Parties – Page 68 – Slugger O'Toole

“But the Irish aren’t showing much gratitude…”

Pete Baker on August 18, 2010, 12:07 pm

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As iol noted, and RTÉ also reports, Newsweek has named Taoiseach Brian Cowen as one of 10 world leaders [or is it 11? – Ed] who “have managed to win serious respect” – “The Fiscal Taskmaster”, no less. They’ve pushed through austerity packages drastic enough to win the admiration of the international community, raised taxes, and slashed some public salaries by more than 10 percent. But the Irish aren’t showing much gratitude–Cowen’s ratings have plunged to a mere 18 percent, and …

DRD Permanent Secretary suspended

Pete Baker on August 17, 2010, 6:19 pm

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UTV Live are reporting [added link] that the Department of Regional Development Permanent Secretary Paul Priestly has been suspended pending an investigation. They also reported that NI Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, described his permanent secretary’s position as ‘untenable’. Adds From a News Letter report 14 August Mr Murphy, the Sinn Fein minister responsible for sacking all but one of the non-executive directors based on a report by consultants, has said that he has “full confidence” in his …

“No one in this small, enclosed biosphere ever told them this project was never going to work in the first place…”

Pete Baker on August 17, 2010, 4:10 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Henry McDonald analyses the logically consistent, if callous, recent comments by independent councillor Martin Connolly. From the Belfast Telegraph article No matter how repulsive you might find his response to what could have been a double-murder of a woman and a child, Connolly’s position reflects traditional republicanism and its attitude towards the security forces. It also, paradoxically, illuminates the central problem facing mainstream republicans, particularly Sinn Fein: the durability of ideology. Last Tuesday evening, the other …

By playing politics, local parties show they are not ready to deal with serious security threats

Brian Walker on August 16, 2010, 10:46 am

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　Is SDLP leader Margaret Ritchie right? “There is no evidence that MI5 puts a high priority on the dissident threat beyond providing some signals and background intelligence, which may amount to nothing more than listening to gossip and monitoring a few dodgy websites,” Yet this case is one of several that show MI5 have a reach that the PSNI by itself can hardly match. And arrests after the Strand Road bomb while not of course conclusive, have been pretty prompt. …

“The more that is out in the open, the more the chances of success are reduced.”

Pete Baker on August 14, 2010, 2:17 pm

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Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, refused to elaborate on his claim this week that “some of these dissident [republican] groups, I know for a fact, have been involved in discussions with both the Irish and the British government in recent times.” As Martina Purdy noted, he’s off on “his August holidays” after dropping the “verbal grenade” – or “black propaganda” as Des Dalton of Republican Sinn Féin called it. The Sunday Times journalist who last weekend reported …

“and the role that they have played in creating the conditions in which anti-social behaviour thrives.”

Pete Baker on August 13, 2010, 6:31 pm

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The BBC report on the fire which destroyed the Twinbrook Social Club last night says “that the facility was extensively used by the local community but that people there had already vowed to rebuild.” But the UTV report notes this comment from Sinn Féin MLA Jennifer McCann – who claimed that the club had, at times, been a centre for anti-social behaviour. “The fire has led to several people having no employment as a result which, in this economic climate, is extremely unfortunate,” [Jennifer …

Protest cancelled as prison agreement reached

Pete Baker on August 13, 2010, 12:56 pm

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The Northern Ireland Prison Service has published the text of an agreement between segregated republican prisoners in Maghaberry Prison and prison authorities. The agreement is expected to bring to an end the protest by the prisoners in Roe House, and the planned public demonstration in Londonderry on Saturday has been cancelled. From the BBC report BBC NI Home Affairs Correspondent Vincent Kearney said that during the discussions, the prisoners had put forward a list of five demands and that agreement had been reached on …

NI Water: “It was brought to my attention, investigated and I took action.”

Pete Baker on August 12, 2010, 7:33 pm

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As well as revealing his “reservations” about police services, the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, also gave the Irish News his first recorded comments about the troubled NI Water Board, and his emergency appointees. Or, rather, his first recorded comments about the questions surrounding the Independent Review Team. From the Irish News Mr Murphy said he believed people with an “axe to grind” were querying the inquiry. “What I am aware of is there has been a campaign to attack …

“a kind of conservative, male-dominated organisation”

Pete Baker on August 12, 2010, 4:42 pm

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Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Sinn Féin’s Conor Murphy, has clarified his position after telling the Irish News that he would have “reservations” about his teenage son or daughter joining the PSNI because “[He thinks] police services are a kind of conservative, male-dominated organisation”. From the UTV report Mr Murphy told The Frank Mitchell Show he had not wanted to talk about his children and that he had refused to give any personal information on them. But while he said …

U-turn over Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill?

Pete Baker on August 12, 2010, 11:47 am

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The Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers have published a very short summary of the responses [pdf file] to the consultation on their jointly drafted Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill [pdf file]. That’s the draft Bill “built on ignorance of the law, plain stupidity, arrogance, and worst of all, political expediency.” We’ll have to wait to see the detail of the reported amendments being proposed. But let’s be clear about one thing. When the First Minister says “The primary change …

“Leading Sinn Féin members had been arguing that its justice programme was a “viable alternative” to conventional policing and justice systems.”

