Parties – Page 91 – Slugger O'Toole

“It adds that they hope to agree on a potential minister before Christmas.”

Pete Baker on December 3, 2009, 8:28 pm

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At best the news that the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers have written to MLAs, inviting them to nominate candidates for the post of Justice Minister by next week, might represent the hint of blue sky that a cooling down period would allow in. They then propose “to meet the other party leaders to consider which candidates are likely to get cross-community support.” [Is that the end of the manufactured “crisis” – Ed]. Well, it’s worth noting that …

Powersharing is only show in town” says DUP source…

Eamonn Mallie on December 3, 2009, 5:08 pm

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“We got more on policing and justice at St. Andrews than Sinn Fein. We got control over when policing and justice will be devolved and that is how it is.” This is one of a number of key insights into how the DUP is approaching the current political deadlock in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein and the DUP are in a standoff as to when policing and justice powers will be passed to local politicians. The DUP source added: “We are …

UUP DUP Splitters? Or doubling back to Unionist unity?

Mick Fealty on December 3, 2009, 3:47 pm

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Here’s an interesting one. The UUP attack site, Pants on Fire, has a piece attacking the DUP on the grounds that not only did the DUP fatally split the Unionist vote in Fermanagh South Tyrone, but they also ran in South Belfast in 2005 and lost that seat for unionism too. Now that is interesting. Not least since, if the party sticks to the Cameron doctrine (of running in all 18 seats regardless), then it will be the UUP (rather …

“I know that sometimes the rhetoric can be perplexing..”

Pete Baker on December 2, 2009, 10:43 pm

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The NIO has helpfully provided Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shaun Woodward’s address to an audience at Harvard University’s School of Government. “It is about a partnership. It is about creating a climate of stability and the will to succeed and politics is succeeding. “Our partnership with the Irish Government has never been stronger. At Downing Street this week, the two Prime Ministers reviewed the enormous progress made by the Executive. “The road to completing Devolution, despite the occasional loud …

“I don’t know if Sinn Féin has the ability to deliver in that way.”

Pete Baker on December 2, 2009, 7:39 pm

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Independent MLA Gerry McHugh’s membership of Fianna Fáil was noted yesterday, although the party itself seemed somewhat surprised. From the Irish Times The party denied it now had “an elected representative in the Northern Assembly”. It added: “Fianna Fáil headquarters had not had any discussions with Mr McHugh concerning his membership of Fianna Fáil and he does not represent Fianna Fáil in the Northern Assembly.” The party statement concluded: “Fianna Fáil has no plans, at this stage, to be represented …

Some clarity needed on “crisis”

Pete Baker on December 2, 2009, 4:35 am

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One group not mentioned behind Martin McGuinness’s shoulder was the activists within his own party. Those activists were the victims of a sleight of hand by the party leadership which enabled that leadership to finesse a previous Ard Fheis decision in order to comply with the governments’ requirement that the party support policing before the Assembly was restored in May 2007. That endorsement by Sinn Féin was conditional on the basis that the “Ard Chomhairle is satisfied that the policing …

Cameron’s LIsbon U Turn underlies his downturn in the polls…

Mick Fealty on December 2, 2009, 4:13 am

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Another reason for the DUP to be cheerful? The Cameron effect is weakening. Or rather his U turn over the Lisbon referendum is cooling the ardour of some of his supporters. How will that affect the typically Eurosceptic hearts and minds of the unionist voter (if at all)? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across …

Destiny awaits

Jason Walsh on December 2, 2009, 2:05 am

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Fianna Fáil’s smoking dope but not inhaling, sorry, I mean gaining an MLA but not really, has been at the back of my mind all day. In fact, it would have been at the front of my mind were it not for the fact that I had to write something on the Murphy Report. I don’t think the move is insignificant. As I have written elsewhere, one might argue (and I do) that the move Northward post-settlement shows that Northern …

“to overcome the remaining obstacles..”

Pete Baker on December 2, 2009, 12:25 am

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Given Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness’s co-opting of the Taoiseach when grandstanding at Tullamore, it’s worth noting this line from the joint statement by Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen yesterday. The Prime Minister and Taoiseach agreed to work closely together, and with the parties, in the next few weeks to overcome the remaining obstacles to finding an agreed basis on which the devolution of justice and policing powers can take place at an early date. [added emphasis] Adds “Peter Robinson makes …

“these arrangements are all designed to reduce uncertainty”

Pete Baker on December 1, 2009, 7:44 pm

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As I said, the education system is clearly in the very safest of hands… Someone briefed the media in advance of the Northern Ireland Education Minister’s statement [new link] in the Assembly today on her proposed interim measures following the minister’s withdrawal of the Education Bill which was to properly establish the Education and Skills Authority on 1 January 2010. From the ministerial statement [pdf file] I plan to reduce membership of the [Education and Library] Boards by over half, …

Should Monica resign..?

