Parties – Page 44 – Slugger O'Toole

SDLP needs a story that makes its opponents more uncomfortable than it does themselves..

Mick Fealty on May 23, 2012, 4:57 pm

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Now here’s an interesting one. Almost as interesting for where it comes from as to what it suggests… Nigel Dodds is having a go at the SDLP for taking up a number of cases concerning the fate of dissident Republicans, in particular that of Gerry McGeough… The News Letter reports: The DUP deputy leader questioned the advice being given to SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell and added: “Gerry McGeough was convicted of the attempted murder of my party colleague Sammy Brush. …

Masterplan for Girdwood: “back to the sectarian drawing board…”

Pete Baker on May 23, 2012, 2:44 pm

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The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Minsters recently announced the second round of funding, £1.5million, available from the Executive and Atlantic Philanthropies’ ‘Contested Spaces’ Programme, although I’m still not entirely clear where the other £2.5million went… The announcement, in the absence of a “Cohesion, Sharing and Integration” strategy, rebranded, and “watered down” to the “lowest commmon denominator“, or otherwise, coincides with the reveal of a new contested space the masterplan for the regeneration of the Girdwood Park former military base. [And the Crumlin …

Sinn Fein’s split political personality north and south…

Mick Fealty on May 15, 2012, 1:14 pm

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Sam Smyth on a theme that could make things tough the closer Sinn Fein gets to actual power: ie, the degree to which they have managed to avoid it in Northern Ireland: In the Northern Ireland Executive, Sinn Fein ministers have implemented swingeing spending cuts — while objecting to budget cuts from the opposition benches in the Republic. Sinn Fein has avoided the responsibilities of economic ministries in the Northern Ireland Executive, opting instead for the less controversial departments of …

“I don’t think this generation is any different than the last…”

Pete Baker on May 14, 2012, 4:33 pm

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The Guardian’s Henry McDonald reports from anarchic Londonderry on the continuing activities of vigilante group, Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD). Watch the accompanying video report here. From the Guardian report Some RAAD members are ex-Provisionals who back the peace process but still take up the gun against members of their own communities accused of antisocial activities. Others connected to RAAD have joined organisations such as the Real IRA, which is also running a campaign of terror attacks against police officers, security …

Ian Junior claimed £10,000 in postage in his six last months in office…

Mick Fealty on May 14, 2012, 9:52 am

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Hmmm… First we had Inkgate, then Inkgate II … Now it’s the DUP’s turn to answer some awkward question regarding a spot of free riding by Ian Junior this time… According to Diana Rusk in today’s Irish News that equates to about 112 letters a day… In response the North Antrim MP said that that estimate would be about right, claiming that “I get 220 letters every single days. My post bag is incredibly heavy – ask my postman.” That …

Euro crisis: “Hold your sides and laugh out loud, otherwise you’ll have to cry.”

Pete Baker on May 11, 2012, 4:33 pm

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Despite some optimistic noises overnight, it still seems more likely than not that Limbo Greece will face new elections. As the Guardian live-blog noted earlier today The Democratic left party in Greece has said it will not back a pro-bailout government. That almost certainly means that Venizelos’s attempts to form a government coalition around agreement on the bailout terms are dashed and that the country will face fresh elections In the meantime, there are still a few days left to catch eurosceptic Michael Portillo’s …

Euro crisis: “Hollande is man of the moment, but Europe’s gaze is firmly fixed on Athens”

Pete Baker on May 8, 2012, 4:49 pm

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As the Irish Times’ Arthur Beesley notes All of this puts Hollande’s push to renegotiate the treaty in the shade. German chancellor Angela Merkel was quick to rebut her new French partner yesterday, but that can be read as the opening gambit. Her staunch ally Nicolas Sarkozy has been deposed. She has no choice but to work with the new tenant. The Merkozy days are over. In Brussels, the expectation remains that some form of an amendment will be conjured …

“Police will consider the comments made by Judge Weir…”

Pete Baker on May 5, 2012, 4:18 pm

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They should, because it’s good advice. From a Belfast Telegraph report Mr Justice Weir criticised the PSNI for relying on advice from unelected community spokesmen. The judge claimed that he had a “considerable sense of unease” concerning the credence that had been given to views from certain groups or individuals. “The police would do very well to distance themselves from them, rather than getting in with them,” said Judge Weir. A report in the Irish News has some more detail Initially …

“RAAD was founded in 2008 by members and recent ex-members of the Provisional IRA in Derry…”

Pete Baker on May 4, 2012, 1:22 pm

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With Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) claiming responsibility for recent shootings and threats in anarchic Londonderry, in the Belfast Telegraph Eamonn McCann provides some clarity on the vigilante group’s background. News reports which have lumped RAAD in with the Real IRA or Continuity IRA are wide of the mark and a source of confusion. RAAD was founded in 2008 by members and recent ex-members of the Provisional IRA in Derry. It made its ‘debut’ in April the following year, admitting responsibility …

“Over the next fortnight the black flag of anarchy will fly over Free Derry Corner…”

Pete Baker on May 2, 2012, 12:42 pm

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As a Belfast Telegraph report tells us Over the next fortnight the black flag of anarchy will fly over Free Derry Corner… It’s been flying there for some time… Pete Baker

“since last February, we have facilitated the forced departure of 57 young people…”

