky coalition waters at Westminster?

Brian Walker on December 14, 2014, 3:16 pm

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That shrewd observer (pardon the pun) Andrew Rawnsley has been among the few, the very, very few ,to have even noticed Northern Ireland’s little governmental crisis. Not out of compassionate concern for our people or even out of fear of “a return to violence” but because of what really matters to them– who might form the next UK government and who – given no one is expecting a majority government – might support it. One option would raise a few …

Is the arrival of Cameron and Kenny more than part of a tired old ritual?

Brian Walker on December 11, 2014, 11:21 am

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The credibility and effectiveness of the devolved institutions is on the line, writes David Cameron. Sinn Féin MP Conor Murphy warned if a deal isn’t done then the Northern Executive will “crash”. “The implications are that the Executive can’t continue to function. You go into a crash and you go back to an election and let the public decide how the issues are resolved, Peter Robinson said last week. SDLP negotiator Alban Maginness, reflecting some expectations of a limited deal, …

Peter Robinson’s remarkable agility in returning to his strategic progressive vision for unionism

Mick Fealty on December 8, 2014, 1:26 pm

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In case you missed it, I’ve clipped a particularly good analytical duo from Newton Emerson and Dearbhail McDonald from yesterday’s Sunday Politics… Mc Donald makes the point that devolving corporation tax without building opportunity at home is a bit of a wasted effort… Emerson follows through by making the point that we don’t have a strategic overarching view of a cabinet government (as seen perhaps in the piecemeal way individual ministers are hawking their hawkish spending plans to the general …

Let’s All Vote

Kris Nixon (Belfast Barman) on December 4, 2014, 4:11 pm

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Peter Robinson and his party hope that soon, Stormont will take control of corporation tax… that very same institution that he recently declared as “Not fit for purpose” Join the club, there are a lot of us who feel the same…we’re waiting on a back order of membership cards, you see, the anti-Stormont membership packs are being handled by the DVLA in Swansea… Gregory Campbell said words to the effect of “we can call an election, but it will be …

Challenges to Stormont from the TUV and UKIP will (sooner or later) require a response

Mick Fealty on December 3, 2014, 9:06 am

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Whilst Gerry uses his Slugger soapbox slot (and very welcome he is too) to call for an election in the Republic, Alex Kane has been casting his eye over Northern Ireland’s insurgent unionist parties, the TUV and UKIP.. At the 2011 Assembly election, for example, the UUP won 16 seats with 87,531 votes. At the Euro election in May they got 83,438 votes (although at the council elections on the same day they pushed the tally up to 101,385). What …

New powers for Scotland threaten constitutional crisis for the UK

Brian Walker on November 29, 2014, 11:37 am

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David Cameron’s claim that the Smith report will create “a stronger Union “ rings hollow when set against his insistence that the case for English votes on English laws is “ unanswerable,” If it means that English MPs should have a veto on any measure they don’t like that a future Labour government proposes, it will create a constitutional crisis . Equally hollow sounding is Scottish Labour’s praise for a good deal from Smith on the transfer of income tax powers …

Adams and Campbell.. the essence of sectarian politics

Brian Walker on November 27, 2014, 3:23 pm

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Eamonn McCann’s analysis of the “war of words “ between Gerry Adams’ “Unionist bastards” and Gregory “toilet paper” Campbell reminds me an insight about political behaviour from the former Irish Times journalist and ex Unionist politician Frank Millar, whose regular acute observations are sorely missed. Gained by close observation in the hot house of the GFA negotiations, Frank noted that people pay far more attention to the bad behaviour of their opponents than they do to anything their own side …

#GE15: Will religion (or no religion) help decide the East Belfast race?

Paul Wyatt on November 26, 2014, 5:38 pm

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Belfast East is expected to be one of the most hotly contested seats in the upcoming General Election next May, but actually what are the chances that Naomi Long will be able to hold on to her seat after snatching it off Peter Robinson in 2010? The DUP conference has just passed and anyone who tuned in could be forgiven for thinking that they plan to pummel an almighty amount of resources into taking back east Belfast from Naomi Long, …

“that’s the trojan horse of the entire republican strategy…”

Pete Baker on November 25, 2014, 8:07 pm

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From his reported comments, it would appear that Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, the Northern Ireland Education Minister, has, at best, a flawed “understanding” of his party president’s comments last night – and, hence, a flawed “understanding” of his party’s entire strategy. From the UTV report Mr O’Dowd added that his understanding of Mr Adam’s ‘Trojan horse’ comment was that it was about overcoming bigotry, sectarianism and homophobia. He added: “There are very well fortified positions which people are protecting against …

Updated with Audio: Fracas in Fermanagh: Adams and the term “bas***ds”

David McCann on November 24, 2014, 11:25 pm

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So, Rodney Edwards decided to go along to a Sinn Fein public meeting tonight in Fermanagh where the Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams TD was speaking. Social media was set ablaze tonight when he tweeted these comments from Adams . @GerryAdamsSF on “bigotry” in unionism: “The point is to break these bastards – break them with equality. That’s the republican strategy.” listen to ‘Gerry Adams on "bigotry" in unionism: 'the point is to break these b****rds'’ on audioBoom — Rodney …

Despite the rise and rise of UKIP it remains a little confused on the matter of Northern Ireland

Jane Hardy on November 24, 2014, 9:49 am

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The more cynical political analyst might conclude there were two Monster raving loony parties standing in the Rochester and Strood byelection this week that resulted in the return to Westminster of Mark Reckless, UKIP’s second MP and a former Conservative. Standing on a ticket that was principally anti-immigration and anti-Europe – and Reckless got into deserved trouble for suggesting at the hustings that legitimate migrants from Europe and elsewhere would be sent home after staying a “fixed period”, not the …