One of the most explosive political stories in years is unfolding today. The DUP Leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been charged over historical sex offences. From the BBC: Jeffrey Donaldson has been charged with historical sexual offences and has quit as Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader. A 57-year-old woman has also been charged with aiding and abetting in connection with the alleged offences. They were both arrested on Thursday morning by PSNI detectives and were questioned before being charged on Thursday ... Read more...
Andy Pollak has written another impassioned plea for reconciliation in Northern Ireland as a precursor to any border poll. In an ideal world that is obviously very desirable. But there is also a danger that we confuse political reconciliation with social/community/religious reconciliation. For many nationalists, division was caused by partition, and reconciliation can only begin when partition has ended and that scar has healed. For many unionists, division was caused by Irish independence, and reconciliation can only begin when Ireland ... Read more...
This looks ominous…. For now, comments will remain closed, but this is likely to be the beginning of something big. Very big. Curious, DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson seems to have deleted his entire social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn… 🧐 pic.twitter.com/Evzs02B4qE — Vincent McAviney (@VinnyMcAv) March 29, 2024
I wouldn’t have said this seven years ago, when he first became Taoiseach, but I am sorry to see Leo Varadkar stepping down from that post. I do not agree with many of his right-of-centre policies on economic and social issues. But this straight half-Czech Irishman liked having a leader who was a gay half-Indian Irishman, a symbol of the new openness and multiculturalism of the country. More importantly, as someone from a Northern Protestant background who would one day ... Read more...
David McCann of this parish posted an interesting article yesterday in the Irish News noting that Irish Labour at their weekend conference called for the next government to establish a department to begin planning for Irish unity. While welcoming this as part of the ‘growing interest in the conversation regarding the constitutional future of Ireland’, David does pose the killer question… ‘Yet, as was pointed out on social media, will Labour be in any position to deliver any of ... Read more...
Queen’s University Belfast, in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Ireland, are hosting an inaugural arts and sustainability festival this April. The ‘Reach 24’ festival aims to examine the climate emergency and sustainable solutions via various art mediums including film screenings, performances, talks and an art exhibition. The festival, which will take place from 18-20 April, is free of charge and open to the public. The Naughton Gallery at Queen’s will play host to new work by ... Read more...
At times, you have to admire Donald Trump’s sheer audacity. His latest wheeze is the floating of a media company. From the BBC: Shares in Donald Trump’s media company soared as the firm made its formal debut on the stock market. Shares surged past $70 in early trade, giving the firm a market value of more than $9bn. They ended the day at about $58, still up more than 16%. The long-awaited moment will inject more than $200m into Trump ... Read more...
From the BBC: The first meeting of the new UK East-West Council will take place in London later on Tuesday. The UK government agreed to set up the council as part of a deal with the DUP that saw the party return to Stormont. Stormont’s first and deputy first ministers will attend the summit, as well as ministers from the government. Its purpose is to look at ways of deepening links between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Another body, Intertrade ... Read more...
Filmed in front of a live audience at the Imagine! Festival of Ideas and Politics, Slugger O’Toole convened a panel to discuss the year of elections that await us, and the political futures of some of the key figures who will be fighting for their seats and their jobs. Back on the evening of Friday 22 March, David McCann was joined by University of Liverpool Professor Jon Tonge, Deputy Director of political consultancy Stratagem Anna Mercer, and the Belfast Telegraph’s ... Read more...
Interesting articles from Chris Donnelly in the Irish News, from the article: In case you missed the memo, reconciliation is the new supermajority. Just as 50 per cent-plus-one is not enough for Irish unity, and in fact would be downright dangerous, so it is the case that unity must now only be considered in the event of the north of Ireland being transformed into the land of milk and honey, a Shangri-La from the Foyle to the Lagan where peace ... Read more...
In addition to our normal open Sunday, we have a politics-free post to give you all a break. So discuss what you like here, but no politics.
The idea for Open Sunday is to let you discuss what you like. Just two rules. Keep it civil and no man/woman playing.
David Jamison is writing about those items that catch his attention now looking through an older person’s eyes. He lives in Belfast and since retiring recently he is trying to make sense of a fast-changing world and trying his best to keep up! Continuing my occasional series looking at issues that I am revisiting now that I have stopped working I come to the debate around assisted dying. This was triggered again on hearing yesterday that a parliamentary committee is ... Read more...
The media coverage – and some political reaction – to the DUP’s vote on the extension of a new EU law to Northern Ireland was very telling, if predictable. Overall the vote and its implications were no big deal. The importance was but it was part of the agreement between HMG and Jeffrey Donaldson that got Stormont back in action. Therefore it was important that the DUP used the opportunity it presented to weaken the destructive and flat earth pronouncements ... Read more...
The Good Friday Agreement gives the majority in Northern Ireland the right to decide whether Northern Ireland should remain in the Union with Britain or become part of a united Ireland. It gives no say on the matter to the people of Britain whatsoever, beyond mandating the Secretary of State to call a border poll in Northern Ireland, should he form the view that such a poll is likely to be carried. However, in any true democracy, all major decisions ... Read more...
Remember a few years back when Unionists were desperately scrambling around for examples of how the Irish Sea Border negatively affected businesses? The best they could come up with was the guy who could not import some instant noodles. And who could forget Sammy Wilson’s desperate plea over the fate of the humble British banger while ignoring the fact we produce better sausages here? Chilled British sausages are a threat to the peace process according to the EU, Alliance, Sinn ... Read more...
A bit of a bombshell this one. BREAKING: Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, is stepping down as Irish Prime Minister. "It has been the most fulfilling time of my life" he says. https://t.co/xuWXkermvB 📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/z79lAfsjyE — Sky News (@SkyNews) March 20, 2024
Your first though might be ‘We the people’ as we vote every 5 years for a new government, but the person who pays for something usually owns it. Running a political party is not cheap, you can spend up to £54,000 per seat when you run candidates for Westminster[1] so for the whole of Britain the cost could be £33million. Running for council seats or for devolved administrations is slightly cheaper, but large political parties such as Labour or the ... Read more...
Having read Mr Schnittger’s recent article, I thought I’d chip in with a few thoughts from a Unionist perspective, although this op-ed will not assert that unionist concerns should be the primary factor in the event of a pro-unity result in any future border poll, but only that it behooves both traditions on this island that men and women of goodwill and best intentions put ideology aside and strive for an acceptable new state where everyone can feel comfortable, and ... Read more...
St Patrick’s Day in Belfast used to have a reputation for being a damp squib. Festivities were normally confined to the West; even then, the parades were small affairs. I can’t remember when parades first started entering the city centre—maybe in the late 1990s or early naughties? There was the usual Unionist wailing and gnashing of teeth about ‘Republican hoards taking over the city centre’, but after a few years, things settled down. But it was never the most family-friendly ... Read more...