Ruth Patterson

Soapbox: DUP’s vulnerability re cosy relationship with Sinn Fein, will rapidly decrease

Soapbox on May 12, 2016, 8:39 am

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Post-election thoughts from Jamie Bryson who was campaign manager for the independent Unionist candidate in South Belfast Ruth Patterson. There is little doubt that this years Assembly election was a bitterly disappointing experience for Unionists seeking to challenge the dominance of the DUP. There must be a pragmatic realisation that the DUP’s vulnerability on their flank, in terms of their cosy relationship with Sinn Fein, will rapidly decrease within the next 5-10 years. Those within Sinn Fein with a background …

Unionist support for flag protests has dwindled: time for a new strategy?

Soapbox on January 22, 2016, 11:00 am

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Ruth Patterson’s newly appointed campaign manager for the next Assembly election is Jamie Bryson. Here on Slugger he argues that the time is over for protest and that a new strategy must be found to raise concerns of working class loyalists. There has been much discussion and debate in recent days about a planned Union flag protest to be held on St Patrick’s day. The protest is billed as a 12 hour vigil. Protest is a powerful tool to articulate your …

Patterson: “We hounded David Trimble for far less”

David McCann on October 23, 2015, 11:45 am

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Good story by Sam McBride in today’s News Letter with comments from DUP Councillor, Ruth Patterson about the party going back into the Executive. In the piece Patterson says; As a former member of the UDR, and someone who has been in touch with many innocent victims over recent days, it deeply saddens me and gives me cause for great concern that the party have decided to return to government with Sinn Fein, who the leadership of the DUP have …

Cartoon – Cartoon – Ruth(less) Resignations

Brian Spencer on October 7, 2015, 4:44 pm

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While DUP ministers continue their in-out-in-out, Hokey Cokey resignation-renomination routine, Ruth Patterson has gone all out with a traditional resignation. 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/

A history lesson from Ruth Patterson

The Firemen on February 4, 2015, 10:02 am

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During this week’s Belfast City Council debate on the placing of the Union Flag on driving licences (something that the council has absolutely no control over), firebrand DUP Councillor Ruth Patterson decided to enlighten all those present with her interpretation of history and how it relates to the vexed subject of ‘flegs’. Scholars may be somewhat alarmed by Councillor Patterson’s interpretation of history as indeed may some of her creationist colleagues in the DUP who subscribe to the view that …

“Sit down and stop acting like a petulant child.”

Pete Baker on March 3, 2014, 11:13 pm

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According to the BBC’s Mark Simpson, former Provisional IRA OC in the Maze Prison, now Sinn Féin leader in Belfast City Council, Cllr Jim McVeigh, objected tonight when DUP Cllr Ruth Patterson put on a Linfield football scarf while speaking on a motion calling on the council to honour out-going Linfield manager David Jeffrey. From the BBC report The monthly meeting of the council on Monday was held up for more than 10 minutes as a result of complaints from Mr McVeigh. …

DUP illustrate unionist leadership as #RuthPatterson is in court

John Ó Néill on August 23, 2013, 12:57 pm

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Yesterday Ruth Patterson attended court for her Facebook post and provided an interesting piece of optics for the television cameras. In a considered move, a variety of DUP ministers and other public representatives, including Edwin Poots, Sammy Wilson, Jonathan Bell and Guy Spence (to name a few), attended the court hearing or accompanied her to and from the court, clearly with an eye on the cameras. Other unionist glitterati in attendance included Willie Frazer and others taunting Patterson to get …

“The problem with having a law against everything…”

Mick Fealty on August 3, 2013, 12:37 pm

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Priceless insight from Newton Emerson in today’s round of the week in the Irish News in which he highlights a key flaw in Tony Blair’s signal legislative response to the 7/7 bombings in 2005, the Terrorism Act of 2006, is that with its redefinition of ‘incitement’ as ‘encouragement’ the burden of proof has become so incredibly low that the choice of when to use it (or more interestingly) when not to use it “becomes a purely political act”… Mick FealtyMick …

#RuthPatterson: “Forgive me for restating what I’ve said so many times before…”

Mick Fealty on August 2, 2013, 4:38 pm

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When all around are losing the head, the one and only Ian Knox in today’s Irish News… 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

#RuthPatterson: Would I shed a tear, No.

John Ó Néill on August 1, 2013, 4:41 pm

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At one level, social media and politicians don’t mix. At another it merely allows them to share their innermost thoughts with us, with the unfortunate effect of making us all stupider by having read them. Yesterday, Ruth Patterson responded to a post from Brian Ulsterman on Facebook as below. [I’ve updated this with the full text and image, I’d originally …

Belfast’s built heritage: under threat, or hindering progress?

John Ó Néill on November 22, 2011, 1:15 am

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The fate of the Swanston Linen Warehouse (aka the Athletic Stores) in Queen Street now very much hangs in the balance as Belfast City Council has signalled it’s approval of the decision to demolish the building and replace it with a mixed use developement of apartments and retail space. The Belfast Telegraph is reporting that a vote of the city council’s Town Planning Committee saw a motion to refer it back to the Planning Service backed by the Alliance and Sinn Féin …

Did Ruth Patterson not get Peter’s memo?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 27, 2011, 1:30 pm

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The general opinion on Slugger – never mind media commentators and conversations in pubs and livings rooms – has been that the DUP have been edging towards the centre ground. Throughout the election campaign, Peter Robinson avoided criticising the deputy First Minister and generally avoided needling Sinn Fein – and Martin McGuinness reciprocated with his frequent references to “Peter and I”. While pockets remain in the DUP that still articulate their distrust and discomfort at working so closely with Sinn …