Nationalism
“Even in South Armagh, where boundaries of currency and diesel colour may also be blurred…”
Also in the Irish Times, Frank McNally magnificently tackles the recent kerfuffle over northerners non-eligibility to enter Iarnród Éireann’s Euro 2012 competition. [Does Slugger get a mention? - Ed] Oh yes… From today’s An Irishman’s Diary …as someone who grew up in one of only three counties in the Republic devoid of a rail service, [...] more »
“the war against British rule must continue until freedom is achieved…”
Dissenting republicans gave their response yesterday to Sinn Féin’s various Easter messages – Declan Kearney’s “there is no other IRA“, Gerry Adams’ seven step ‘plan’, or Martin McGuinness’ “We are on the road to freedom” [and his responsibility "to defend and promote the integrity of our struggle" - Ed]. And it was delivered to a reported audience [...] more »
More soft politics over Easter – but what’s the beef?
The response to Gerry Adam’s “seven goals” in Slugger shows that the union/ unification theme can still assert its old pull. This will no doubt be reinforced over the holiday by Martin McGuinness’s appeal to republicans to engage in “practical ways of giving expression to the unionist sense of Britishness within a united Ireland” and his [...] more »
After Peter Robinson, are we seeing the start of softer, more seductive politics?
From where he came from, Peter Robinson has made big strides. At the point Northern Ireland society has reached, he comes across as a cautious consolidator, making a distinct if so far unimaginative success of power sharing. In unionist terms, Peter is David Trimble’s heir in quieter times. After decades of often painful self discipline [...] more »
Is a reformed and elected Lords a serious ‘come back’ opportunity for the SDLP?
Interesting piece by Brian Feeney in today’s Irish News, pointing out that a recently leaked committee report talks about beefing up the Lords, redding out the poor attenders (of which there are more than a few Unionist reps) and making all new seats amenable to re-election (albeit for a fifteen year period)… He suggests that [...] more »
“The last thing the Northern Isles want is to be ruled by Glasgow trade unionists and Edinburgh lawyers…”
At the Guardian’s Scotland Blog, Severin Carrell notes the independently-minded Shetland and Orkney Lib Dem MSPs Tavish Scott and Liam McArthur’s attempt to play Alex Salmond at his own game – with a joint, “at best provocative and, in constitutional terms, at least playful”, submission to the UK government’s consultation on the independence referendum. Short BBC [...] more »
What is Britishness anyway? – latest
Stephen Moss in the Guardian adopts the least analytical approach imaginable to the identity thing, a random journey. It’s like an intro to a report that that doesn’t actually appear. A bit like Britishness itself maybe? Quite unlike our own passions. Might uncertainty and toleration be its saving graces? As I stood in freezing temperatures [...] more »
Sarkozy: “I did not know she voted in France…”
At the Guardian’s Politics Blog, Michael White has some fun with reports that Nicolas Sarkozy has enlisted Frau Bundeskanzlerin in his French presidential re-election campaign. Although this post’s title quote, from the Wall Street Journal blogs, suggests he may already be having second thoughts… ANYhoo… From Michael White’s post We can assume that pollsters have advised [...] more »
“This further signifies the positive effect the City of Culture title is generating in the region…”
Whilst Comhaltas dither, and differ, over whether to hold their All-Ireland Fleadh in Londonderry during the UK City of Culture year in 2013, the UK’s Big Lottery Fund Chair, Peter Ainsworth, was in the city today to announce a £1million small grants programme to “support communities across Northern Ireland that want to play a part in [...] more »
Next steps towards a Scottish referendum
Make of the Sunday Telegraph ICM poll what you will. 43% of English voters approve of Scottish independence at this particular moment, but only ( only!) 40% of Scots. Of the three potential questions 26% of Scots voters prefer independence, 26% more tax and spending powers and 37% the status quo. How did we get [...] more »
The Scottish independence debate: the complexities start to emerge
Professor John Curtice explains the complexities surrounding the referendum questions on the Today programme. Assume two ballot papers, one on devo max, the other on independence. If you look at some opinion polls, as many as 75% -80% might vote for devo max. Let’s say fewer, say, 51% vote for independence. Which would win? The Nats [...] more »
Unionist forces begin to muster
So it’s game on for the early rounds of the referendum campaign. The Westminster government says Alex Salmond can have a binding referendum provided he sticks to a Yes, No question on independence. No fudging over devo max. The UK parties are uniting to save the Union, although the others would like Cameron and the Tories [...] more »
A constitutional crisis over a Scottish referendum?
