political parties

Will the potential deconstruction of the DUP see the beginning of the end of these monolithic political partnerships in Northern Ireland?

Soapbox on June 15, 2021, 10:33 am

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Cllr Brian Pope, Party Group Leader (Alliance), Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Whether the latest DUP upheavals will result in a fractured party is of less interest than the impact it might have on its uneasy alliance with Sinn Féin. Ever since the St Andrew’s Agreement was signed, in 2006, we have been caught in a grip of an apparently immovable object – that being the DUP / Sinn Féin coalition. Some may herald the success of this uneasy partnership, …

Erm, DUP leader rounds on party critics and calls them ‘puffed up lemmings’…

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2014, 4:31 pm

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I’ve been pretty quiet on the rumours emanating from the DUP. Mostly because most of it is unattributable. But, whatever went on in the last few weeks, this is not good politics: DUP leader Peter Robinson has called critics within his party “people with the strategic vision of a lemming”. Mr Robinson would not be drawn on naming individuals whom he said were “puffed up by their own importance”. “I have made the comment and unlike some others, I haven’t …

“a party that does not understand for what it is fighting has no right to win…”

Mick Fealty on December 19, 2013, 4:09 pm

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Ever since spending nine hours in the basement of Belfast central Library scouring the pages of the News Letter over the Famine periood, I’ve been a big fan of the direct style of Victorian journalism. This extract is from page 9 of The Spectator magazine in August 1891: We suppose it is not, on the whole, disadvantageous for each party to have its turn in Opposition and in Office, in the responsibilities of criticism and in the responsibilities of administration. …

Time for political nationalism to ‘man up’ on law and order?

Mick Fealty on October 31, 2013, 10:40 am

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There are no end of northern nationalists prepared to resort to law when it suits their cause. Equality laws for instance provide a ready stick to beat the backwoods men of the DUP when it comes to some socially conservative policy. Yet so far only a nationalist minister, Conor Murphy, has been brought to book for actual discrimination in an administration which is getting more and more obsessive (and inventive when the need arises) with a need to preserve public …

Basil and John need a name for their New Party: Can you help?

Gerry Lynch on February 28, 2013, 11:51 am

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Renegade former Ulster Unionist MLAs Basil McCrea and John McCallister have now publicly announced that they intend to set up a new political party for those disaffected with the political direction of the UUP under Mike Nesbitt’s leadership. At this point, the new party still needs a name. As both Basil and John lived through the fiasco of UCUNF, I can see why they aren’t rushing into a choosing a name for the party. I’m sure that SDLP activists today …

Why are Sinn Fein’s ratings in political game higher than the Unionists’?

Brian Walker on January 11, 2013, 9:05 am

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The perception filling the airwaves that Sinn Fein do a better job of representing the people than the unionist parties needs examination. On the one hand everybody seems to believe it or explain it by claiming SF had the easier task – “Catholics had it all to gain; the Prods could only lose.” The most fervent believers in SF superiority are of course the loyalists, following the old rule of political behaviour that alienated people believe their opponents more than their own side. …

“…this DUP attempt to shift responsibility to Dublin, is a fiction too far.”

Mick Fealty on September 25, 2012, 8:31 am

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Fascinating OpEd in yesterday’s Irish News from Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin. It’s the first time since I remember that a senior political leader in the Republic has taken the gloves off with anyone in Northern Ireland, let alone the First and deputy First Minister. So what is it that’s got his goat? Nothing less than the DUP’s motion in the Assembly (hot on the heels of the SDLP using the same mechanism to embarrass both ‘ruling parties’) criticising the …

Learning from the Tories: A road map to recovery for parties in trouble?

Mick Fealty on March 17, 2012, 12:50 pm

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Noel Whelan’s op ed piece is an intelligent structural rip from Tim Bale’s address to the recent Fianna Fail Ard Fheis on lessons to be drawn from the Tory come back after more than 13 years in the political wilderness.. Professor Bale was drawing on his recent study The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron… As Whelan suggests there are lessons here for all former incumbent parties here, north as well as south… You should really read the whole thing… …

Your questions for the SDLP leadership candidates?

Mick Fealty on November 2, 2011, 11:10 am

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As Alan notes, Paddy Power (the people who brought you Martin McGuinness at 3/1 for the Aras) now has Alex Attwood as favourite to win. To be fair that probably reflects a good campaign for Alex, and would considerably turn the table on our crowd sourced predictions from a few weeks ago. Indeed the Irish bookmaker has brought him a hell of a long way from 14/1. In any case, we’d like to put a standard four questions to all …

Politicians have to maintain the illusion there is no miracle they can’t perform

Kealan J Flynn on July 12, 2011, 8:32 am

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Events in Roscommon these past weeks show that politicians will never hesitate in making a step ladder of the people to get at a vote that could go to an opponent. The proximate political problem about the decision to axe 24/7 A&E at the County Hospital stems from the reckless promise made by the Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly to retain medical, surgical and other services, and to reinstate 24/7 A&E if necessary; and the fateful decision of …

Donegal SW: Runners and (expected) riders…

Mick Fealty on November 4, 2010, 11:42 am

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So today the Irish government will move the writ for the Donegal SW. Wikipedia already has a page up and ready to go, with three candidates already named and ready to go: Frank McBrearty for Labour, Pearse Doherty for Sinn Fein and Barry O’Neill for Fine Gael. Its widely expected that the Fianna Fail candidate will be Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill, when the party gets around to holding its convention. In terms of choosing winners, keep your money in your …