Pete Baker on April 30, 2012, 12:30 pm

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To be filed alongside the report of the 18-year-old shot in both legs in the Creggan estate in Londonderry. While his mother waited at the top of the lane… According to the Irish Times headline – “Five forced to flee Derry city after death threats“. Except… From the report A DERRY community worker who helps young people who have been threatened by the vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs, said yesterday that five young men were forced to flee the …

“They seek to intimidate and bully through the threat of violence…”

Pete Baker on April 27, 2012, 3:41 pm

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Given the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggot’s current concern about certain communities, and confidence, the BBC report on the 18-year-old shot in both legs in the Creggan estate in Londonderry on Thursday night is worth noting. From the BBC report His mother was told to take him to the location, and waited at the top of a lane while he was shot twice. “I know what happened was wrong but hopefully he’ll get help,” she said. The dissident group Republican …

NI Attorney General: “Citizens are entitled to have confidence in the administration of justice”

Pete Baker on April 25, 2012, 4:22 pm

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Conveniently, neither the Northern Ireland First or deputy First Ministers, nor either of their juniors, were available to the NI Assembly on Monday to answer Jim Allister’s pointed question on their continued confidence, or otherwise, in the “statutorily independent” NI Attorney General, John Larkin. [As open and transparent as possible! – Ed] There’s been no such reticence from others. The NI Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, has criticised the cost of the Attorney General’s contempt of court proceedings against the former Secretary of …

Euro crisis: “It is nice to have a big umbrella…”

Pete Baker on April 23, 2012, 5:04 pm

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The Guardian’s Economics blog starts with an interesting observation Those who watched Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the spring meeting of the International Monetary Fund a year ago say he played a blinder. Although he was to leave Washington under a cloud shortly afterwards, DSK impressed with his no-nonsense approach to his fellow Europeans. The IMF‘s managing director asked Jean-Claude Trichet, then president of the European Central Bank (ECB), and Christine Lagarde, at the time France’s finance minister, who they thought they …

“At present persons granted an Irish visa are not permitted to use that visa to travel to the UK.”

Pete Baker on April 23, 2012, 2:36 pm

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Not that we didn’t already know that… However, the Northern Ireland Tourism Minister, the DUP’s Arlene Foster, fielded a number of NI Assembly questions back in Feb/March on the issue of the Irish Government’s “Visa Waiver Scheme for nationals of 16 countries who hold a valid visa for entry into the United Kingdom.” Here is one of her answers I discussed this issue with Hugo Swire, NIO Minister of State last month. The Republic of Ireland, ROI, introduced a visa …

“They are conversations – they are not negotiations, they are not mediation…”

Pete Baker on April 20, 2012, 5:03 pm

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With the draconian approach of the elected representatives in Sinn Féin and the DUP abandoned, and long-forgotten, the extant Parades Commission have appointed a trio of intermediaries to have ‘conversations’ with unidentified others in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast. From the BBC report Lord Alderdice is involved in the initiative, along with the Holy Cross priest Father Gary Donegan and the former Presbyterian Moderator, the Reverend Norman Hamilton. He admits there is no guarantee of success. Dr Hamilton said: “The Parades …

“…involved in criminal activity of any sort within G District from July 1, 2010 to July 28, 2011”

Pete Baker on April 20, 2012, 2:53 pm

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Given the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggot’s current concern about certain communities, and confidence, here’s a Londonderry Sentinel report that may be of relevance. It relates to an incident in the city in August 2010 which, at the time, was blamed on dissenting republicans. From the Sentinel report At the time locals said that around 20 masked men appeared in the Campion Court area having disembarked from a white van. They began to remove materials intended for use at a bonfire …

Lough Neagh: “It’s not for sale.”

Pete Baker on April 20, 2012, 1:44 pm

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The Northern Ireland Assembly may have picked up the curio Mick noted, and agreed to set up a working group “to explore and pursue actively the potential for a cross-departmental approach to bring Lough Neagh back into public ownership.” But, as the Belfast Telegraph reports, they failed to inform the current owner, Lord Shaftesbury, of their intentions In a statement yesterday, the 12th earl, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper (left), revealed that the decision of the Assembly on Tuesday was “unexpected”. The Shaftesbury estate said it …

“Even in South Armagh, where boundaries of currency and diesel colour may also be blurred…”

Pete Baker on April 19, 2012, 2:45 pm

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Also in the Irish Times, Frank McNally magnificently tackles the recent kerfuffle over northerners non-eligibility to enter Iarnród Éireann’s Euro 2012 competition. [Does Slugger get a mention? – Ed] Oh yes… From today’s An Irishman’s Diary …as someone who grew up in one of only three counties in the Republic devoid of a rail service, I have more than average sympathy for Michael Fisher’s point. After all – leaving questions of national allegiance aside for a moment – I would …

OFMDFM: “We welcome our friendship with the Peoples Republic of China…”

Pete Baker on April 19, 2012, 1:15 pm

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In the Irish Times, David Adams takes issue with the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers’ “kowtowing last week to a visiting delegation from China”. On Slugger, Patrick focused on some of the propaganda aspects of the visit, and the OFMDFM press releases during the visit should probably be noted at that point. From the Irish Times article Yet one either believes in the inalienability and universality of fundamental rights, or one does not. It really is that simple. If the former is …