Parties – Page 82 – Slugger O'Toole

“It is not the voices of contented old soldiers that the dissidents need to hear now.”

Pete Baker on February 27, 2010, 11:01 pm

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It’s a point he’s made before. And, for the comprehensively challenged, this time Malachi O’Doherty spells it out in the Belfast Telegraph. Mis-placed pride and the dirty tackling of dissenting voices will not discourage others from pursuing that “tragic history”. From the Belfast Telegraph article Imagine the impact Gerry Adams might have had on Channel Four if he had delivered the insights the producers no doubt expected of him when he talked about Jesus. He might have said he knows …

“OFMDFM is committed to transparency in all its dealings…”

Pete Baker on February 27, 2010, 3:23 am

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Northern Ireland’s First and deputy First Ministers deployed an departmental “spokesperson” yesterday to defend their less than transparent approach to their “agreed [] programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration” – “The outstanding issues around Cohesion, Sharing and Integration have been resolved and the final draft of the document is being prepared.” And the same “spokesperson” had this to say on the report from the DUP/Sinn Féin “working group” on parading “The process on parading was laid out in the Hillsborough …

Labour sitting by the river whilst the spin machine goes into overdrive…

Mick Fealty on February 26, 2010, 7:58 pm

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I think it probably signifies something significant that two confident old players like Iain and Guido are trying to spin an imminent call for the next British general election. Will Straw at Left Foot Forward has five reasons why we might still be heading for a May 6th election: 1. Announcing an election over the weekend would sabotage the passage of key pieces of Government legislation including Harriet Harman’s Equality Bill; the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill which includes provisions …

“Should we eschew any cause or proposal…”?

Pete Baker on February 26, 2010, 5:46 pm

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Interesting point raised by former South African Minister Kader Asmal in the Irish Times report on his inaugural lecture at Trinity College’s Centre for Post-Conflict Justice. “The question that must be answered is whether the most important political consideration is the need to maintain the unity of the power-sharing executive? Should we eschew any cause or proposal, even the proposal for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland . . . that may lead to inter-communal differences in the executive?” …

“Our society has a tragic history of violence.”

Pete Baker on February 26, 2010, 4:26 am

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Mark asked “Why?” Kieran Doherty, aged 31, was reportedly bound, stripped and shot on the outskirts of Londonderry on Wednesday. Because they can would seem to be the simple answer. After all, that’s all the reasoning others previously required. And they can all still, apparently, “look back on their IRA involvement with pride.” The BBC has some additional background In November 2009 Mr Doherty gave an interview to the Derry Journal newspaper in which he claimed he had been approached …

“it is vital that we act with renewed vigour…”

Pete Baker on February 25, 2010, 11:29 pm

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The DUP/Sinn Féin “agreed” programme for “Cohesion, Sharing and Integration” is apparently sufficient for the Alliance Party Council to “almost” unanimously agree to nominate for the position of Northern Ireland Justice Minister. As for what has been resolved? Well, there’s the small matter of that “agreed” programme being “presented to the OFMDFM committee before being submitted to the Executive”, followed by a period of “public consultation”. But don’t let mere details get in the way. As David Ford says, “This …

HIggins: Politicians must stand up to poorly informed and regular attacks…

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2010, 8:08 pm

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I have a confession to make. As a class of people I like politicians, regardless of party. I had the pleasure of spending some time with Michael D Higgins at the BIPA. He’s at the senior end of his career, so has a certain rather useful perspective to share on life as a public representative. Today’s Irish Times covers his contribution in the Dail Committee on the Constitution debate: “Really bad programmes like The Frontline , presented by Pat Kenny, …

Lady Hermon’s “difficult place”

Pete Baker on February 25, 2010, 7:35 pm

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The passing of the UUP’s deadline for nominations was accompanied by a statement from the party confirming that, despite efforts to find a compromise, the independently minded North Down MP, Lady Sylvia Hermon, would not be seeking the party’s nomination as a general election candidate. As Turgon noted, there has also been confirmation of 9 agreed UCUNF candidates. For North Down, there are now two UUP names in the frame and the Conservative Party’s Ian Parsley has been waiting patiently …

The Tories: “It’s their strategy that’s failing… half-baked renewal…”

Mick Fealty on February 25, 2010, 5:50 pm

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Okay, so things aren’t going so well. As a result of the Westminster tie up with the Tories, the Ulster Unionists are now down to no seats going into June’s election. And as noted yesterday, the polls are looking bad for the Tories in Britain. As The Dissenter notes that’s a nice wee opportunity for the DUP to big up their potential in a hung parliament. James Forsyth has yet another acute take on the apparent decline of “the Cameron …

Warning for the Tories: Political roller coasters go down as well as up…

Mick Fealty on February 24, 2010, 11:18 pm

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Julian Glover is not given to glib or easy judgements on how the two main UK parties are faring. But his newspaper’s poll is showing the same trend as other recent polls: that there appears to be a slow (and I would guess almost reluctant) rally to Gordon Brown. More worrying from a Tory perspective is that that rock solid 40%+ is looking decidedly soft. Although Cameron was his usual aggressive self in the Commons today, it was the Labour …

