Oh! For flat sake!

SINN Féin is to give up its two London flats in what the party leadership says was an exercise in getting value for money.

It means that the £9,000 per month towards the flats will no longer be paid and MPs visiting London will book hotel rooms instead.

It is tempting to look in a couple of years time to see what the actual saving would be, but that would be churlish and only the sort of person who thinks Gerry and Co were claiming for property they didn’t really use or need would suggest such a thing…

Stormy waters ahead

THE UUP/Tory match up is heading for stormy waters according to media reports.

Conservative plans to introduce more female and Roman Catholic candidates, it has been suggested, could cause dissension within the Ulster Unionist ranks.

But before putting the brakes on the idea, perhaps Ulster Unionists might consider the fact that they would be hard-pushed to do any worse no matter who they field.

Five year plan

A LONG time ago in the USSR – for younger readers that was Russia with knobs on - someone decreed that there should be five year plans to ensure planned development.

This week the Ulster Unionists - in their party leader’s absence (Sir Reg is out of the country) and without recourse to their Conservative bed fellows (you know, that lot that may be in power next year) announced their belief that there should be a five year plan to devolve policing. It is to be called a ‘test period’.

The plan, involving ways and means to extract more money from the cash-strapped Treasury, appeals to conspiracy theorists… and the SDLP…as a sign that the DUP would use the UUP opposition, to devolution of policing and justice, as a way of stopping it without being caught at the scene of the crime.

The Ulster Unionist plan appeared in the document ‘Putting it Right’. Disappointingly for conspiracy theorists, much of the document was about criticising the DUP (or was this a cunning double bluff?!?) and the planning for financial planning of Northern Ireland’s planned economy. Did I mention there was a plan in there somewhere?

But there is a fatal flaw in calling for urgent cost savings – the DUP wants to slash Government departments, which under D’Hondt would mean less Ministerial posts for the Ulster Unionists.

Welcome to NI

NEW PSNI Chief Constable (elect) Matt Baggott looked pretty pleased with himself after landing the top spot here – but one has to wonder what he has thought about since signing on the dotted line.

As a devout signed up Christian, he ticked the DUP’s box; and as an advocate of community policing he ticked the Sinn Féin box.

At which point DUP or Sinn Féin is ticked off by Baggot is a matter of when as to opposed to if; and he no doubt will be ticked off by their contrary attitudes on a regular basis.

As he reflected after his appointment, one wonders whether he took a deep breath and wondered what he had gotten himself into.

Radio talk shows had atheists crying foul over his appointment and dissident republican supporters claiming armed struggle would continue.

Then comes the policing of so-called contentious parades…and then the controversy over the use of Tasers…and then devolution of policing and justice…and then…

A word of advice to Mr Baggott - take the attitude of Sir Hugh Orde and go on TV/radio once a month, disagree with everyone and agree with yourself. It pays to keep as many people as confused as possible as often as possible.

So here we are once more…

SUMMER’S final fling is upon us; the last few weeks to scrape together to get the children new school clothes, wonder how to pay the holiday credit card bill, and yawn at what is now becoming the traditional end of August Parades’ Commission row.

But as this is a new media age we live in, campaigning for and against parades has moved into cyberspace.

The planned Rasharkin parade by the loyal orders this weekend has been labelled contentious and a Parades’ Commission ruling to allow it has been both criticised and welcomed (depending on which of the proverbial sides you may or may not be on).

But there have been extensive tweets from a Twitter on the issue. Sinn Féin MLA, Daithí McKay has as of Friday morning posted 12 Tweets on the parade.

From these Tweets we learn that Daithí is generally opposed to the Parades’ Commission determination, and has given interviews to BBC Radio Ulster, Radio Foyle, UTV and U105 on the matter.

He has also attended a meeting of the Resident’s Association, Tweeted on the ‘anger’ of residents and the fact that a DUP councillor briefly attended the meeting.

The new wave of interactive politicians isn’t quite upon us yet, but the first wave is riding high on the ability to directly offer us their opinions and wisdom without the media filter…but what are we to make of the fact that Daithí is a follower on Twitter of the DUP, éirgrí, the SDLP, the UUP and DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen.

By contrast, the PUP’s Dawn Purvis Tweeted on Friday about how good the Woodstock R&B festival has been!

Why you should double check your emails.

Ooops, just received an email press release from the SDLP press office. Nothing wrong or different in that I hear you say. Nothing indeed. It was an email press release sent out on behalf of Declan O’Loan entitled ‘O’Loan wants progression on a shared future’. This was in response to the deputy First Minister’s visit to Rathlin Island. Again nothing wrong with that.

It was a nice press release. Except that this email, sent to all journos and political hacks, did not just contain the expected press release, but also the email conversation Declan had with the SDLP press office. Thankfully, Declan had the presence of mind to not to be too controversial regarding language and content of his email.

This is a real lesson in double checking what is being sent out. Also a press release should not need to be corrected and resent TWICE.

Mind you, the last line of Declan’s email read “Do a draft for me? Include some nice words about Rathlin.” I am sure the people of Rathlin are pleased.

The initial press release email, minus peoples names to prevent too many blushes, is replicated below for your delectation ..........

________________________________________________________________________

Immediate Release – Immediate Release – Immediate Release

O’LOAN WANTS PROGRESS ON A SHARED FUTURE

SDLP North Antrim MLA Declan O’Loan said he hoped Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness would take inspiration from his visit to the Corrymeela Community and bring forward the strategy for a Shared Future (Cohesion, Sharing and Integration) as a matter of real urgency.

