Parties – Page 90 – Slugger O'Toole

“part of the wider jigsaw of politics in Northern Ireland”

Pete Baker on December 15, 2009, 2:42 am

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I think Brian’s right that this is “no further forward, but no further back either”. And that’s an interesting position to note given that Sinn Féin have avoided public discussion of the latest “crisis” over the past week. They’re not out of that corner yet, though. Even if the end of UTV’s Ken Reid’s report on the public disagreement between the Northern Ireland First Minister and the deputy First Minister in Limavady today sees both men smiling for the cameras …

Why the DUP is refusing to fight the Lurgan by election…

Mick Fealty on December 14, 2009, 8:20 pm

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Horseman has spotted that the DUP is not in the running for the by election in the Lurgan ward of Craigavon Borough Council early in the new year. The byelection follows a series of attempts to get David Calvert co-opted directly on to the council. At the back end of October, the Portadown Times reported: Mr Calvert experienced a massive snub almost a fortnight ago on his first attempt. Just five members turned up for the special council meeting to …

“the party isn’t putting anyone in front of cameras or microphones at the moment”

Pete Baker on December 13, 2009, 9:16 pm

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BBC NI’s Politics Show had intended to introduce the three latest recruits to the NI Assembly, one Ulster Unionist, one Sinn Féin and one SDLP – each selected by their parties rather than elected by the public. But only two turned up. Regarding the absence of the [next] Sinn Féin MLA, Jim Fitzpatrick explained – “the party isn’t putting anyone in front of cameras or microphones at the moment”. Not for a live discussion anyway. Sinn Féin similarly failed to …

“no one has the right to act as judge, jury and would-be executioner”

Pete Baker on December 12, 2009, 5:11 am

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We haven’t heard about the ongoing “bid to exert control in nationalist areas in particular” for a while. The BBC reports that Two men have been taken into an alleyway in Londonderry’s Creggan area and shot in the legs. The attack, at Central Drive, happened at about 1800 GMT on Friday. The victims were taken to hospital and both are in stable conditions. Police attempting to help the men were attacked by groups of youths throwing missiles and fireworks. One …

“There hasn’t been progress..”

Pete Baker on December 12, 2009, 2:31 am

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Reportedly Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, was in County Louth last night – no doubt telling Irish Foreign Affairs Minister, Micheál Martin, all about whatever internal party tensions he’s dealing with… Meanwhile, today being OFMDFM’s deadline for suggested nominations for the putative post of Justice Minister, Alliance Party leader David Ford was on UTV Live explaining why his party haven’t nominated anyone yet – unlike the SDLP. Of course, we’ve known the identity of an agreed …

“The crisis for the party is real..”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2009, 6:59 pm

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Eamonn McCann reckons “Martin McGuinness isn’t bluffing.” Perhaps. But while he maps out most of the background to the “crisis”, again, there is one element he neglects. Sinn Féin’s support for policing was required in order to restore the institutions in 2007. [*Cuckoo* *Cuckoo* – Ed] Indeed. Any promises made by that party’s leadership in order to deliver that support are the responsibility of that party’s leadership – as is any subsequent “breathtaking display of conceptual …

“Recognition of the contribution to peace made by the media and journalists..”

Pete Baker on December 11, 2009, 5:15 am

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In the Belfast Telegraph, Maurice Neill argues that “Recognition of the contribution to peace made by the media and journalists in Northern Ireland is long overdue.” I’ve no doubt of the contribution, but the “well-behaved witness” now needs to start asking “stupid” questions. Otherwise false, or partial, narratives will go unchallenged as those witnesses continue to ignore “the bits that do not suit particular prejudices”. And when “agreed truth becomes accepted, the real truth becomes a lie”. You can decide …

The Strategy for Victims and Survivors..

Pete Baker on December 10, 2009, 5:57 pm

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The low-key launch of the NI Office the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers’ proposals to, amongst other things, reform funding of what NI Finance Minister Sammy Wilson has referred to as “a victims industry”, has been followed by a low-key written statement to the NI Assembly on the publication of the Strategy for Victims and Survivors [pdf file]. Now it’s up to the victims industry Victims Forum and those Victims Commissioners. [And how are the talks on the …

Junior: An inter party pact would take see unionists taking seats off nationalism…

Mick Fealty on December 10, 2009, 2:36 pm

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Yesterday Owen Polley argued in the Belfast Telegraph that David Cameron’s 18 seat strategy was the right way to go… Now today, Ian Paisley junior argues that it is a viable way for unionists to take seats off nationalism and begin to push back against a tide that’s been rising for the last ten years at least.First the nub of Owen’s point: Making Northern Ireland more exceptional, rather than less, is not a viable strategy to underpin the Union. The …

Mapping the Irish budget on Debategraph…

Mick Fealty on December 10, 2009, 1:30 am

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The live blog continues until late this evening… But I thought setting up a Debategraph might a particularly useful way of unpacking a complex budget… I’ve got things started here by stealking from the main themes in the Minister’s speech, but to really map the tensions and complications we need to get a few more people involved… You need to register at debate graph and then you can start shaping the contours of arguments around the budget: Mick FealtyMick is …

“He said that his group’s lawyers contacted the IMC after the publication..”

