Parties – Page 50 – Slugger O'Toole

“David Ford’s department is like Jurassic Park.”

Pete Baker on September 12, 2011, 8:53 pm

| Readers 10

Apparently, according to BBC NI’s Martina Purdy, Sinn Féin’s Gerry Kelly, MLA, Northern Ireland Junior Minister Policing Board member, gave “a fiery speech on the Police Ombudsman” at the party’s ard fheis at the weekend. It’s not listed in the party’s collection… [Added by AlaninBelfast …] In the Irish News today, Diana Rusk says he went “off script” when telling the Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, that he “must face down the dinosaurs” in the PSNI. Being “off script” might explain why Gerry Kelly seems to have borrowed his …

“A very unlikely setting to prepare for unity!”

Pete Baker on September 12, 2011, 12:23 am

| Readers 6

Alex Kane on Sinn Féin’s ‘historic’ Ard Fheis in Belfast. It was an altogether different bunch of rebels last night, an army of united-Irelands, many of whom had travelled a very long way (maybe even passing Prince Charles as he visited this part of his future kingdom) to debate, among other things, a motion calling for the ‘practical planning for Irish unity to begin now’. The conference programme may have referred to the six counties, but the reality was that …

CJINI report: “Independence is not an absolute.”

Pete Baker on September 5, 2011, 4:06 pm

| Readers 16

Alan’s put up a general post on the CJINI report on the NI Police Ombudsman’s independence – although the BBC headline may be premature, unless someone else is briefing them… Full report available here. We already knew of problems within senior management at the Ombudsman’s Office. And the CJINI key recommendation – “that the investigation into historical cases should be suspended until the Strategic Plan for the Historical Investigations Directorate has been adequately resourced and becomes fully operational” – will be welcome news to Al …

No official Fianna Fáil candidate for Irish Presidential election

Pete Baker on August 31, 2011, 8:02 pm

| Readers 2

As recommended by the party’s six member sub-committee on the issue, and with Gay Byrne not accepting the invite [and Micháel Ó Muircheartaigh? – Ed], Fianna Fáil have confirmed they will not be putting forward a candidate in this year’s Irish Presidential election. But they reserve the option to back someone else. [If anyone will accept that endorsement? – Ed] You might very well think that… In the Irish Times Harry McGee adds Speaking at a press conference after the …

“We now realise that wasn’t a brilliant idea…”

Pete Baker on August 30, 2011, 4:57 pm

| Readers 462

Newshound transcribes a Sunday World report on the recent removal of a ‘women in struggle’ wall mural at Rockmount Street, Belfast, and its controversial replacement – an advert for Northern Property, a Falls Road-based estate agency. From the report Tony Donnelly, director of Northern Property, said his office had been inundated with calls about the mural’s removal. He said it had been taken down by Sinn Féin and his company had then erected its ad separately. “We now realise that wasn’t a brilliant idea …

Quote of the day: “Isn’t this where you used to meet Gerry Adams?”

Pete Baker on August 29, 2011, 12:17 am

| Readers 97

From David Hare’s spy drama Page Eight, broadcast tonight on BBC2. A senior MI5 officer, Johnny Worricker, played by Bill Nighy, is investigating the sudden death of his close friend, and Director General of MI5, Benedict Baron [Michael Gambon]. In the aftermath of the death, a journalist, Rollo Maverley [Ewen Bremner], who is also an MI5 operative paid to release information into the public domain, arranges a meeting at an anonymous motorway diner. The following exchange takes place. [Johnny Worricker]: ” A ‘Road House’? Rather a come-down isn’t it? …

“That is just the sort of old boy’s network…”

Pete Baker on August 26, 2011, 11:45 pm

| Readers 15

Given the latest controversy at the intersection of politics and policing, it’s worth pointing to Liam Clark’s comments on a previous disagreement over operational matters. From the Belfast Telegraph article In a modern democracy, politicians are expected to allow the police the operational independence to follow up whatever leads come up – even if many of them turn out to be false. The alternative would be for detectives to ring up senior politicians and to ask which suspects could be vouched for …

Ó Muircheartaigh: “I never said I was interested in being a candidate”

Pete Baker on August 26, 2011, 3:44 pm

| Readers 10

GAA commentator Micháel Ó Muircheartaigh echoes Gay Byrne in ruling himself out of the race for the Áras. From the Irish Times report Mr Ó Muircheartaigh last night announced that he would not be putting himself forward as a candidate but that he was honoured to be asked to run. Speaking this morning, Mr Ó Muircheartaigh (81) said he had been approached by members of a number of political parties – which he declined to name – but that he …

“there are these enormous delays and they are holding up cases at all levels”

Pete Baker on August 24, 2011, 3:27 pm

| Readers 5

The BBC reports comments by senior judge, Mr Justice Hart, criticising the lack of “properly resourced” and “properly organised” forensic science facilities in Northern Ireland. From the BBC report The judge said: “There is an entirely unacceptable and unjustified and indeed gross delay on the part of the relevant authorities in dealing with the analysis of what is alleged to be in this instance cannabis. “I’m not in any way seeking to attach blame to individuals concerned, but there is …

Where’s Stormont’s incentive for being good at Politics…?

Mick Fealty on August 22, 2011, 10:21 pm

| Readers 19

I noticed a tweet from Eamonn earlier on noting how both Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness managed to keep their holidays intact whilst David Cameron had no such luck. It’s been a strange inversion of past realities to see the British PM running to keep up with the multiple crises besetting his country, whilst our boys take it easy in Florida, or by some fast flowing river in Donegal. Spare a thought too for Enda Kenny et al, whose feet …

“it is a distant aspiration that fails to motivate anything other than occasional nostalgia”

Pete Baker on August 15, 2011, 4:28 pm

| Readers 78

The News Letter reports some interesting quotes from former senior Provisional IRA member, now an organiser of the Independent Workers’ Union, Tommy McKearney’s new book – The Provisional IRA: From Insurrection to Parliament. From the News Letter report The ardent socialist, who now organises the Independent Workers’ Union, says that Sinn Fein has become increasingly right wing as it has gone further and further into government at Stormont, where, he argues, “contrary to talk of power-sharing, the [Stormont] administration is almost …

Front-runner bows out before race to Áras begins

Pete Baker on August 13, 2011, 2:52 pm

| Readers 4

Front-runner in the most recent poll of potential candidates for Irish President, Gay Byrne, has told RTÉ News that he will not be entering the race. From the RTÉ report Describing it as a ‘worthy objective’, he sent best wishes to all the other candidates in the race and anyone else who may enter it. Mr Byrne said there was no particular reason why he had decided not to run. He said the option of running was foisted on him and …

Quick. Look busy…

Pete Baker on August 8, 2011, 2:18 pm

| Readers 5

Whether you’re the UK Home Secretary keen to be seen to be responding to riots on the streets of London, or the Northern Ireland Finance Minister calling a local “emergency meeting” about a global financial crisis. Appearances are everything… [Until someone asks a “stupid” question – Ed] Indeed. Pete Baker

Raymond McCartney: “There is no-one trying to pretend…”

Pete Baker on August 4, 2011, 3:31 pm

| Readers 125

On yesterday’s BBC Radio Ulster’s Talkback, Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney was adamant that he was the author of an opinion piece which appeared, in his name, in the Derry Journal on 19th July. An opinion piece which re-appeared, word for word, in the Fermanagh Herald on the 20 July, as a letter to the editor from Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew, MP, MLA, and in the Mourne Observer on the 27 July, as a letter to the editor from Sinn Féin’s Willie Clarke, …

David Ford: “as minister my decision has to be bound by the best professional advice I can be given.”

Pete Baker on August 4, 2011, 11:23 am

| Readers 38

Having met with various interested parties, and despite the advice from Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, David Ford, has rejected calls to free former Provisional IRA member Brendan Lillis on compassionate grounds. From the BBC report Mr Ford said he had taken “an active interest” in the case and had sought additional independent medical advice. However, he said while it was within his power to free Mr Lillis, he had been advised that there were not sufficient grounds for …

McGuinness: “I trust that David Ford will take the right decision…”

Pete Baker on August 2, 2011, 7:27 pm

| Readers 23

Having interfered in an ongoing police investigation last week, this week the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA, doubles up by giving the NI Justice Minster, David Ford, some legal advice. From the BBC report “There can be no doubt that Brendan Lillis is seriously ill and does not represent a threat to anyone,” Mr McGuinness said. “The decision of the British Secretary of State Owen Paterson to revoke the licence of Brendan Lillis is …

Norris abandons Irish presidency bid

Pete Baker on August 2, 2011, 4:36 pm

| Readers 13

Having more than survived the re-emergence of controversial comments in a ten-year-old interview, independent Senator David Norris’ presidential hopes were scuppered when his campaign team resigned after being surprised by a 1997 letter to the Israeli courts pleading for clemency for his former partner and friend, Ezra Nawi, who was awaiting sentence for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy in Israel in 1992. Having failed to secure the backing of local councils, and with three TDs withdrawing their support, leaving him even further away from …

“every discussion of the experience of west Belfast there is going to be blinkered”

Pete Baker on July 29, 2011, 8:57 pm

| Readers 24

In the Belfast Telegraph, Malachi O’Doherty takes a critical look at that “plenty for all” Feile. From the Belfast Telegraph article The story of what west Belfast experienced through the Troubles is complex and amazing, but it is filtered at the Feile through a determination to defend the reputation of the IRA, the organisation that brought much of that grief upon the people and to write out of history the pain and horror suffered by those – and we know them – …

Martin McGuinness: “I have been in contact with the PSNI at the top level to register my dissatisfaction and annoyance…”

Pete Baker on July 27, 2011, 10:36 pm

| Readers 71

In a post yesterday, noting the major search operation across Northern Ireland and the arrest for questioning of 5 men in connection with the murder of PSNI officer Ronan Kerr, I linked to a UTV report quoting “the Deputy First Minister”, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, MP, MLA. “We have to continue to support police in their investigations of any of those actions which taken the lives of any of our citizens – including those members of the police service.” Today, …

Norwegian PM’s response: “more democracy, more openness”

Pete Baker on July 27, 2011, 4:49 pm

| Readers 24

The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, has said that his country will “not be intimidated or threatened” by the attack by Anders Breivik on the Labour Party youth camp on Utoeya, which left at least 76 dead. From the BBC report Mr Stoltenberg said it was an attack on Norway’s “fundamental values” – democracy and openness – and that the response would be “more democracy, more openness”. He said he expected people to participate more broadly in politics. He added it …