Bill of Rights consultation extended to 31st March

Pete Baker on February 24, 2010, 7:26 pm

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Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, has announced the extension of the public consultation on government proposals for a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland by four weeks until 31st March 2010. Shaun Woodward MP said: “The Government believes that a Bill of Rights which has the support of the people of Northern Ireland could play an important role in underpinning the peace, prosperity and political progress of Northern Ireland, and we are committed to taking this work forward. …

“Alliance looks forward to examining this document in detail…”

Pete Baker on February 24, 2010, 3:06 am

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According to reports, Northern Ireland “First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness announced that they have agreed a long-awaited programme for cohesion, sharing and integration.” Which is nice… For the Alliance Party leader David Ford. Although, as he is quoted as saying here, “Alliance looks forward to examining this document in detail,” [David Ford] said. “A document is only a start.” And what was all that interface trouble about? [We look forward to examining this document in …

Would you vote Woolas if you were/are called Pratt?

Mick Fealty on February 23, 2010, 11:57 pm

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Phil Woolas may be a good party foot soldier, but he’s clearly not ministerial material. Yesterday he not only showed a supreme lack of class when he called Christine Pratt a, erm, prat but, clearly, he has not calculated the unintended impact on any voter possessed of the same surname. It’s unlikely to come up to the 3,590 votes he beat his Lib Dem rival by last time. Mr Woolas is likely to be in severe need of friends come …

“A potential compromise” in North Down?

Pete Baker on February 23, 2010, 5:17 pm

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At the weekend a Conservative Party spokesman ruled out suggestions of a “special dispensation” for the independently minded Lady Sylvia Hermon to run as an Ulster Unionist candidate in North Down. And, as the UUP’s 5pm deadline for nominations to be their North Down candidate approaches, the BBC reports that the North Down MP “has said she will not apply to stand for election under the joint Ulster Unionist and Conservative banner.” Which has been both sides consistent views. Who …

Council By-Election to Replace Iris Robinson in Castlereagh

Pete Baker on February 23, 2010, 3:51 am

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There is to be a by-election in Castlereagh Borough to fill the council seat left vacant by the resignation of Iris Robinson. According to the BBC report, “Two objections were made to the DUP’s preferred candidate.” One of the objections seems to have been from Alliance Party Councillor Geraldine Rice – “the public must have their say on the Iris Robinson issue”. Pete Baker

“even to an atheist it was clear this was third-rate religious programming”

Pete Baker on February 22, 2010, 6:49 pm

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BBC NI’s “What the papers say” quotes from some of the reviews of last night’s The Bible: A History as presented by Gerry Adams [£10,000 appearance fee duly registered with the House of Commons]. The Times’ short review notes that “Adams was equally unflinchingly cosy with himself and his faith, responding to challenges with “my own lights”-style vagaries and evango- jargon on “the Jesus message”, coming across more as a smiling member of a Songs of Praise congregation than a …

The deeper malaise in politics that the O’Dea crisis points to…

Mick Fealty on February 21, 2010, 11:08 pm

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Now, here’s a thing. There’s an awful lot of hand wringing over the forced resignation of Willie O’Dea (I missed most of the blow by blow stuff since I was on mid term holidays some where in South Wales). NOw there is an interesting side question to all of this, and it relates to the way the media generally handle Sinn Fein in ways that are substantially different to they way they treat other parties. That is a fair point. …

“But they did not commit to publishing that report..”

Pete Baker on February 21, 2010, 8:14 pm

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The DUP/Sinn Féin “working group” on parades is due to report back to the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers “By [Tuesday] 23 February”. But, as BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport noted on Thursday, there is every indication that the working group’s report will not be made public. The FM and DFM expressed optimism that their parades working group would hit the Tuesday deadline for a report on new structures to deal with contentious marches. But they did …

“All can look back on their IRA involvement with pride.”

Pete Baker on February 19, 2010, 10:02 pm

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Historian, and crossbench life peer, Paul Bew writing at the Guardian’s CommentisFree The problem in part lies with the brilliance of the Sinn Féin leadership. It has been superb at emoting and creating widely accepted personality cults of its dual leadership within its own community. No embarrassing revelation can dent the emotional investment which has now been built up. But superb as this exercise has been it has its counterpart in the equally dramatic failure to make any progress towards …

Willie O’Dea resigns as Irish Defence Minister

Pete Baker on February 19, 2010, 3:19 am

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Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea has resigned from his cabinet post as Irish Minister for Defence despite Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s declared support this afternoon. O’Dea had survived a vote of no confidence in the Dáil yesterday, but pressure continued to mount today. But it wasn’t his “stupid, silly” comments which caused the problem, it was his swearing an affidavitt that he hadn’t said them – as former Green party councillor Vincent Martin pointed out in the Irish Times. And the …