UUP – Page 23 – Slugger O'Toole

The jury is out (for some)

Blank on June 17, 2010, 2:28 pm | Readers 5

With the publication of the Saville Report focus is now shifting to the possibility of prosecutions, some paratroopers are already under investigation by the Public Prosecutions Service over perjury at the inquiry but it is unknown if any criminal investigations and/or prosecutions will take place over events on the day. The DUP’s Peter Robinson has called for no prosecutions I think from a political point of view I have to say that I do not believe that there is anything …

Welsh Conservative MP told he must ‘double job’…

Mick Fealty on June 10, 2010, 4:39 pm | Readers 13

The DUP also rather helpfully point us in the direction of Alun Cairns, who as a sitting AM initially followed what seemed like party policy when he won the Westminster seat for the Vale of Glamorgan and offered to resign his seat of South Wales West (for clarity that’s Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot and Bridgend). Update: Heads up from Dewi, here’s what Politics Cymru has to say on the matter of his likely replacement.. An understandable decision when, the party’s …

George Young on SF expenses: “Ahem, that would be an ecumenical matter…”

Mick Fealty on June 10, 2010, 3:11 pm | Readers 7

This is very interesting. The line on Sinn Fein’s expenses for their abstaining MPs from Sir George Young today in Parliament is no longer a matter for the Government but for the newly Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA). Why is that interesting? Well, because, so far as I can see, the IPSA’s only role is to decide whether the expenses are legitimate, not who can claim. The inclusion of funding for Sinn Fein was taken by Parliament under the direction …

“Ulster Unionists have never been adept at gauging the public mood…”

Mick Fealty on May 20, 2010, 1:50 pm | Readers 2

An English friend who knows more than the average Englishman about Northern Irish politics asked me in all seriousness, just a few days before the last election, whether the UUP was now anti Agreement. Well, I explained, not exactly and yet it looked that way if you were taking seriously anything Reg said (which was not a lot) on politics in the run up to the election. Davy Adams goes a little further than my English friend (or I would) …

Conservatives considering their options in Northern Ireland?

Mick Fealty on May 17, 2010, 9:32 pm | Readers 2

Interesting news from Jeff Peel on status of the Conservative party staffers in Northern Ireland. Slugger cannot confirm whether it is true or not, but we understand the Conservatives did indeed expend a great deal of time, money and energy on trying to help get Ulster Unionist (as well as their own) candidates elected in the latest general election. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the …

Reg Empey to step down from leadership

Mick Fealty on May 15, 2010, 2:33 pm | Readers 21

It’s not clear what the last election ever held for Reg Empey. Had he won, he was already committed to stepping down from his ministry and membership of the Assembly. With his intention to resign now clear are now where we would have been regardless of whether he’d won his seat, or not. The big question exercising everyone inside the party is: who next? Despite the poor look on not winning a single Westminster seats, it’s actual vote (if you …

Conservatives and/or Unionists?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on May 12, 2010, 12:00 pm | Readers 13

The Ulster Unionist Party Executive meets on Saturday, but will the key issues of Sir Reg’s leadership and the relationship with the Conservatives be resolved? Will David Cameron make a flying visit to keep his promise to “be back in a week”? And what will the NI Conservatives do if the UCUNF linkup collapses?

Don’t speak too soon – Foster & McNarry

Blank on May 7, 2010, 9:24 pm | Readers 7

Ulick noted a link to the biggest laugh of the election. Bairbe de Brún rides out some misplaced Unionist triumphalism and hours later joined the crowd cheering Gildernew’s victory. Arlene may have punched the air, should have saved it for a wall. Link Blank

Winners and losers

Blank on May 7, 2010, 6:05 pm | Readers 8

A few weeks ago I tried to present some ways the parties could judge if the election was a success or not. DUP Retaining seats all their Westminster seats will be the main aim. Adding a seat in South Belfast, as a full gain or countering a single seat loss elsewhere, would also be an excellent result. The can’t expect a gain in vote in percentage or real terms from the last Westminster election as the TUV are now involved …

The prospects of voluntary coalition

Kilsally on May 5, 2010, 2:16 pm | Readers 148

Video: Peter Robinson on improving devolution Voluntary coalition seems to be a shibboleth connected with Jim Allister and TUV but in reality all three Unionist parties would prefer voluntary coalition with some form of qualified majority voting put in place to enable a more normal form of Assembly inline with Wales & Scotland which would include a formal opposition, compared to the mandatory coalition we currently operate where nearly all the parties are in government and will remain in government …

UCUNF getting desperate as campaigning draws to close?

Blank on May 3, 2010, 12:03 pmComments Off | Readers 4

I have no idea what the UUP expected the media to do with the following innuendo laden press release issued by an Assembly Press Officer. I will note it but for obvious reasons commenting has been turned off: IMMEDIATE RELEASE Another confused outburst from Jeffrey Responding to another confused outburst from Jeffrey Donaldson concerning a mistaken story in the Financial Times an Ulster Unionist Party Spokesperson said: “Jeffrey appears to be thoroughly confused about a whole host of matters. The …

Robinson’s hope: the circular firing squad of liberal East Belfast

Mick Fealty on April 22, 2010, 11:53 am | Readers 24

Splintered’s guides are shaping up to be the blog gem of this campaign, though he’s not got as far as East Belfast yet. The common wisdom is that Robinson is safe. His majority of just 6,ooo majority in 2005 (which is towards the lower end of the scale in Northern Ireland), would be comfortable in normal times. But, for the Robinson family, these are not normal times. Here’s how it worked out last time amongst the main contenders (the nationalist …