Mr O’Loan said: “Mr McGuinness stressed how the reconciliatory work being undertaken in Corrymeela through dialogue and sharing of experiences, provides a template for us all. In fact, working for reconciliation on behalf of society is the specific responsibility of himself and First Minister Peter Robinson and the best that can be said is that progress is painfully slow, far too slow for the problems we face.

“Two years and many promises later, the First Ministers have still not published the Shared Future strategy. Like devolution of justice, it is held up by squabbling between the DUP and Sinn Fein. The DUP is threatening North South co-operation, Sinn Fein is talking tough against the Orange Order. They hold slanging matches across the floor of the Assembly and talk the language of war at election time.

“Progress towards a Shared Future will continue to move at a snail’s pace while it is held ransom by the poor state of DUP/Sinn Fein co-operation. In the spirit of Corrymeela Martin McGuinness should insist on immediate publication of the strategy so the whole community can get on with the building of a shared society defined by tolerance and respect for diversity.”

ENDS

03.08.09

Subject: FW: Deputy First Minister's Visit to Rathlin (ref. press statement)

S*****/S******,

See below from McGuinness on Rathlin.

Any thoughts on a not-too-begrudgery response to McGuinness along the lines of the contradiction between the nice words about Corrymeela "The work being undertaken in Corrymeela mirrors much of what we as an Executive strive to achieve in terms of building a shared society defined by tolerance and respect for diversity",

and some of the realities :

failure to agree on devolution of j and p,
no cohesion, sharing and integration strategy, (though avoid the anorak language if possible),
slanging each other across the chamber
Robinson threatening N-S bodies
What did McGuinness say about the Orange Order?
DUP "beat Sinn Fein" language at election time
etc, etc.

Do a draft for me? Include some nice words about Rathlin.
Declan

It’s all getting a wee bit weird…

IT is, of course, the time of year that news planners refer to as the silly season – that time when the headlines are made up of the improbable, the laughable and the downright silly.

And if you were to listen to the news headlines on Thursday you may have thought that the silly season was firmly entrenched.

To review…

Monday: July rioting over an Orange Order march – situation normal.

Tuesday: follow-up disturbances and rioters criticised by Gerry Kelly – not that normal a couple of years back but relatively normal now.

Wednesday: minor rioting, condemnation from usual suspects – situation normal.

Thursday: Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness emerge from Downing Street with Robinson saying that if Brown writes the right cheque we’ll have policing and devolution in place by autumn – shurely shome mishtake there!

No – it wasn’t the devil’s buttermilk talking (DUP speak for alcoholic beverages) but was rather a straight-faced statement that the devolution of policing and justice was on its way. The First Minister even said that it would be better than that Direct Rule nonsense.

How Martin McGuinness managed to keep a grin off his face is unknown.

The situation will return to normal when Jim Allister gets all shrill and strident claiming that every elected politician in Northern Ireland has sold ‘the country’ out.

And more silliness

THE esteemed MP and MLA for West Belfast that is Gerry Adams, has made what must rank as one of the strangest statements of his career by offering up a political analysis (Sinn Fein always have one of those handy) of the road to a united Ireland.

The Sinn Fein leader was speaking in Westminster as part of an international campaign for Irish re-unification, where he said that the Orange Order would have a role in a new Ireland and that “Orange marches, albeit on the basis of respect and cooperation, will continue in a United Ireland if that is the wish of the Orange."

Whatever his reasoning (unionists, he claims, would make up 20% of the electorate in a united Ireland, meaning they would be a strange type of unionist…opposed to the union they are in and hearkening for a union they are not in), Gerry must have finally lost the plot. Does he think that his analysis would have members of the loyal orders clamouring to parade along O’Connell Street, march through Drogheda to honour Cromwell, followed by a swift dander along Tallaght’s streets? Or that ‘Kick the pope’ flute bands would, by his logic, gleefully sign up for their Irish citizenship to make sure that they can try and blag some Euros in grant aid to teach the ‘Sash’ in Gaeltacht schools?

Robbo nice chap shocker!

THERE was more silliness as it emerged that Garvaghy Road residents in Portadown thought that First Minister Peter Robinson was a nice chap who was willing to play ‘honest broker’ in the ongoing Drumcree dispute.

Residents rep Brendan MacCionnaith declared that Robbo was not going to be a proxy for Orangeism, and the First Minister said that a meeting between the two sides was possible under the chairmanship of new Parade’s Commissioner head, Rena Shepherd.

So…to get this straight: A DUP minister has been cautiously hailed by nationalist residents in Portadown; and Orange Order representatives may soon be meeting the chair of an organisation they refused to recognise.

If this is silly season, we could all do with a little more silliness.

Brendan again

Brendan MacCionnaith, however, briefly got over his brush with silliness. After the Ardoyne rioting, he swapped his Garvaghy Road hat for his Eirgri headwear as he claimed that the PSNI attacked ‘peaceful protestors’ in the Ardoyne in North Belfast, and that Sinn Fein has sold out the nationalist community.

Brendan could just be rivalling Jim Allister in the ‘all Northern Ireland’s elected politicians are dirty sell-outs’ chart-topping statements.

Of course, that the ‘peaceful protestors’ were criticised by Ardoyne residents and seemed to have had on hand petrol bombs, blast bombs, fireworks, firearms (including one rifle they ‘lost’ when children found it) is in Brendan’s eyes irrelevant and not worthy of comment.

In American military slang, Monday was Northern Ireland in SNAFU mode – Situation Normal All…… Up. (Fill in the blank word beginning with ‘f’ as you see fit.)