Parties – Page 49 – Slugger O'Toole

“It is highly unlikely that channel will get any airing in San Sebastián this week.”

Pete Baker on October 19, 2011, 6:41 pm

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As of yet, there’s been no response from Basque terrorist group ETA to the declaration by the great and the good Former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan, former Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Bruntland, Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Former French Minister, Pierre Joxe, International Representative for west Belfast Louth, Gerry Adams, TD, and… ermm… his sometime speech-writer, Tony Blair’s former Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell. That’s despite it being what the BBC described as a “carefully choreographed” event. Not that I’d expect …

“There are sometimes occasions when frank disagreements arise between states…”

Pete Baker on October 17, 2011, 11:20 pm

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After meeting with the Finucane family to discuss the UK government’s decision “to conduct an independent review to produce a full public account of any state involvement in the murder”, rather than open an inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act, UTV reports Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore’s comments Speaking after a meeting with the Finucane family on Monday afternoon he said: “There are sometimes occasions when frank disagreements arise between states. “This is one on this occasion.” …… Mr …

“It was only since the presidential campaign got under way…”

Pete Baker on October 12, 2011, 5:47 pm

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As RTÉ reported on Monday, the Sinn Féin candidate in the Irish Presidential race, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, found himself confronted, and called “a liar”, by the son of a member of the Irish Army who was killed in Ballinamore in 1983 by the Provisional IRA gang who were holding the kidnapped businessman Don Tidey. The full RTÉ video clip is available here. As Anthony McIntyre observes Looking at the incident from where I sat the presidential candidate was caught unawares by what he thought was …

“If elected president, does Mr Higgins plan to expand the review section?”

Pete Baker on October 12, 2011, 12:46 pm

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In his Irish Times’ Irishman’s Diary Frank McNally pre-empted John’s complaint with some questions about Irish Presidential candidate Michael D Higgins’ dubious past. From the Irish Times As the presidential campaign grew dirtier, it was inevitable that, sooner or later, somebody would raise the poetry issue. No surprise that the somebody was Gay Mitchell. The Fine Gael man is politically descended from a long line of philistines, including Kevin O’Higgins, who established an early precedent for this kind of thing …

GCSE reform: “It is unlikely that the Minister’s decision on this issue would stop the current position…”

Pete Baker on October 10, 2011, 5:25 pm

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In June this year the UK Government’s Education Secretary, Michael Gove, welcomed Ofqual’s proposals for making changes for GCSE courses and, on 27 September, a consultation was launched on changes to the current GCSE specifications in England. Today the Northern Ireland Education Minister, Sinn Féin’s John O’Dowd, launched a consultation on on making the same changes to current GCSE specifications here. In England the consultation ends on 4 November, here it continues until 30 December. According to the Northern Ireland consultation document [pdf file] It is …

Public sector pensions: “we didn’t think they would make the decision behind closed doors.”

Pete Baker on October 7, 2011, 4:21 pm

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The news that the Northern Ireland Executive agreed a blanket increase of 3.2 per cent in public-sector pension contributions at a meeting last month, but failed to mention the fact, has led to the Unite union regional secretary, Jimmy Kelly, accusing the NI Executive and Assembly of acting “in a cowardly fashion”. From today’s Irish News Jimmy Kelly, Irish regional secretary, hit out at what he described as “the underhand decision” not to publicise news of the increase which only came …

Where is the Fianna Fail vote going in #Aras11?

Mick Fealty on October 5, 2011, 10:56 pm

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This has just come up as an off topic conversation on another thread. Whilst the Red C poll gives a good idea of where the candidates where just before the campaign began, it does tell us where the core vote of each of the parties is going. Both Sinn Fein and Labour candidates were up on their parties poll showing, whilst Fine Gael was spectacularly down. But given none of the four other candidates are representatives of political parties, it …

In “the spirit of co-operation…”

Pete Baker on October 5, 2011, 4:35 pm

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As the dust settled on the Northern Ireland Assembly elections in May, the BBC reported Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness said that he wanted to see “more realism” from the UUP and SDLP. “I would like to see those parties as well as the Alliance Party working in the spirit of co-operation,” he said. “If Peter Robinson and I can work together, then surely all of those parties can work with us.” If “those parties as well as the Alliance Party” …

“I wouldn’t suggest that the executive’s programme for government is quite so meaningless…”

Pete Baker on October 5, 2011, 2:01 pm

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The once and future Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, and Sinn Féin’s candidate in the Irish Presidential race, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, is keen to promote his “strong track record in seeking Foreign Direct Investment, leading important Trade Missions and attracting investment and jobs”. But, as Mark Devenport highlights from the leaked draft programme for government, [as with so many things… – Ed] that’s only half the story. However, glancing at the draft obtained this week by my colleague Martina Purdy, you …

Martin McGuinness: “but it bears all kinds of sinister connotations…”

Pete Baker on October 3, 2011, 10:41 pm

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There was a bizarre interruption in the Irish Times interview with the Sinn Fein candidate in the Irish Presidential race, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA. From the Irish Times report TEN MINUTES into our interview, Martin McGuinness is beginning to set out how he’s been around a long time, when a shadow falls across the table. We turn around and a large, hirsute man looms above, shaking a camán and warning, “You’d better not ask any hard questions.” A smile as …

“If you act and work as Conservative in all but name, why not be Conservative?”

