Dec
22
Since David Cameron became Conservative leader in 2005, he’s done a lot of backtracking. Yet one project he’s stuck with through thick and thin: breaking the Conservatives into Northern Irish politics. From employing full-time party staff to negotiating a fragile alliance with the Ulster Unionists, the party has put a lot of work into a …
Oct
03
It was hard enough to achieve Conservative Party organisation in Northern Ireland in the first instance, back in the 1980s. On the ground it might have seemed mad to set up Conservative branches in Northern Ireland at the end of 10 years of Thatcher Government and in the wake of the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Despite the …
Sep
28
Since time immemorial, the end of June/ beginning of July has been a tense and occasionally violent time in Ulster; the start of the “Orange Calendar”, the start of the “Opposition to the Orange Calendar”. This year, however, the trouble has been the worst seen for quite a few years with parts of east Antrim, …
Feb
17
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.
Jan
19
The draft Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill stirred up some controversy.
It went out to consultation on April 20 2010. OFMDFM say 410 responses came back. The department produced a consultation summary and analysis of the responses in September 2010. But it seems a second piece of analysis has taken place. It would be reasonable to assume that this can be published. When?
Oct
10
The DUP are running a consultation on their performance in government since 2007 (PDF is uploaded to box.net widget too). I’m thinking of sending in a submission. The consultation has been on the frontpage for a while (yes, the odd question is a bit dated) but I’m assuming it’s still live. Even if it’s not, …
Sep
09
Fair Deal over on Ultonia translated Sinn Fein’s postion on the budget crisis into a photo of a monkey with his fingers in his (or her) ears. Responding to the First Minister’s comments on the issue, Sinn Fein’s economic genius Mitchell McLaughlin said: “It’s incredible that Peter Robinson is inviting ministers to anticipate the cuts …
Sep
07
Below is a short interview with DUP MLA Paul Givan. I caught up with Paul at Stormont last week to discuss some of the things that will be topping his agenda over the coming weeks. I’m hoping to go back to Paul later in the year for an update. Many thanks to Paul and the …
Sep
06
Here’s some links from the week in politics: Tony Blair has spoken of his admiration for Ian Paisley — and how his hardline Protestant granny “loved” the future First Minister at the peak of his firebrand days (The Belfast Telegraph). Reviewing Tony Blair’s memoirs, Dermott Nesbitt says it’s up to history to decide if the …
Sep
03
DUP MLA Paul Givan was kind enough to give me a few minutes of his time at Stormont today for a short video interview. I asked Paul how he’s fitting into his new role as an MLA; what issues he will pressing at the Assembly on behalf of his constituents; what he feels the prospects …
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