Just how serious is the new stand-off between Westminster and Holyrood over a referendum on Scottish independence? I take the view that it’s largely shadow boxing. The two governments will do a deal in the end, even though there’s quite a way to go before it’s clinched. Many believe Cameron boobed badly yesterday by trying [...] more »
Only a fool would call the Scottish independence referendum at this distance
“Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled – Scots, wham Bruce has aften led – Welcome to your gory bed. Or to victorie!” Punditry is not an art that suits the modest. Anyone asking people to take time and trouble to read their writing, let alone expecting them to pay for the privilege, is usually best [...] more »
David Cameron has transformed the SNP’s long game of Scottish independence into a penalty shootout
David Cameron has hugely raised the stakes over Scottish independence by planning to give the Scottish Parliament legal powers to hold a binding referendum, provided it takes place within a tighter time frame than that envisaged by the SNP government. See the chess analysis by the doyen of Scots commentators Magnus Linklater [...] more »
“Very well, alone?”
Interesting to see how the future of the Union is gradually being linked to the future of the European Union and the UK’s relations with it. In a farewell interview in the Daily Telegraph, the retiring Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell places it high among the “enormous challenges.” Over the next few years, there will be [...] more »
Does Tory eurosceptics’ nationalism boost UK breakup chances?
The Financial Times (£) is alone today among UK national papers in spotting how the English nationalism of extreme Tory eurosceptics feeds Scottish separatism, in spite of all the fears for small nations’ survival in the gales of the eurozone crisis. First, the news story Alex Salmond, first minister and leader of the Scottish National [...] more »
“Splendid News!”, says the King.
As the Irish Times reports The original Anglo Irish Treaty document of 1921 has been made available to the public for the first time today in an online exhibition marking 90 years to the day since its signing. The Treaty was signed in the aftermath of the truce which ended the 1919-1921 War of Independence. [...] more »
Unionism silent on Scotland and the ‘Devo Max’ question?
A friend pointed out to me in Belfast yesterday that whilst Sinn Fein has its outreach project to the south to keep it’s support engaged and happy, Unionism seems to be making very little contribution to the devolution max versus independence debate in Scotland, and more recently, London. The Scots themselves have been out looking [...] more »
Is the SDLP now ready to take a bet on its own future?
Given some of the product of the SDLP leadership contest (most notable perhaps in Patsy McGlone’s contribution) seems to be about shifting the engagement process (rather than defining new policy), this speech by Micheal Martin to Fianna Fail’s Youth Conference in Cork this afternoon is worth noting, since it tricks out something of that party’s [...] more »
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Books
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“You can see Newton’s mind at work…”
To add to the open access treasure trove at the Royal Society, Cambridge University Library is putting online some of its collection of books, maps, manuscripts and journals. We have called the first phase of our work on the Cambridge Digital Library the Foundations Project, which runs from mid-2010 to mid-2013 and has been made possible [...] read our review » -
Douglas Murray – Bloody Sunday: Truth, Lies and the Saville Inquiry, Book Review
The aftermath of the Saville Inquiry into the events around Bloody Sunday has left me, and I suspect many others, with one enduring image: Prime Minister David Cameron’s apology in the House of Commons, where he says that the actions of the British Army were ‘unjustified and unjustifiable.’ But there’s a lot more to the [...] read our review » -
Ulsters Last Stand?: Can Unionism Move Beyond Insurance Policy Politics?
How has Ulster unionism arrived at where it is today – fractured and uncertain, yet dominated electorally by the DUP, a party that tells us it offers unionists sure footing in uncertain times? In his latest book, Ulster’s Last Stand? Reconstructing Unionism after the Peace Process (Irish Academic Press, 2010), Prof. James McAuley from the [...] read our review »
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