Mick Fealty on October 3, 2011, 12:45 pm

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The Dissenter has a got a nice piece breaking down the latest ruction inside the Northern Ireland Conservatives… He exams the case being made by some for changing the name of the party, and concludes: The electorate is not stupid and will look for substance over presentation, a unity of purpose in moving forward and a principle and policy that is coherent, credible and meaningful to them by values (usually historical/familial), present circumstances and future aspiration for themselves and their …

“Come back John Wilkes. Your work is about to be undone. Politicians are losing the plot.”

Pete Baker on September 27, 2011, 2:52 pm

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Well, some politicians. Specifically, the Labour Party’s shadow culture secretary, Ivan Lewis, MP, who is calling for suggesting a register of professional journalists. So they can be “struck off” if they transgress. As Roy Greenslade comments Lewis and the cheering delegates in Liverpool need to understand the danger of their position. Look at the contradiction at the heart of Lewis’s crowd-pleasing speech. At one point he said: “In Britain, a free press is non-negotiable.” At another, when demanding “a new …

Stay classy, Carál…

Pete Baker on September 21, 2011, 8:05 pm

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Good heavens! You’re the culture minister… UTV has the censored version. And here’s the other half of the “satirical exchange”. Pete Baker

Alex Maskey: “this particular development is a little bit interesting but it’s certainly not one that I would support.”

Pete Baker on September 21, 2011, 6:54 pm

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The short BBC report on the police being attacked with fireworks in the Markets area of Belfast last night, as they investigated the shooting of a 20-year-old man in the legs, has few details to go on. UTV, on the other hand, have a straight-foward statement, condemning both incidents, from local Alliance Councillor Catherine Curran, and something odd from Sinn Féin MLA, Alex Maskey. Mr Maskey explained the initial incident. “Two people went to a house and asked for an individual by Christian …

“Sinn Féin controls our area…”

Pete Baker on September 21, 2011, 4:23 pm

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Here’s an interesting report from the Sunday World, transcribed on Newshound. It starts by noting complaints from some parents in the Derrybeg Estate, Newry, that they were misled by Sinn Féin into sending their children on a PSNI sponsored trip. A mother-of-two told Sunday World: “Sinn Féin members knocked doors asking if we wanted to send our kids on a two-day trip to Co Tyrone. They didn’t tell us the PSNI was helping fund it. “I was suspicious and refused but other parents …

“McKee — booted out of the IRA in 2004…”

Pete Baker on September 21, 2011, 2:27 pm

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The BBC reported yesterday on the sentencing, for four and a half years each, of three men, Paul Braniff, Michael Kearney and Eugene McKee, after they pleaded guilty to a single count of blackmail. They were part of a gang which had threatened the businessman with releasing a video of a “personal nature” to the press. The report adds Judge Lynch revealed that Braniff has almost 200 previous criminal convictions and that while most are for road traffic offences, he has been …

Martin McGuinness: “I wasn’t a member of the IRA when that happened…”

Pete Baker on September 19, 2011, 6:51 pm

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Sinn Féin’s candidate in the Irish Presidential election, Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, told RTÉ’s This Week programme yesterday that “If people want to examine my record, let them examine my record. I stand on my record.” But not before McGuinness declined the invitation by Colm O’Mongain for full disclosure of his role in the Provisional IRA, and quoting Tony Blair, [but not Jonathan Powell? – Ed] and citing meetings with US Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, and, of course, Nelson Mandela. …

“When you’re a political party you have to act like a political party…”

Pete Baker on September 19, 2011, 4:46 pm

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Fianna Fáil may have their own problems at the moment but, before Sinn Féin showed its hand on the presential election, Fianna Fáil party leader Micheál Martin was telling some home truths about the performance of the Northern Ireland Executive. The former Minister for Foreign Affairs said he had first hand experience of how poorly Sinn Fein had performed in the Northern Ireland Executive. He said: “Just look at Sinn Fein’s performance in government in Northern Ireland, it’s been pretty …

Adams Proposes McGuinness to be Sinn Féin Candidate for Áras

Pete Baker on September 16, 2011, 5:23 pm

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Which would seem to guarantee that the current Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, will be the party’s candidate in the Irish Presidential election. I have to say that I didn’t believe the rumours, but RTÉ are quoting the Sinn Féin president, and Louth TD, Gerry Adams “This is a time of great challenge for all the people of Ireland. We need positive but authentic leadership. It will be a great honour for me to propose …

“the scheme was poorly planned, badly managed and did not provide good value for money”

Pete Baker on September 16, 2011, 2:50 pm

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We’ve already seen the Northern Ireland Audit Office report criticising the NI Department of Agriculture’s handling of the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme – the largest capital grant scheme ever run by the Department of Agriculture, through which some 4000 farmers received grants worth £121million. Now the BBC have reported that a draft report from the NI Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, due to be published in 3 weeks time, will be equally damning. From the BBC report It is expected to conclude that …