Pete Baker on December 10, 2009, 12:15 am

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A vigilante group, the self-described Concerned Families Against Drugs [CFAD], has taken exception to the Independent Monitoring Commission’s most recent report [pdf file] which stated “We note that a factor behind the increase in the number of attacks in some nationalist areas appears to have been the growth of vigilante organisations which claim to want to ‘clean up’ (their term) anti-social behaviour. “Two such groupings are Concerned Families Against Drugs in Belfast and Republican Action Against Drugs in Derry. “We …

“they are wondering how long they can support us..”

Pete Baker on December 9, 2009, 4:23 pm

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The comment by retiring Sinn Féin MLA, Francie Brolly.. “The thing is we have a constituency out there, they are wondering how long they can support us beating our head against a wall, not getting anywhere. They want us to get places.” ..re-inforces what Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson said. [Peter Robinson] “Well, if Sinn Féin oversold what they thought they could achieve then they are answerable to those to whom they sold that package. The reality is they …

“ultimately this must be a matter for them”

Pete Baker on December 9, 2009, 4:16 am

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Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, MP, after meeting with Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin, tries again to defuse the perplexing rhetoric around the issue of the devolution of policing and justice powers. From the BBC report Mr Woodward and Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin discussed the current hiatus in Stormont politics in Dublin. They played down the possibility of a St Andrews-style “hothouse” talks session to try to resolve the outstanding issues and said they hoped …

Tories should counter with who they really are…

Mick Fealty on December 7, 2009, 2:30 pm

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Brian offers a figure from the past Alan Watkins as the epitome of great British journalism (by and large no argument from me on that score). But for me no one in the British MSM scales the gap between the left and right as seamlessly as Guardian leader writer Julian Glover (long term partner of former Tory MP Matthew Parris)… He argues that the class war schick may just be enough to wake up Labour’s core vote, but that the …

“they are answerable to those to whom they sold that package”

Pete Baker on December 6, 2009, 11:02 pm

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The BBC report of NI First Minister Peter Robinson’s interview on the Politics Show today focuses on one quote relating to the deputy First Minister’s complaint. From the BBC report. “Simply because Sinn Fein has a demand and can’t get other parties to agree with their demand isn’t an example of inequality, it means that they haven’t been able to pursue their political agenda or at least that aspect of it. “There’s no requirement on me to meet the demands …

“Alliance says there must first be agreement on a policy programme for the justice post”

Pete Baker on December 6, 2009, 4:03 am

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The Alliance Party continues to try to maximise the opportunity provided by their appointed role in the latest manufactured “crisis”. From the BBC report First and deputy first ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness had asked MLAs to put forward potential candidates for the post by next Friday. But in a leaked letter, Alliance says there must first be agreement on a policy programme for the justice post. It also wants real progress on a community relations strategy. Pete Baker

“The following UK MEPs will attend..”

Pete Baker on December 5, 2009, 12:13 am

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As Mark Devenport notes, the UK MEPs heading to the Copenhagen Climate Conference as part of the official European Parliament delegation look to be a representative interesting bunch. The following UK MEPs will attend the UN Climate Change Conference as part of the official European Parliament delegation: Linda McAvan MEP (Lab, Yorks & Humber); Bairbre de Brún MEP (Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland); Nick Griffin MEP (BNP, North West). Pete Baker

“Yet this could be a pyrrhic victory..”

Pete Baker on December 4, 2009, 8:26 pm

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As yesterday’s hint of blue sky looks like being clouded over, again, by more comments from Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport makes the important point that “the Deputy First Minister and other Sinn Fein politicians are increasingly talking themselves into a corner” over their latest manufactured “crisis”. And he has a good assessment of the potential pros, and cons, to that party of collapsing Stormont. Adds Ken Reid predicts processing ahead. Update From another BBC …

Bogged down in the sectarian mire of British politics…

Mick Fealty on December 4, 2009, 3:10 pm

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I long ago scrubbed BBC’s Question Time off my regular viewing schedule, but last night I switched it on about half way through whilst waiting patiently for the late edition of Hearts and Minds (thanks once again that lone assassin who put an end to our YouTubing of NI’s flagship current affairs programme)… But it turned out to be surprisingly good… Two things from an NI point of view… One was Vincent Cable on Afghanistan when he suggested that since …

Hearts and Minds: “If the will is there we can deliver on Policing and Justice…”

Mick Fealty on December 4, 2009, 5:44 am

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Hearts and Minds… Pretty good panel discussion at the top of the programme.. Alex Maskey puts in a good performance… things not quite as bad as people have may have thought… Ian Junior places the blame for the failure of OFmdFM on Basil McCrea… Alex Attwood blames everyone (including his own party)… Stephen Farry suggests rather sensibly that there needs to be a removal of ‘poison from the system’… A real change of tone compared to what we’ve been hearing …