The SDLP Leader, Mark Durkan, in a speech to the British Irish Association in Oxford called for an end to the system whereby political parties in NI fighting Assembly elections have to declare themselves as ‘unionist’ or ‘nationalist’ (or other). The system has always been discriminatory in that it means that a ‘nationalist’ or ‘unionist’ MLA is given more influence than an ‘other’.
Meanwhile, the UUP Leader, Sir Reg Empey has called for an end to the system of mandatory coalitions.
Both Empey and Durkan reckoned both had been necessary evils at the time of the Good Friday Agreement but each believed that issues could be better provided for.
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Friday, 22 August 2008
Euro Election candidates
Political anoraks are beginning to think about the European elections. The SDLP lost its seat last time and would dearly love to win one of the three seats on offer on 4 June 2009. The suggestion that they might be considering running party stalwart Alban Maginnis seems to suggest that they do not really believe winning a seat is possible. Moreover, given that Maginnis is well qualified and often suggested as a possible Policing and Justice Minister, it would seem to migitate against such a candidacy. Or perhaps it suggests that the SDLP believe that the devolution of policing and justice is highly unlikely to happen this side of 4 June 2009?
Should Maginnis become Justice Minister (before or after the Euros and regardless of whether he is the SDLP candidate) few will have served a longer political apprenticeship.
The UUP/Conservatives appear to be lining up sitting MEP Jim Nicholson as their candidate - although there are also rumours of an alternative.
Jim Allister the former DUP member and sitting MEP is determined to run again. As well as attacking the DUP for going into government with Sinn Féin, he will attempt to paint any prospective DUP candidate as a ‘vote-splitter’.
The DUP certainly seem worried about Allister and his Traditional Unionist Vote party. Apparently, Sammy Wilson and Edwin Poots have turned down the idea of running – the later in no uncertain terms – when approached privately by their party leader. Arlene Foster has publicly said she has no wish to fight the election. Nigel Dodds and Jeffrey Donaldson have also been suggested and Dodds appear to be a serious possibility. He would, of course, have to stand down from Westminster if elected.
Should Maginnis become Justice Minister (before or after the Euros and regardless of whether he is the SDLP candidate) few will have served a longer political apprenticeship.
The UUP/Conservatives appear to be lining up sitting MEP Jim Nicholson as their candidate - although there are also rumours of an alternative.
Jim Allister the former DUP member and sitting MEP is determined to run again. As well as attacking the DUP for going into government with Sinn Féin, he will attempt to paint any prospective DUP candidate as a ‘vote-splitter’.
The DUP certainly seem worried about Allister and his Traditional Unionist Vote party. Apparently, Sammy Wilson and Edwin Poots have turned down the idea of running – the later in no uncertain terms – when approached privately by their party leader. Arlene Foster has publicly said she has no wish to fight the election. Nigel Dodds and Jeffrey Donaldson have also been suggested and Dodds appear to be a serious possibility. He would, of course, have to stand down from Westminster if elected.
Alliance reaffirms its position on policing
The Alliance Party has again said it will not take a proposed policing and justice ministry at Stormont. There had been speculation over the weekend that the party may reverse a decision not to take the job and that the DUP was preparing to enter into talks with Alliance about this.
Ian Paisley Junior hasn’t gone away you know
Ian Paisley Junior seized the opportunity, as a member of the Policing Board, to respond to the attacks on police officers, by apparently saying that sooner or later a police officer would be murdered "unless the police are able to deploy ruthlessness in tracking down and wiping out these dissident members." He added that “if dissidents are shot on sight, the community will accept that it is a necessary use of lethal force to prevent dissident republicanism from growing”.
Some regarded these remarks as inflammatory but in reality the remarks and the reaction are overdone. The only way that dissidents could be ‘shot on sight’ is if they were confronted during an attack on police officers. In that situation, most people would probably agree that the police have the right to open fire. Ian Junior managed to create a headline and get an over-reaction – he must have been delighted.
Some regarded these remarks as inflammatory but in reality the remarks and the reaction are overdone. The only way that dissidents could be ‘shot on sight’ is if they were confronted during an attack on police officers. In that situation, most people would probably agree that the police have the right to open fire. Ian Junior managed to create a headline and get an over-reaction – he must have been delighted.
