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October 27, 2005
Fabian Britishness seminar...
One of the key recommendations of A Long Peace? was for Unionists to involve themselves in the wider loing term debate about the changing nature of Britishness. Next January the Fabians are running a massive conference on the subject. It will be interesting to see whether in the final event, Unionists do get themselves involved in that wider discussion. Right Honourable Ian Paisley... This is a few days old now, but it seems that Ian Paisley has finally made it into the British political establishment. He's now officially a member of the Privy Council, a body that has not corporately met in over fifty years, but which will give Dr Paisley privileged access to matters of national import and security. October 23, 2005
Future of the Royal Irish Regiment
UTV carries the only substantial coverage of Tim Collins' contribution to the panel debate on the Royal Irish Regiment yesterday. He argues that the best way forward is to lobby for a second Battalion of the TA Royal Irish Rangers, and to seek a package for soldiers that reflects "not only the long and distinguished service they have given, but also the sacrifice given since their formation in 1970". [more] New dispensation in the UUP There has been some limited coverage of the results of the UUC AGM yesterday morning. This report lists 6 of the 7 Officers elected, and this one mentions the previously omitted Johnny Andrews. I do feel it worth mentioning however, that a Party not so long ago derided for being old, grey and out of touch, has in a straight election for 6 seats between 18 candidates, elected 2 young professionals under the age of 25. Congratulations to Peter Bowles and Kenny Donaldson. October 14, 2005
Unionism needs to focus on the future
Brian Feeney tells Unionists that they must emulate the process that the British Conservatives are now beginning to contemplate - focusing on the future rather than the past. October 13, 2005
Unionists must speak truth unto unionists
Very perceptive view from Fionnuala O'Connor tonight of the recent line from some Unionist (and to be fair one or two Nationalists as well) commentators that if Nationalists want to foster peace, they should stop unnerving unionists by becoming unionists instead. She notes that it is both insulting about unionists, and "unrealistic beyond belief: a bit like dispirited rivals telling unbeaten Chelsea that they will have to give up soccer in favour of sudoku". [more] October 05, 2005
Southerners should have right to choose British citizenship
The DUP is pushing for automatic access to British citizenship for people born in the Republic and living in Northern Ireland without having to go through the naturalisation process. October 04, 2005
Ulster Unionists should merge with Tories
Speaking in Blackpool today, David Burnside has suggested that his party consider merging with the British conservatives: [more] October 02, 2005
Unionists and Republicans must fight productively!
In a response to Michael McDowell's call for Republicans to reclaim the Orange heritage implicit in the Irish flag, Trevor Ringland argues that there is now the opportunity for Unionists and Republican to engage each otehr in a democratic struggle for hearts and minds. But, he notes, in order to be productive that struggle will need to be fought in terms of delivery rather than philosophy. [more] October 01, 2005
Unionist self-pity and supremacy
David Adams, writing in the Irish Times (subs needed), believes it is time for unionism to "jettison the self-pity" and "accept the heavy responsibilities that come with public office" or suspicions will remain that "supremacy within unionism matters a lot more to many unionist politicians than trying to establish a peaceful and settled Northern Ireland". [more] September 30, 2005
A right gulpin...
FOR those with access to the Belfast Telegraph archive (...because I forgot to write this while it was still free - oops), David Gordon recently took an in depth look at the extent of spending within the Ulster Scots Agency. Wining, dining, taxis to Dublin - yet the good Lord Laird appears remarkably unperturbed about how he throws your money around. Let's not forget, this was the same man who rather conveniently resigned as Chairman of the Agency last year, before any of this came out. The "last straw" was, according to his lordship, that the Government wasn't giving them enough funding. "Where is our slice of the cake?" he whinged. Well now we know - he had it and ate it... and you paid for it. September 22, 2005
Hain: what the Agreement did for Unionists
In a recent speech, Peter Hain lays out what he believes the Belfast Agreement did to address Unionist greivances: [more] September 21, 2005
Unionist culture: dark, dour and unenlightened?
One of my Unionist interviewees for the "Long Peace", explained that unionists are the last of the whigs - their loyalty is contractarian, ie the people rationally agree to be governed by the sovereign, not the other way round. Alan Bairner, however, takes a much darker view. In fact he bewails what he sees as the loss from the 'rational' fold of Ulster protestants, the very people, he argues, amongst whose ancestors were some of the most significant progenitors of the Scottish Englightenment. September 16, 2005
The partitioning of old Ulster
Lively thread at Love Ulster on the partition of Ulster. It begins with an anti-partitionist, Unionist perspective on the breaking up of an historic province. September 15, 2005
Unionists never had it so good...
Noel Whelan with a sobering sanity check for all the parties to the Northern Ireland's current political hysteria. He argues that Unionists are getting whipped up by the froth of emotive headlines around the disbandment of the home battalions of the RIR and missing the substance of the overall developments. Not least, the acceptance by Sinn Fein of what was known for years as the Unionist veto. [more] September 14, 2005
Orange to set out stall...
