Jan
10
After my mini-rant last month on what I see as a fundamentally broken approach to UK modus operandi it seems logical to follow up on how this wrong should be righted. In fact Cameron has quite admirably sought to bring this ‘limbo’ to a decisive end with his legally binding independence vote. It’s a tactic …
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 …
Dec
13
Continuing OU’s occasional series on the various unionist youth movements in Northern Ireland, we present the Northern Ireland regional branch of Conservative Future. Northern Ireland Conservative Future (NICF) is the organisation for those under the age of 30, and those in institutions of higher/further education, who are members of the Northern Ireland Conservative Party. NICF …
Nov
12
This is the conclusion of a much longer document which can be found here. That document deals with the recent history of N.Irish Unionism’s relationship with the Republic of Ireland and how this could be utilised to our fullest benefit in the future. In summary, compared to where we were in 2006, we now have: …
Oct
15
The first in what we hope will be a series on each of the pro-union (plus Liberal Democrat, it seems) youth movements in Northern Ireland. Liberal Youth Northern Ireland is the official youth and student wing of the Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats, the local party of the Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland. We were formed …
Oct
04
“This party has to stick together or it is nothing!” Murdo Fraser MSP, being ironic. To my delighted surprise, the hustings was a really good event. Candidates had to outline their vision in short speeches, then take questions, then summate at the end. The candidates drew lots on the speaking order, and Murdo Fraser went first. This …
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
18
Murdo Fraser has launched his leadership bid for the Scottish Conservatives by suggesting they disband. The idea is not, as pointed out on ConHome and elsewhere, without precedent. Before 1965 the Unionist Party represented the Conservatives north of the border and were, on national issues, essentially indistinguishable. Nor is the idea without international precedent. The …
Sep
17
The short answer is a qualified “yes” but to explain why, we must first define our terms. It is a sad truth that words often mean something different in Northern Ireland than they do elsewhere, but then clarity of thought is often the first casualty of any ideological conflict. Compare the use of the terms …
Sep
15
I want to use this opportunity to introduce readers to a new organisation, albeit the campaign aims are anything but new, which I hope you can support. I am actively involved with the setting up of a non-profit organisation called One Dynamic Nation, which once established will campaign against Scotland leaving the United Kingdom and …
Twitter: @openunionism