Ian Paisley Junior hasn’t gone away you know
Ian Paisley Junior seized the opportunity, as a member of the Policing Board, to respond to the attacks on police officers, by apparently saying that sooner or later a police officer would be murdered "unless the police are able to deploy ruthlessness in tracking down and wiping out these dissident members." He added that “if dissidents are shot on sight, the community will accept that it is a necessary use of lethal force to prevent dissident republicanism from growing”.
Some regarded these remarks as inflammatory but in reality the remarks and the reaction are overdone. The only way that dissidents could be ‘shot on sight’ is if they were confronted during an attack on police officers. In that situation, most people would probably agree that the police have the right to open fire. Ian Junior managed to create a headline and get an over-reaction – he must have been delighted.
Some regarded these remarks as inflammatory but in reality the remarks and the reaction are overdone. The only way that dissidents could be ‘shot on sight’ is if they were confronted during an attack on police officers. In that situation, most people would probably agree that the police have the right to open fire. Ian Junior managed to create a headline and get an over-reaction – he must have been delighted.
Semtex discovery sparks unease
The revelation that last week’s ‘dissident’ republican attack on police officers in Fermanagh involved the plastic explosive, semtex, certainly alarmed some people in Northern Ireland. To date, dissident attacks have largely been ambushes involved guns and a few bombs – such as the one under a police officer’s car in Co. Tyrone several months ago. This was, however, the first time that there has been official recognition that commercial explosives are in the hands of ‘dissidents’.
Hundreds of tonnes of semtex were exported to Libya between 1975 and 1981 by the manufacturers in what is now the Czech Republic. Some of this ended up in the hands of groups such as the Provisional IRA during the mid and late 1980s. The explosive has a shelf life of about 20 years so the important question is whether this is an old or new product – the police appear to believe it is old. That begs the question – given that PIRA has decommissioned – how did it come into the ‘dissidents’ possession?
Hundreds of tonnes of semtex were exported to Libya between 1975 and 1981 by the manufacturers in what is now the Czech Republic. Some of this ended up in the hands of groups such as the Provisional IRA during the mid and late 1980s. The explosive has a shelf life of about 20 years so the important question is whether this is an old or new product – the police appear to believe it is old. That begs the question – given that PIRA has decommissioned – how did it come into the ‘dissidents’ possession?
Empey outlines his vision
Having been pleasantly surprised by the media and public reaction to the announcement that the Ulster Unionists were in talks with the Conservatives about a possible merger, Sir Reg Empey, the Ulster Unionist Leader has started to sell the idea with two opinion pieces – one in the News Letter and one in the Belfast Telegraph. Apparently there has been little dissent amongst UUP members about the idea but confusion still reins amongst the Democratic Unionists.
Some of their MLAs have rushed to attack the Tories and the UUP. Interestingly, however, their MPs have not said a word in recent weeks. Nigel Dodds had originally said that the likely outcome of the next General Election was a ‘hung’ Parliament. Perhaps they have had time to read up on the more recent opinion poll evidence and that might explain the silence of the MPs.
Some of their MLAs have rushed to attack the Tories and the UUP. Interestingly, however, their MPs have not said a word in recent weeks. Nigel Dodds had originally said that the likely outcome of the next General Election was a ‘hung’ Parliament. Perhaps they have had time to read up on the more recent opinion poll evidence and that might explain the silence of the MPs.
Friday, 15 August 2008
Adams warns of collapse of power-sharing (again)
Sinn Féin have been flagging up for months how unhappy they are with the current political situation. The original ‘guideline’ date for the devolution of policing and justice was way back in May. An Irish Language Act seems unlikely in the near future either. There was some optimism when the party and the DUP announced that they had agreed on one the concept of one Justice Department and a non DUP or SF Minister. However, the issue is a long way from resolution. Alliance ruled out the idea of taking the Ministerial post in any new Department and the other parties soon start quibbling about whether there could be more that 10 Departments and whether under d’Hondt it was the SDLP’s ‘turn’.