A DAY later than expected, the Orange Order is to hold a Press conference. While Grand Master Robert Saulters may have condemned the violence, the most senior Orangeman in Belfast has refused to. The Order is unlikely to accept any blame, but with it's reputation tarnished again, it will have some explaining to do. Just don't let Dawson Bailie do it, who appears to have inherited the PR skills of Harold Gracey. September 13, 2005
Loyalists decommissioning: the elephant not in the room
From yesterday's Guardian. Jonathan Freedland asks why no one expected something like the Belfast riots when no one was even asking the Loyalist paramilitaries to mirror the IRA's expected decommissioning. A place beyond parody... Newton Emerson is unimpressed with the negative light which Unionist politicians have been throwing on the general Unionist future. Thanks to Feismother for the heads up! Loyalists need strong Unionist leadership As a much younger man, Maurice Hayes was in the thick of the early conflagration in Northern Ireland. Although, as he points out, things at the moment could have been much worse if Republicans at the interface areas had chosen to react to some of the rioters, there is little comfort to be taken from the fact that some sections of the Protestant working class feels as alienated as Catholics once did. [more] September 10, 2005
They’re off
The Whiterock parade is underway against the backdrop of disturbances at the Short Strand where a man was critically injured last night in a sectarian attack. LoveUlster has had a poster discussing a coordinated plan to ‘stretch’ the PSNI and others discuss the arrival of concerned Loyalists from outside the area (Shankill). UPDATE: Violence spreads. A comment from Love Ulster: Okay one reason why every one doesnt know what time it starts at, is to help with the policing and the protests, when trouble starts around the city today the police will be stretched and will have to go investigate, when prods arrive on the shankill they will find out their info from word-of-mouth because not much can be trusted in these sites, so all in all, cannot wait, lol have a great day, September 09, 2005
When danger's past, look to the future...
Alex Kane argues that the LoveUlster is looking in the wrong direction. He doesn't doubt it's well intentioned. But he argues that rather than rehearsing old fears, it should have set out to extoll the virtues and examine the positive challenges of maintaining Northern Ireland's link with Britain. [more] September 07, 2005
Why is Unionism not interested in nationalists?
This the first of two pieces I'd like to post back to back. Tommy McKearney argues that Unionism shows not the slightest interest in attracting Nationalists to its cause and is therefore doomed to a long term and possibly terminal decline: [more] Love Ulster won't do what it says on the tin Susan McKay believes the Love Ulster project is making the primary mistake of replicating victimhood stories rather than building confidence in working class Loyalist/Unionist communities. Mind you, it is generating high volumes of discussion. August 29, 2005
What's to love?
The "Love Ulster" campaign has got a lot of air, and press, space today.. most notably in the Newsletter - UTV carries the Press Association report.. although the, so far sparse, website seems more concerned with expressing opposition than celebrating. It all combines to create, at least initially, a high profile lobbying campaign.. whether it can continue with that profile may well depend on a lot more openness about who is involved in the campaign. Something that the campaign itself seems opposed to - In keeping with the intention to make the campaign people-led, it will be launched by faces mainly unknown to the public. August 18, 2005
What’s going on with the UVF?
Danny Morrison writing in Daily Ireland poses some questions. Remember how often over the past thirty years we were told that loyalist paramilitary violence was solely a response to the activities of the IRA? We heard that mantra ad nauseam from unionist politicians and loyalist spokespersons alike. It was echoed in police press statements and in the tenor of early media reporting describing the murders of Catholics as “tit-for-tat” or “retaliatory” killings. They told us that if there was no IRA or IRA activity there would be no loyalist paramilitaries or loyalist violence. It was a perverted logic that allowed unionists to spuriously claim that the IRA was thus responsible for all 3,500 deaths. But it is obvious from the history of Ulster unionism, including the illegal activities of the first UVF and its subsequent co-option into the state forces, that there has always been a dependant relationship between unionism and the use or threat of extra-parliamentary violence.[more] Sinn Féin launch dossier Sinn Féin have launched a dossier(pdf) highlighting attacks from Unionist Paramilitary groups over the summer months. Speaking at the press conference Mr Kelly said: "The following report details unionist paramilitary activity since the beginning of June. "It details over 85 instances of unionist paramilitary activity, including five murders in a period of just over two months. "Although by no means comprehensive, due to the fact that many attacks and acts of intimidation go unreported, it offers a chilling picture of a campaign of orchestrated sectarian intimidation, particularly in areas where there is a vulnerable nationalist minority.[more] August 08, 2005
Investigative politics
I noticed earlier that Mr has found time in his day to be annoyed at Peter Bowles call for Sinn Fein MLA Caitriona Ruane to be interviewed by the Police over the Columbia three incident. Interesting that she isn't the first Sinn Fein MLA to fall foul of Cllr Bowles. August 03, 2005
Nicholson to reject Dail deal
Jim Nicholson has reacted angrily to the Irish governments plans to grant speaking rights to MP's and MEP's from Northern Ireland, calling the decision deplorable. The unionist community will not tolerate such an aggressive assault on our sovereignty by a jurisdiction which has been so hostile in the past.He has in this statement, ruled out taking his seat uder such plans. August 01, 2005
The discontent of Sir Reg
Saturdays Newsletter carried a platform piece by Sir Reg Empey in which he outlined his concerns for the future. His concern over Dail speaking rights for Northern MP's and MEP's is shared it seems by Andrew McCann (praise indeed). The Party has since its release been explicit in its distrust of the IRA statement. July 28, 2005
Initial response
Sir Reg Empey has made his initial response to the IRA statement of this morning. [more] |
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