Semi-detached polit-bureau

“he knew who really held the power in the party…”

Pete Baker on June 20, 2012, 4:41 pm

| Readers 101

BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport notes some lines of interest from former Sinn Féin MLA, Billy Leonard’s memoir, “Towards a United Ireland – an uncompleted journey”. From Mark Devenport’s blog The memoir is revealing on the discussions within Sinn Fein at the time of the Northern Bank robbery and the murder of Robert McCartney and, as he told me on Inside Politics, Mr Leonard believes the IRA’s tentacles still run through the party. He writes that “when the IRA …

“Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands that does not have National Parks”

Pete Baker on June 19, 2012, 9:52 pm

| Readers 180

The Northern Ireland Environment Minister, the SDLP’s Alex Attwood, may have a shortlist of potential National Parks – the Mournes, the Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens, and the Fermanagh Lakelands – but he doesn’t have the required legislation in place. As the BBC report notes The minister said he hopes to designate two of the three as National Parks. “Northern Ireland is the only part of these islands that does not have National Parks,” he said. “It is time to grasp …

“For much of the time, the Stormont Assembly looks more like a talking-shop.”

Pete Baker on May 29, 2012, 1:58 pm

| Readers 99

With the announcement on Girdwood [and any other business? – Ed] as a stark example of the semi-detached polit-bureau back in action, Ed Curran looks ahead The mark of the Stormont Executive has been its ability to take longer than could be imagined to arrive at decisions on many important issues. No agreed legislation means little, or nothing, to debate in the Assembly chamber. MLAs have been hard-pressed to stretch out debates in plenary sessions in recent months. For much of the …

Martin McGuinness: “This decision is a very decisive decision…”

Pete Baker on January 11, 2012, 3:16 pm

| Readers 72

…and not at all another fudge to keep the Department of Justice upright while they re-apply the same sticking plaster as last time. And as TUV leader Jim Allister said, “The Committee, of course, will lend itself to that farce.” According to the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness Mr McGuinness said the office of the first and deputy first minister was committed to tackling “the size of the assembly and the number of departments”. “The whole issue of d’Hondt will …

“The alliance is dysfunctional…”

Pete Baker on August 29, 2010, 10:42 pm

| Readers 3

Not, for once, a reference to the alliance that operates mediates our semi-detached polit-bureau – although some similarities may be apparent. This time it’s South Africa, where the BBC reports on the threatened escalation of strike action by Confederation of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi. Some one million civil servants are already on strike but Cosatu’s total affiliated membership is double that. Mr Vavi said work would also halt in the key mining and manufacturing industries, while unions …

The semi-detached polit-bureau in action

Pete Baker on July 29, 2010, 3:17 pm

| Readers 9

They just can’t help themselves… Mr McGuinness was speaking at the official opening of the first high-speed road link between Belfast and Dublin. He said: “I think Peter Robinson and I will have more good news to announce in regard to the development of the Maze/Long Kesh site. “We have actually reached agreement and we will publicly announce how we intend to take that forward over the next very short while.” As both the BBC and UTV Press Association note …

NI Minister of State confirms 2011 local elections for 26 councils

Pete Baker on June 21, 2010, 3:55 pm

| Readers 26

The BBC notes confirmation from the NI Minister of State, Hugo Swire, MP, that local elections will be held in 2011 for the existing 26 councils. The decision follows the dysfunctional NI Executive’s semi-detached polit-bureau’s failure to agree on the proposed local government reform. From the report Mr Swire said he had written to the first and deputy first ministers confirming local elections in 2011 will be held to the existing 26 councils. The Minister said: “Like many, I am disappointed …