party conference

Review of the SDLP conference – lacking passion and oomph … perhaps waiting for a new leader #sdlp14 [audio]

| Readers 2519

The SDLP conference took place on Friday and Saturday in the Ramada Hotel. Using the same venue as the UUP’s get-together four weeks ago, the nationalist party had chosen to divide the main ballroom in half, swapping delegate seats for more exhibitor space. But it wasn’t just the layout and configuration that contrasted with their unionist cousins. This year’s SDLP conference lacked passion. That’s not entirely true: on Saturday afternoon Dolores Kelly and Alex Attwood delivered speeches with gusto and …

Read more…

#UUP2014 conference review & audio: “We want Fermanagh South Tyrone … we can win the Westminster seat”

| Readers 2028

Around 300 people filled the Ramada Hotel venue, marginally younger than previous years, and during the morning extra chairs had to be brought in to add a couple more back rows. It’s clear that the UUP have internally stabilised and while they emphasised their growth in the local government election, it’s not clear yet that their “shrink to grow” policy has come to fruition. Westminster candidates Jo-Anne Dobson (Upper Bann) and Danny Kinahan (South Antrim) were showcased. Both spoke confidently, …

Read more…

PUP conference review – in favour of opposition; against welfare reform but critical of Sinn Féin

| Readers 2607

This year’s Progressive Unionist Party conference [party website down!] was held in the Dunsilly Hotel outside Antrim. About 80 delegates were present, around 40% were women, some of whom were obviously now making a big impact on party policy and direction. The audience seemed a little younger than previous years. It was good to see the party open to listening to critical friends during the panel discussion. In the morning Councillors Julie-Anne Corr and Russell Watton addressed conference and six …

Read more…

2014/5 NI Party Conference dates and venues (updated)

| Readers 1436
Workers Party NI conference table sweets and agenda

This post will be updated as dates and venues are confirmed by the parties. Saturday 11 October – PUP – Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, BT41 2JH [reviewed] Saturday 18 October – UUP – Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge [reviewed] Saturday 25 October – Workers Party – The Grosvenor Hall, Glengall Street, Belfast Friday 14 and Saturday 15 November – SDLP – Ramada Hotel, Shaws Bridge [reviewed and press round-up] ? … – éirígí – … Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November – …

Read more…

Live Drawing the Green Party conference

| Readers 148

  The leader’s speech. Taking a firm line on developers, planners and non-disclosure of party-donations.   Current councillor John Barry (@CllrJohnBarry) and council candidate Clare Bailey (@ClareBaileyGPNI):     Green Party candidate for Balmoral Elli Kontorravdis (@EKontorravdis): And onto Ross Brown and that cartoon: Make sure you read or listen to Ross Brown’s (@voterossbrown) story via Alan. A journey from flag-totting super-Prod to green-fingered, eco-man. Fascinating, relatable-to and relevant. The Chinese proverb says that travelling a 1000 miles does more for the mind than reading …

Read more…

Green Party conference: Euro candidate Ross Brown sets out his stall and his journey #GPNI #GPNI14

| Readers 271

The Green Party has come a long way. Over the years I’ve been popping into its annual conference, the number of delegates attending has steadily risen, their dress code has smartened and the professionalism of the organization has grown. Yet there is still an informality and an ability to crack a joke in the midst of resolutions and formal speeches. Steven Agnew spoke of targets for the May elections. The Greens are aiming for Ross Brown to receive more first …

Read more…

McCann meets….Steven Agnew MLA #gpniconf14

| Readers 66

So, last week it was Alliance, this week it was the Green party’s chance to strut their stuff on the conference stage as they gathered in East Belfast yesterday. Just before his speech I caught up the party leader Steven Agnew MLA. I began by asking him whether he believed that his European candidate, Ross Brown could do as well as he in 2009; I hope so. When I stood I trebled the Green party’s vote from the previous election, starting …

Read more…

The Alliance Conference in cartoons

| Readers 71

Here’s a selection of cartoons and sketches etched out during the Alliance conference, including some renderings of Alliance’s new generation of politicians.                                        Judith Cochrane MLA (above) introduced a selection of the youthful candidates who will be standing this May. Naomi Long MP said of them:   “They may be young politicians, but they’re politicians, and of some caliber.”   Nuala McAllister (@NualaMcAllister) …

Read more…

Alliance Party urges society to step forward … while it deals with past week’s comments by Anna Lo #AP2014

| Readers 191

Today’s Alliance Party conference came just days after Anna Lo’s perfectly valid – though politically thoughtless – comments about her personal views on Irish unification were reported as part of her interview with John Manley in the Irish News. It was hard to avoid the annual party member get-together being seen through an Anna Lo lens. It was the topic of conversation amongst delegates. I talked to no one who was upset by Anna’s aspiration. No matter whether accused of …