Belfast Gonzo on December 1, 2009, 2:21 am

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PETE’S already noted the launch of the consultation paper on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, in which it becomes quickly apparent that the Government has basically thrown out most of the advice from the NI Human Rights Consortium for straying beyond its remit, lack of regard to the national and international contexts (ie, stuff already in place or about to be), unrealistic expectations, and so on. The NIHRC says it “will now carefully consider the Government?s proposals before …

“the court concludes that it should order the withdrawal of the Guidance”

Pete Baker on November 30, 2009, 11:28 pm

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The Northern Ireland Health Department’s guidance to health professionals on termination of pregnancy, the law and clinical practice in Northern Ireland [pdf file], only emerged after a tortuous process. Firstly the Department, after a lengthy court battle, had to be instructed by a High Court ruling to produce the guidance. Then, after taking three years to produce, the NI Assembly rejected the guidelines leaving the Department to redraft them. New draft guidelines emerged for consultation in July 2008 and were …

What Slugger readers got right about our politician of the year…

Mick Fealty on November 30, 2009, 7:28 pm

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The art of politics is not just about the possible, it’s also about the plausible… There was a certain amount of disgruntlement with the choice of Martin McGuinness as Slugger’s Politician of the Year (and for good reason when you consider how his party has blocked the capacity of the Executive to progress any serious legislative measure in lieu of devolution of policing and justice)… But a poll of readers by the Belfast Telegraph came to a similar conclusion to …

NI Bill of Rights – the next steps

Pete Baker on November 30, 2009, 7:11 pm

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Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, MP, has announced the launch of a public consultation document on the troubled NI Bill of Rights. Consultation period to end March 1, 2010. From the summary of proposals in the document [pdf file] there seems to be a [sensible] distinction between what is proposed to be included in the Bill and what is proposed to be “considered” for inclusion – either by himself, with the Irish Government, or with the Executive… Good …

“What the NIO spooks and PSNI’s political detectives have forgotten..”

Pete Baker on November 30, 2009, 4:04 am

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As Mark mentioned, also following Martin McGuinness’ grandstanding in Tullamore, Sinn Féin passed the script back to the same little known placeman as before, the party’s national chairman Declan Kearney – this time commemorating “an unbroken chain of republican struggle” at a parade in Dunloy. The BBC report picks up on the warnings of unspecified “political consequences”, but there’s also this line from his speech. “Nor is there any acceptable role for British military forces in today’s six counties. Sinn …

“There has to be sharing of information in principle.”

Pete Baker on November 29, 2009, 6:20 pm

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While Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness has been grandstanding in Dublin Tullamore, the Alliance Party’s David Ford’s comments in the Observer indicate what has still to be agreed before policing and justice powers can be devolved. From the Observer article. In an interview with the Observer, Ford said his only precondition for becoming minister was that all four main parties in the coalition agree to a set departmental programme. He said that “intellectually at least” the first minister, Peter Robinson, had …

“the Wild West of European finance”

Pete Baker on November 29, 2009, 2:41 am

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In today’s Guardian, Terry Eagleton reviews Fintan O’Toole’s Ship of Fools – “As O’Toole points out, bribery, tax evasion and false evidence under oath have not simply gone unpunished; the very idea of penalising the culprits is viewed by the governing elite as unsporting or even unpatriotic.” This is partly because Ireland, having in O’Toole’s words “imported” its modernity from elsewhere, is in some ways a country with a first-world economy and a third-world political system. Local, cronyist and clientelist …

Robinson stuck in the parlour of mandatory coalition?

Mick Fealty on November 29, 2009, 12:07 am

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This evening Jim Allister teases Peter Robinson about the fact he got landed with the Mandatory coalition the party promised voters they would avoid in their last Westminster manifesto (2005) in which they promised. And now Mr Robinson is feeling the heat of trying to work in a kitchen where his partner won’t lift a hand until he gets want he wants (and doesn’t mind bending the truth until that time).. As a reminder of the relevant text from that …

“Continual inability to agree on a range of issues drains credibility…”

Eamonn Mallie on November 28, 2009, 1:15 am

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The Assembly’s survival is in doubt if agreement can’t be found on key issues. This is the opinion of First Minister Peter Robinson. Speaking to party members Mr Robinson said: “The continual inability to agree on a range of issues drains credibility from the operation of devolution and if it continues over a long period of time will undoubtedly threaten its long term survival.” The First Minister added: “I do not believe that is in anyone’s best interests. Above all …

When Gordon beat David (by an Irish Mile)…

Mick Fealty on November 27, 2009, 7:29 pm

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It may be advertorial, but this is the best thing I’ve seen in a while in British politics… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty