Parties – Page 64 – Slugger O'Toole

“There can be no greater endorsement of our world class skills and knowledge base…”

Pete Baker on October 19, 2010, 3:55 pm

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I’d welcome Peter Robinson’s call to end state-funding of faith-based schools if I thought he was serious about separating church and state. But he’s just as unlikely now, as he was then, to intervene whenever a supernaturalist Minister attempts to influence what’s on display in our museums, or at our World Heritage site, or in schools within the Lurgan District Council area. And what is Sinn Féin’s position on the DUP leader’s de-segregated objective? The Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s …

A plan for parental choice – the route to transformation

Brian Walker on October 18, 2010, 10:40 am

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　 “This is typical Peter Robinson,” said Ms Ritchie. “On the one hand he says the most visionary thing ever said by a DUP politician about our divided society, and then he spoils it with an old-fashioned political sideswipe at Catholic schools. “He is still right that we should aim for a future where our children are increasingly educated together – but blaming Catholics for the division is shameful and totally the wrong place to start.” 　 OK, so there’s …

Robinson: “This will test the enthusiasm of the Executive for making savings in local government.”

Pete Baker on October 16, 2010, 12:51 pm

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As Brian has already noted, Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, has set out his views on the desirability of a “single educational system” here. As, previously, did the NI Secretary of State. We’ll wait to see if the deputy First Minister is still “all for it”. But in his speech Peter Robinson also tackled some of Sinn Féin’s recent economic proposals. From the DUP leader’s speech Another red herring thrown across the debate to deflect attention from the issue …

Is Peter’s sudden move towards integrated education the game changer?

Brian Walker on October 16, 2010, 12:28 pm

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Peter Robinson’s belief in integrated education comes out of the blue. I believe that future generations will scarcely believe that such division and separation was so common for so long. The reality is that our education system is a benign form of apartheid, which is fundamentally damaging to our society I have to point out that the real savings in terms of education will not be gained by simply creating a single educational administrative body but by creating a single …

OFMDFM’s aspiration for the future – “why bother?”

Pete Baker on October 15, 2010, 4:41 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Eamonn McCann picks up on the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust’s criticism of the “simplistic view” of culture and identity evident in the OFMDFM’s Cohesion, Sharing and Integration proposals. [added link] From the Belfast Telegraph article Policy could be aimed at bringing reality into alignment with existing aspirations, imagining what might be and asking: why not? The CSI document seems designed to bring aspirations down to the mundane here-and-now, asking: why bother? Conventional politics are constructed around a communal …

Slugger media awards: Speaking Truth to Power

Brian Walker on October 15, 2010, 12:27 pm

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I’m suggesting an award for Speaking Truth to Power. It’s one thing to cheek a senior politician buried in a blog particularly if you have little or no profile yourself, quite another to do so day after day in print, or across a studio floor. Occasionally in the bad old days – not often – a politician’s friends might go in for a little freelance intimidation, nothing drastic you understand, just a hint of menace. But to be fair, in …

“However we can’t invite ourselves…”

Pete Baker on October 15, 2010, 12:00 pm

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Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, was quick to claim a victory for OFMDFM’s “united case” after NI Secretary of State Owen Paterson said “Having had discussions with the treasury, we are confident that having spent £9.8bn since 2005, that by 2017-18, we will be on track for Northern Ireland to have spent £18bn.” But economist John Simpson was already looking at the potential small print Economist John Simpson told the BBC that he believed a total of £14bn will …

Cowen: “I believe the pursuit of the national interest and the common good must have priority”

Pete Baker on October 14, 2010, 9:26 pm

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With Sinn Féin proposing some more taxes and borrowing here, it’s worth looking at what’s been happening there. On Saturday 9th October RTÉ noted Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s intial lukewarm response to Green Party leader John Gormley’s call for an all-party consensus on a four-year budget plan. Taoiseach Brian Cowen has said he would welcome a political consensus on the budgetary measures needed to get the economic situation under control. However, he said it was up to the Opposition parties to put …

Fact-checking Sinn Féin’s economic proposals for Northern Ireland

Pete Baker on October 14, 2010, 3:03 pm

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While John wants alternatives, let’s have a closer look at what Sinn Féin’s ‘blue-sky thinking’ has actually resulted in. And how the figures, where given, stack up against the ‘can save £1.9bn’ headline. Here is the list of SF’s economic proposals Introduce tax varying and borrowing powers to enable the Executive to generate income and stimulate development. That’s top of the list. It’s not costed and there’s no indication of what ‘varying’ they propose to do. Implement the Review of Public Administration …

Bloody Sunday debate exposes doubt and disagreement over dealing with Northern Ireland’s past

Brian Walker on October 14, 2010, 10:40 am

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No points to the Commons and Lords for the scheduling clash between the debate on lessons from the Bloody Sunday inquiry in the Upper House and Lord Saville’s personal appearance before the NI Select Committee yesterday. MPs failed to lay a glove on the now retired Supreme Court member over the epic 10 year time scale and £190 million cost of an inquiry whose impact casts a long shadow over the whole public inquiry system.. MPs were naturally caught between …

