party conference – Page 4 – Slugger O'Toole

McDonnell, the conference and the SDLP’s unhappy muddle. #sdlp13

David McCann on November 9, 2013, 5:11 pm

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This was Alasdair McDonnell’s third speech as SDLP leader. If you watched on TV the poor audio for the first ten minutes would have forced you to switch off but when the BBC managed to sort out its technical difficulties the quick reality was that the viewer was not missing much of anything anyway. I always thought I understood what the SDLP believed in, but watching McDonnell’s speech I came away confused as I was subjected to bland statements and mixed …

#UUP2013 Legacy proposals for mental health hub, education and the economy along with attacks on DUP and SF

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2013, 10:00 pm

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UUP members seemed on a high at Saturday’s conference. They were relaxed and not on edge. They’d put the party’s internal troubles (“shrinking to grow”) behind them. Not a single mention of Basil, John, NI21, David McNarry or even Lord Maginnis. No major slip-ups. No longer any talk about Mike Nesbitt taking over as Minister for Regional Development. Though under the calm water, there was evidence of some thrashing over council candidate selection and some older councillors changing their minds …

The fear of ‘them’: “They start a process of neutralisation” and then “they start imposing their Irish language [and] their Sinn Fein republican agenda onto everyone”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2013, 10:12 am

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The UUP suffer from the same problem as their larger rival: there’s a tension between the leader’s more moderate language and the more traditional and hard line rhetoric of other elected representatives. Here’s a portion from Mike Nesbitt’s speech as party leader: [Mike Nesbitt] I say this to the pro-Union community: It is time to get on the front foot. Be confident. But be generous too. I am not the sort of Unionist who feels threatened by an Irish Tricolour. …

Lord Empey attacks Alliance Party for flags, participation in Irish Constitutional Convention and issues warning to Dublin government

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 19, 2013, 10:19 pm

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Listening back to Lord Empey’s opening statement at today’s UUP conference, his comments seemed worthy of a post on their own. In his nine minute address he predictably attacked the Alliance Party’s role in the Belfast City Council Union flag vote, explained why they shouldn’t be viewed as Unionist, and questioned their role in the Irish Constitutional Convention. He also laid down a white line over allowing Northerners to vote in Irish elections that the Irish Government shouldn’t cross if …

PUP Conference encouraged to be self-critical; recognises another marginalised community & adopts pro-Equal Marriage policy

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 13, 2013, 9:05 am

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The PUP conference left Belfast this year and headed to Brownlow House in Lurgan. More motions, more members speaking up to propose or support those motions, more women, more men in suits and ties, more delegates than recent years with lots of new faces from the new Mid-Ulster branch. If was a conference that valued protest but was told to concentrate more on politics. Co-operation and cross-party dialogue was necessary to deliver solutions. PUP Belfast city councillor Dr John Kyle …

Party conferences 2013/2014 (updated)

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 8, 2013, 5:52 pm

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Workers Party NI conference table sweets and agenda

This year’s local party conference season will run in the shadow of the Haass talks. The content of speeches as well as the mood of delegates will be combed over to assess party aspirations and assessments of progress. The parties will also be turning their messaging towards the European Election on 22 May 2014. The Green Party feted their Euro candidate – Ross Brown – way back at their 2012 conference. Earlier this year Sinn Féin re-selected Martina Anderson. The …

Peter Robinson: in 50 years’ time the votes of the culturally Irish will help ensure union remains safe

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 27, 2013, 5:08 pm

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Peter Robinson light-heartedly suggested that DUP’s first ever spring policy conference today in Fermanagh “means that the G8 Summit has now been demoted to the second most important event in Fermanagh this year!” The full speech is available from the DUP website. The DUP leader reassured delegates that Nigel Dodds “will be back at work on Monday and happily he’s been given a clean bill of health”. He hoped that the health scare would “bring about a greater understanding of …

Alliance Party Conference preview #apc13

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 1, 2013, 12:15 pm

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The Alliance Party returns to La Mon Hotel on Saturday for its annual conference. Back at the beginning of December, Alliance’s role in the Belfast City Hall flag decision – and the subsequent intimidation of elected representatives and damage to property – perversely looked like overall it might boost the party’s support. However as the protests dragged on over Christmas and into January and February, Alliance are less and less associated with the story; instead unionist fora, unionist unity and …

DUP conference: dogmas, Mexican bandits, turkeys, opposition, outreach #dup12

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 24, 2012, 11:36 pm

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The DUP is undeniably changing. Ten years ago who would have thought that purveyors of the trade organisation representing sellers of the devil’s buttermilk – Pubs of Ulster – would be sponsoring a drinks reception at the DUP conference? Who would have predicted that a Irish government minister would be welcomed to the DUP conference and that delegates would speak highly of his understanding of the minutiae of CAP reform? Could you imagine a Conservative Secretary of State being willing …

TUV’s Allister on Executive: “dismal failure, woeful squander and hopeless disconnect”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 17, 2012, 12:50 pm

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The TUV met in Cookstown for their conference today. As well as speeches by the party chairman, party president and party leader, there were 15 minute contributions from outsiders on the subject of economy & business, economy & agriculture, culture parading, health abortion and sport boxing. Jim Allister’s full speech wasn’t available in advance, only some short extracts. Based on past performance, he’s likely to divert from his script and extemporise anyway. I’m sure there’ll be a report on Sunday …

Reflections on the SDLP conference and Alasdair McDonnell’s speech

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 10, 2012, 8:53 pm

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Alasdair McDonnell speaking at 2012 SDLP Conference

After Delores Kelly naughtily referred to opposition in her deputy leader’s speech, all ears where pinned to see whether party leader Alasdair McDonnell would reciprocate. But there wasn’t a single mention. Instead there was a critique of other parties that would have been better left to a more sharp-tongued colleague and little to inspire party members other than references to past influence and bright ideas that took more than ten years to deliver. Don’t get me wrong; the mood in …

SDLP Conference: Change can only come from the bottom up…

Mick Fealty on November 10, 2012, 8:32 am

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Comrade Stalin in the comments under Alan’s makes a reasonable point about the SDLP’s belated talk of opposition, given that party’s rather rigid come-what-may espousal of a settlement that crowds out any oppositionist voice. Yet this is what happens the democratic world over when parties change their leadership. The change of personnel gives them latitude to change direction. For my part its inclusion in Kelly’s speech was an smart move on their part: One, it’s flying a kite, not policy. …

SDLP shows signs of life … and opposition

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on November 9, 2012, 10:18 pm

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If the number of motions raised by party branches was an indication of strength and fervour, the SDLP would have forever lost their South Down and Londonderry Party nickname. Unlike unionist party conferences, the SDLP’s annual shindig is a policy body as well as a public relations vehicle. Outside of the Parliamentary Assembly Group which raised around one third of the 118 motions, Belfast branches lead the lobbying table: 9 Balmoral 8 Anderstown 6 Youth 6 Omagh 5 Rowallane (South …

Two Es in Green – Education and Economy – and a pot-shot at Minister Poots

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 27, 2012, 6:07 pm

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Today’s Green Party NI conference at Stranmillis College was dominated by education and the economy rather than environmental matters. Party leader Steven Agnew reckoned that the party’s policies on environmental matters were well established. In a series of motions during the morning private session, party delegates voted in favour of motions that called for “a single, publicly funded, secular education system”, supported “a system of secondary education based on community centre campuses” (as opposed to the use of academic selection) …

“The ideological compass in Northern Ireland is pointing towards Narnia and the media are writing the script”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2012, 8:39 pm

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My personal highlight from a morning spent at the Workers Party NI conference was Brian McDermott’s barnstorming speech asking What exactly does our media do? [MP3, PDF copy] While I disagree with some of his logic and thinking, he did express a view that is shared by many in Northern Ireland. I wonder whether any of the local media will dare to respond next week by inviting Brian on to discuss his views on air? listen to ‘Workers Party’s Brian …

Northern Ireland Deserves Better – Workers Party NI conference #wpniconf

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 20, 2012, 5:12 pm

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Workers Party NI conference table sweets and agenda

Bang on time – if Belfast was using Central European Time – the Workers Party Northern Ireland started an hour late, a tardiness shared with all other left-leaning party conferences I’ve attended. Held in Methodist church’s Grosvenor Hall on Belfast’s Glengall Street, the party have about 50 delegates present this morning. The conference theme’s theme “Northern Ireland Deserves Better” was explored across a range of issues including housing, education, tax avoidance, the media, outdoor advertising and was supported in the …

PUP conference – Irish language, welfare reform, parading, Matt Baggott and the leader’s speech

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 13, 2012, 10:04 pm

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Billy Hutchinson - newly elected as PUP leader

Today was Billy Hutchinson’s second conference as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party. His taking over the reins last year was seen as a last gasp attempt to keep the party open for business. The number of people attending the conference was up this year: I’d estimate a hundred people were in the Ramada Encore room, though not all had yet paid their party dues. The PUP seeks to give working class loyalists a voice. The big question for the …

UUP Conference: Mike Nesbitt’s leader speech

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 22, 2012, 2:44 pm

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UUP gavel

In his first speech as leader to the UUP Conference, Mike Nesbitt outlined his vision to end sectarianism, claimed to understand social justice, and spoke frequently about ‘lost opportunities’. The UUP was a party for everyone who was pro-Union. In a very long speech (45 minutes) he called for “a road map for the way ahead for the next generation … that shows where we want to go, and identifies the best route to get there”. He characterised the 10-20 …

Party conferences dates, venues and a thought for exhibitors who want to wrestle control back from the parties

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on September 11, 2012, 7:47 pm

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UUP gavel

A quick post to remind political conference followers about the start of the conference season. UUP are tempting metaphors and analogies with their conference on 21 (members only) and 22 (public sessions) September in Titan Belfast. Last year Secretary of State Owen Paterson popped into the conference and said a few words on his way past; Mike Nesbitt gave a Cameron-style speech on the economy without notes challenging the party to: … become net contributors to Her Majesty’s Treasury. We …

Round-up of today’s Alliance party conference [including audio of speeches]

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on April 21, 2012, 8:24 pm

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Alliance shifted their conference this year to a larger venue. More exhibition space, more spaces to chat, a larger hall, and a lot more parking. It was a good move and party members and exhibitors alike seemed universally positive about the new venue. The mood was upbeat though definitely not smug. A pride was taken in Alliance values being translated into policy decisions in two departments. Some big characters who shaped the party’s policies and growth were remembered: Oliver Napier, …