It may be that Sinn Féin has been more uneasy by the announcement that the International Monitoring Commission is to report in September on the status on the IRA’s Army Council. Should it report the Army Council’s continued existence, in the eyes of the DUP, this would rule out movement on policing and justice for the foreseeable future. The DUP would certainly not want to see anything happen this side of the European elections, if there is no movement on this come September.
The accepted wisdom appears to be that Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin need to appear to be ‘delivering’ something if they are to keep their supporters contented. In the meantime, the party continues to block ‘normal’ business at Executive level and Gerry Adams says that the British and Irish governments must introduce new arrangements, if power-sharing at Stormont fails. Unfortunately for Mr Adams, the Irish Government is more concerned about its economy and the Lisbon Treaty than ‘the North’ these days. Gordon Brown and Labour’s problems are too many to mention but suffice to say Northern Ireland isn’t anywhere near the top of their concerns either.
With the two government’s attention elsewhere and the DUP in no hurry to move, the stalemate looks set to continue. Sinn Féin’s options, beyond bringing the whole carefully constructed edifice down (the ‘mutually assured destruction’ option), seem very limited.
With another Westminster by-election pending and Gordon Brown’s grip on power looking more tenuous by the day, Sinn Féin strategists will surely be thinking about a 2009 General Election and whether an incoming Conservative administration would be any more receptive to their concerns than the present one.
It may be that Sinn Féin has been more uneasy by the announcement that the International Monitoring Commission is to report in September on the status on the IRA’s Army Council. Should it report the Army Council’s continued existence, in the eyes of the DUP, this would rule out movement on policing and justice for the foreseeable future. The DUP would certainly not want to see anything happen this side of the European elections, if there is no movement on this come September.
The accepted wisdom appears to be that Gerry Adams and Sinn Féin need to appear to be ‘delivering’ something if they are to keep their supporters contented. In the meantime, the party continues to block ‘normal’ business at Executive level and Gerry Adams says that the British and Irish governments must introduce new arrangements, if power-sharing at Stormont fails. Unfortunately for Mr Adams, the Irish Government is more concerned about its economy and the Lisbon Treaty than ‘the North’ these days. Gordon Brown and Labour’s problems are too many to mention but suffice to say Northern Ireland isn’t anywhere near the top of their concerns either.
With the two government’s attention elsewhere and the DUP in no hurry to move, the stalemate looks set to continue. Sinn Féin’s options, beyond bringing the whole carefully constructed edifice down (the ‘mutually assured destruction’ option), seem very limited.
With another Westminster by-election pending and Gordon Brown’s grip on power looking more tenuous by the day, Sinn Féin strategists will surely be thinking about a 2009 General Election and whether an incoming Conservative administration would be any more receptive to their concerns than the present one.
UUP/Conservative merger under attack
The DUP thinks it has discovered a way to discomfort the Ulster Unionists about the current merger talks with the Conservatives. They have discovered a quote on the Conservative’s Northern Ireland website describing the Orange Order as a "backward-facing, history - obsessed, parish pump society". Despite clearly being a personal opinion, rather than an official position, the DUP have issued three press releases this week in a clear attempt to keep the story in the news.
The Conservatives and Ulster Unionists reacted fairly dismissively about the story. David McNarry, the UUP MLA for Strangford, and the UUP Chief Whip at Stormont, broke ranks and sided with the DUP and demanded an apology from the Conservatives. Demanding things via the media is of course largely guaranteed not to get you what you want – but it will get you publicity.
The Conservatives and Ulster Unionists reacted fairly dismissively about the story. David McNarry, the UUP MLA for Strangford, and the UUP Chief Whip at Stormont, broke ranks and sided with the DUP and demanded an apology from the Conservatives. Demanding things via the media is of course largely guaranteed not to get you what you want – but it will get you publicity.
Northern Ireland Office to be abolished?
It was a quiet week for news so it was no surprise that the story that Gordon Brown might be considering merging the NIO with the Welsh and Scottish Offices was trotted out again. If there is any truth in the story, it is unlikely to give Gerry Adams and his party any hope that Northern Ireland is a core concern of the present Labour administration.
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