Two police officers injured in suspected linked attacks

Pete Baker on October 13, 2010, 5:12 pm

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UTV reports that – “Two police officers were injured during overnight riots in Carrickfergus and Ballyclare on Tuesday”. There was a further disturbance in the Carrickfergus area last night and the BBC adds that police are investigating possible loyalist paramilitary involvement in the incidents. The PSNI have said one line of inquiry is an earlier police drugs operation at houses in the Castlemara estate in Carrickfergus sparked the disorder. A small quantity of herbal cannabis and cannabis resin was recovered during the search. A 37-year-old man …

TUC and ICTU oppose lower Corporation Tax for Northern Ireland

Pete Baker on October 12, 2010, 4:59 pm

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Interesting to note ICTU Deputy General Secretary Peter Bunting, now sitting on that interim NI Water Board, welcoming a TUC report critical of attempts to lower corporation tax here. From the Belfast Telegraph report ICTU Deputy General Secretary Peter Bunting said: “This paper should once and for all lay to rest the argument by some vested interests in Northern Ireland that a low corporation tax regime would assist economic growth for all, as opposed to private profit for the few.” As …

“We continue to work closely with our colleagues in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and in the Security Service…”

Pete Baker on October 11, 2010, 11:31 pm

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In addition to the weekend arrests and subsequent charges against members of still-violent republican groups there has been a seizure of weapons and explosives. But, as Roy Greenslade argues at the Guardian, there are questions for reporters to ask Some informed correspondents have been asking questions about this strange situation. But what is required is commitment from more newspapers to force the authorities to act more decisively and effectively. Similarly, British readers need to be informed, so the popular papers …

“The role of the Parades Commission remains extremely important and challenging…”

Pete Baker on October 11, 2010, 3:32 pm

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As the Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, said, “It is absolutely not an option to leave a [Parades Commission] hole.” And, following the shelving of the Sinn Féin/DUP drafted Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill, today the Minister of State for Northern Ireland, Hugo Swire, announced “the launch of an open competition for appointment to the posts of chairman and members of the Parades Commission.” [Hugo Swire] said: “Regrettably in the absence of a local solution to a new framework …

“under the auspices of a paramilitary organisation…”

Pete Baker on October 10, 2010, 11:04 pm

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According to a BBC report, and a UTV report, “a solicitor” has told Belfast Magistrates Court that a 18-year-old returned, “under the auspices of a paramilitary organisation”, three laptop computers he had stolen from the Bridge of Hope shop on 7th and 8th September and that he has subsequently confessed to the offences. Hmm.. I hope it wasn’t the defence solicitor. It’s hardly in the interest of the client to argue that he was acting under duress… Then there’s the question of which “paramilitary organisation”, …

Sinn Fein’s open goal presents the SDLP with a golden shot

Brian Walker on October 10, 2010, 6:51 pm

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Does the SDLP have a future? The question is often asked but rarely examined properly. Now the historian Cillian McGrattan has had a modest go at it in Fortnight. On bread and butter policies there’s little or no difference with Sinn Fein: spend, spend, spend. It might be very different if they were obliged to tax as well as spend. Looking back on the Troubles, McGrattan is right to stress radically different legacies. It’s true that the SDLP found it easier …

“concepts of the renegade groups as something ‘other’ are too simplistic”

Pete Baker on October 10, 2010, 3:51 pm

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The BBC’s Jim Fitzpatrick adds his thoughts on the University of Liverpool survey noted previously. From Jim Fitzpatrick We also learn this week that 14% of nationalists have sympathy with the objectives of groups like the Real IRA. Again, this piece of research challenges the conventional wisdom that these people enjoy no support. It is credible work and can’t be dismissed. But it is a bit of a jump to read the research as suggesting that 14% of nationalists “support” …

Just when you thought you were out…

Pete Baker on October 8, 2010, 3:11 pm

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They pull you back in. Shaun Woodward has been named as shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland. Nevermind, Shaun. It could’ve been worse… [Worse?! How? – Ed]. Could have been Wales… Pete Baker

Spending cuts prompt Peter’s move on political reform. Will it work?

Brian Walker on October 8, 2010, 12:13 pm

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So Peter is moving on this at last. What’s not clear is his next move other than into thin air. Cutting the sizes of the overblown Assembly and Executive is an appropriate aim with additional political motives. It follows on the proposed reduction of Westminster seats and Stormont constituencies to 15 and the reduction by one of the MLAs in each constituency. Peter’s timing suggests he has given up on getting agreement with SF and the other parties behind the scenes. Or …

PSNI: “We will seek to make it difficult for them”.

Pete Baker on October 7, 2010, 5:09 pm

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The BBC reports that the Policing Board have been told that the PSNI are to launch “a major security operation against dissident republicans over the coming days”. From the BBC report At the October meeting of the policing board, PSNI Deputy Chief Constable Judith Gillespie said that the public may face disruption as a result of the operations. “Over the coming days you will see an increase in police activity across Northern Ireland as we continue our efforts to prevent …