Read more…

Everything is not awesome for Alliance as they go to conference and prepare for May’s elections; though @keithbelfast puts up a spirited defence …

| Readers 78

Alliance’s party conference takes place in La Mon Hotel on Saturday. Expect to hear speeches from their Euro candidate Anna Lo, the Minister for Employment & Learning Stephen Farry (whose department failed to go away you know), as well as deputy leader and East Belfast MP Naomi Long. With the party conference so close to the May elections – though still outside the broadcasting “closed season” – expect to hear from budding council candidates wanting to make their mark on …

Read more…

What Women Want: removing barriers to full participation in politics

| Readers 125
Labour Party in Northern Ireland

Labour Party NI are holding a women’s policy conference on 22 March in The Pavilion at Stormont. The all-day event – the same day as the Alliance Party conference – is free to attend and open to non-party members and men. Under the title of What Women Want? the organisers want to discuss “real solutions to barriers to full participation in politics”. In Bronagh Hinds’ chapter of Everyday Life After the Irish Conflict: The Impact of Devolution and Cross-Border Cooperation …

Read more…

Workers Party NI Conference – The Left Response #wp13

| Readers 208
Workers Party SECT ARIA NISM election poster

The smaller party conferences are often more unpredictable and less stage managed. Contributions from the platform and the floor tend to be much more forthright. The social scene at many of the party conferences – particularly the SDLP – trumps the business in the hall. With the smaller groups, the social and political are combined, with banter and the odd heckle accompanying the serious business of the day. On Saturday afternoon the Workers Party held their Northern Ireland conference in …

Read more…

Cartoon – A hard weekend (#dup13)

| Readers 98

Pet Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

DUP conference roundup #dup13

| Readers 154

Much about the DUP conference felt very familiar. The traditional route cross country to La Mon Hotel. The full to overflowing car park. The roar of applause from party members who adore their leader. The lack of mobile coverage … and the hotel wifi that that promised much but seemed to quickly run out of DHCP addresses and left the conference isolated in its Castlereagh bubble like an episode of Under the Dome (albeit without the guns). Lunchtime was staggered …

Read more…

Robinson: “We must not allow ourselves to be defined by the problems we face but by the opportunities that we have…”

| Readers 62

I guess the party formerly known as the ‘kings of messaging’ would lose some of their narrative touch after six years in government. Yet some of the DUP party leader’s speech is worth highlighting… Starting with, erm, ‘things are not as bad as they may seem…” Real progress is being made. We sometimes need to lift our gaze from the close and immediate and fix our eyes on a longer and wider horizon to see just how much and how …

Read more…

Learning Together: NI21 Party Conference

| Readers 675

Learning Together: Maximising Common Education NI21 Party Conference by Allan Leonard for Northern Ireland Foundation 16 November 2013 At the NI21 inaugural party conference at the Europa Hotel, I chaired a fringe meeting to explore how shared and integrated education could be increased in Northern Ireland, and what potential role NI21 could have here. The panellists were: Mark Baker (Programme Manager, QUB Centre for Shared Education) Noreen Campbell (Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education) Kathleen Gormley (Principal, Hazelwood …

Read more…

NI21 inaugural conference launches some policies & starts the job of converting supporters to votes

| Readers 137

On Saturday NI21 started their quest to turn supporters into advocates, to get members to realise that paying a tenner to join the party was only a fraction of the effort and sacrifice that will be required over the next couple of years. For supporters it was a chance to pick up their NI21 lapel badges, hear senior party members outline their vision, and meet other interested people living in their constituency. NI21’s core team should be very pleased with …

Read more…

SDLP need a ‘violent storm’ or two to learn how to sail a ‘ship of war’…

| Readers 95

I remember being asked, rather pointedly by one leading Pol Corr why I even bothered turning up for the SDLP’s Newcastle conference which elected Margaret Ritchie as party leader. I was then told, in no uncertain terms, “they don’t matter any more” This is the wilderness pit that the likes of the SDLP and Ulster Unionists have been cast into by the media. Getting out of it won’t be quick or easy. For now the chosen tactic is to slowly …

Read more…

Poetry, space, aliens, Haass & kicking arse – finally some unscripted colour and passion at #sdlp13!

| Readers 96

Light relief came at the SDLP conference when party member Paul Hoban got up onto the platform to support the party’s two Haass talks representatives with a poetic – and eccentric – contribution: A missionary Yankee called Haass Was given a difficult task. Unite extremists […] to respect each’s past No deal, so plan B comes to pass. The people were angry Haass enforcer flew in The non-talking leaders launched into space “Stay up there ‘til you settle” he said …

Read more…

SDLP conference – a party ill at ease with itself over opposition & strategy #sdlp13

| Readers 401

Over half the motions at the SDLP policy-making annual conference were addressed on Friday afternoon and evening. Participation in debate was sporadic and the numbers of delegates in the hall were low compared to the number catching up in the hotel corridors and social areas. One observer recalled that not much more than 50 people were in the hall for Friday’s health debate, and a fifth of them were lobbyists! That was a large attendance compared with mid-morning on Saturday. …

Read more…