Owenpolley

Author's details

Name: Owen Polley
Date registered: July 10, 2010

Latest posts

  1. Best of the Web — February 26, 2011
  2. Elliott unveils his ‘game changer’ but will it really change the game? — February 17, 2011
  3. Can new head articulate message – if one is found? — September 28, 2010
  4. Do unionist parties do the Union more harm than good? — May 24, 2010
  5. Accentuate the positive: Alex Kane, unionism and the principle of consent. — March 10, 2010

Most commented posts

  1. Fantasy politics? An Assembly based on voluntary coalition and a shared future agenda. — 14 comments
  2. Do unionist parties do the Union more harm than good? — 6 comments
  3. The DUP should support Conservative and Unionist candidates in South Belfast and Fermanagh South Tyrone – Empey — 5 comments
  4. Conservatives and Unionists selection conundrum — 4 comments
  5. Accentuate the positive: Alex Kane, unionism and the principle of consent. — 3 comments

Author's posts listings

Feb
26

Best of the Web

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by owenpolley

Latest Best of the Web column from the News Letter’s Political Review on Friday

By Owen Polley

The southern Irish election and unrest in the Middle East dominated headlines this week, but at A Pint of Unionist Lite meatier matters were on the menu.

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Feb
17

Elliott unveils his ‘game changer’ but will it really change the game?

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by owenpolley

Owen Polley went along to The Mount Business Centre in East Belfast to hear Tom Elliott unveil his ‘game changer’ for power-sharing in Northern Ireland.

It’s being reported as a call for official opposition at Stormont, but that‘s just one component of the UUP‘s new ‘big idea‘.

The UUP’s idea certainly has potential. It’s the most imaginative initiative that we’ve seen since Elliott became leader.

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Sep
28

Can new head articulate message – if one is found?

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by owenpolley

My analysis of Tom Elliott’s leadership victory, which was published in Friday’s Irish News. By Owen Polley As expected, Ulster Unionist members elected Tom Elliott their party’s new leader at a meeting on Wednesday evening. A thumping majority of delegates voted for the Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA, who favours a traditional brand of unionism, rather …

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May
24

Do unionist parties do the Union more harm than good?

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by owenpolley

In the wake of the general election, Open Unionism has hosted a vigorous debate about the future of Ulster unionism.  So far, it has hinged on the ‘unity’ issue.  Should so-called unionist parties in Northern Ireland combine their forces in a single group, or at least coordinate their efforts come election time, in order to …

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6 comments

Mar
10

Accentuate the positive: Alex Kane, unionism and the principle of consent.

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by owenpolley

alex kane

The News Letter carried a lengthy interview last week, in which former communications director Alex Kane explained his departure from the Ulster Unionist party. Branching out, to speak about unionism more broadly, he declared its “vision, strategy and promotion … a mess”. One comment from Kane, which does not appear online, struck me as a …

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3 comments

Mar
09

'Decent people' should support the Ulster Unionists

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by owenpolley

Over at Three Thousand Versts I offer strong support for the UUP’s position on the policing and justice vote. I recently took part in a debate, part of the Exchange Mechanism project at Belfast Exposed, which asked whether the current system of power-sharing in Northern Ireland offers a democratic future or peace at any price. …

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Jan
12

Belfast Young Unionists blog up and running again

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by owenpolley

Richard James gets it up and running with a post on the Robinson scandal.

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2 comments

Dec
15

Not so fast! South Belfast is not yet a done deal.

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by owenpolley

On Three Thousand Versts I speculate about the possible UUP candidate for South Belfast.  It is something of a response to a post carried on Slugger O’Toole this morning.  I believe the arguments advanced in this piece about candidate selection are still valid.

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Nov
06

Kelly Report puts DUP on double jobbing hook

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by owenpolley

[picapp src="4/a/0/c/Proposlas_Are_Unveiled_18a9.jpg?adImageId=7186838&imageId=6969515" width="380" height="241" /] The report which Sir Christopher Kelly’s Committee on Standards in Public Life published on MPs’ expenses and allowances on Wednesday, as yet, only comprises recommendations. Nick Robinson, on his blog, has set out the likely process for its implementation, during which MPs might, he contends, attempt to ‘smooth off the …

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Oct
24

The DUP should support Conservative and Unionist candidates in South Belfast and Fermanagh South Tyrone – Empey

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by owenpolley

I’ve just been chatting to the party leader, in the wake of a successful conference speech. I took the opportunity to ask him about the ‘unionist unity’ question. He was fairly adamant that the Conservatives and Unionists would not be standing aside. It is clear that Arlene Foster’s involvement in the DUP campaign for an …

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