Pete Baker on August 10, 2010, 10:39 pm

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I’ll be reviewing political scientist Mary-Alice Clancy‘s new book, Peace Without Consensus – Power Sharing Politics in Northern Ireland, in due course. But, for now, The Guardian‘s Henry McDonald has highlighted some of the content White House staff and Irish officials were exasperated that Blair and his Downing Street chief-of-staff, Jonathan Powell, were prepared to allow Sinn Féin to run community restorative justice programmes and effectively establish a parallel justice system, according to a new book on Bush and the …

“journalists were sometimes told to hold back on a story in case they might do damage to the delicate administration”

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

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Here’s a snippet from an Irish Times report on this year’s Parnell Summer School at Avondale House, Rathdrum, County Wicklow. The media had not just a right but a duty to make things awkward for politicians, especially those in government, according to David Gordon, political editor of the Belfast Telegraph. In the North journalists were sometimes told to hold back on a story in case they might do damage to the delicate administration, he said. While this was not a point to ignore, …

After Gregory…

Brian Walker on August 10, 2010, 2:02 pm

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It would be presumptuous and counterproductive to play down the force of Gregory’s case. But where do we go from here? The politics of grievance needs to be replaced. But with what? With a sometimes bruising but always mutual frankness for a start, I suggest. Gregory is good at the bruising but what about the mutuality? In Derry the unionist loss needs to be better understood by both sides. It would be better if it were not expressed so polemically. …

“I do not have any great time for Owen Paterson.”

Pete Baker on August 10, 2010, 12:24 pm

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So sayeth the International Representative for west Belfast, the Right Honourable Gerard Adams, MP, MLA – as quoted in the Belfast Telegraph. As opposed to the time he does have for his unelected former speech-writer, Jonathan Powell. And I’m sure the feeling is mutual… The occasion being the apparent disagreement over talking to dissident republicans “the political groups linked to some armed republican faction”. But they’re “traitors”, Gerry, “imposters”. “Criminal gangs whom [you] consider has links with MI5″. “Micro-groups” with …

“Gerry Adams and his organisation are now fully absorbed into the apparatus of British rule in Ireland…”

Pete Baker on August 9, 2010, 12:07 pm

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The BBC reports that Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Owen Paterson, has rejected a Sunday Times report that talks were being sought with “dissident republicans” through intermediaries despite opposition from the Irish government. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, has said it’s “not a stunt” to seek talks with “the political groups linked to some armed republican faction”. Or with “criminal gangs whom [they] consider has links with MI5″? His former speech-writer Jonathan Powell apparently agrees. Although those Adams is reportedly seeking talks with …

“we can only conclude that publicity was indeed his agenda”

Pete Baker on August 6, 2010, 4:06 pm

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The reports of “ground-breaking talks” to be held in September between Sinn Féin and the 32 County Sovereign Movement appear to have been somewhat exaggerated… From the iol report The 32 County Sovereignty Movement later, however, played down the expectation of talks. It said it believed talks were to focus on issues surrounding dissident republican prisoners held in Maghaberry prison in Co Antrim. It claimed no firm arrangement on a wider meeting was yet agreed and accused Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams …

Integration – can Robinson and McGuinness be serious?

Brian Walker on August 5, 2010, 11:11 pm

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FMDFM’s consultation paper A Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration reads like a plan for radical transforming action. Not a bit like “ motherhood and apple pie” if I may beg to differ from the esteemed Mark Devenport. On the face of it, the programme cuts across what most local parties stand for and the very dynamic of local politics. Are we to take it seriously? How can we not, for there it is, boldly in print and signed by both of them? …

“The bill is built on ignorance of the law, plain stupidity, arrogance, and worst of all, political expediency.”

Pete Baker on August 4, 2010, 4:24 pm

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In his Irish News column this week Brian Feeney is mostly correct in his response to the, DUP/Sinn Féin drafted, contentious “Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill“. Where he’s wrong is in his assertion that “The problem to be confronted under the terms of the Hillsborough Agreement was Orange marches – and only 5 per cent of them”. As I’ve pointed out previously, the Hillsborough Agreement actually tasked the working group on parades with attempting “to create a new improved framework …

“there was good news and bad news…”

Pete Baker on August 4, 2010, 2:33 pm

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The still-Northern Ireland Finance Minister, the DUP’s Sammy Wilson, won’t be making a formal statement to the Assembly until September, but he’s written to MLAs to inform them of the NI Executive’s decisions about this year’s additional cuts in departmental budgets. From the Belfast Telegraph report In a letter penned to MLAs he said: “The main issue facing the Executive in this round was how best to address the £127.8m reduction in funding arising as a consequence of the announcement made by …

“We all want to see full transparency in politics…”

Pete Baker on August 3, 2010, 6:59 pm

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Northern Ireland Minister of State, Hugo Swire MP, has launched a public consultation [pdf file] on the confidentiality arrangements that apply to donations and loans to Northern Ireland political parties. The closing date for the consultation is 25 October 2010. From the NIO press release The Minister said: “We all want to see full transparency in politics and on the funding of political parties in particular. “But I accept there have been real concerns in Northern Ireland about intimidation which has made …