Ian Clarke – Slugger O'Toole

For political Unionism surely the time for pragmatism is now?

Ian Clarke on April 3, 2023, 3:09 pm | Readers 11948

When I submitted this article we were four or five days from the announcement of what became known as the Windsor Framework. The article laid out – from an unapologetically pro-union perspective – how I thought Jeffrey Donaldson should respond to the forthcoming announcement to secure the strongest possible outcome for Unionism and for Northern Ireland. I voted Remain in 2016 because after years living in the post-industrial heartlands of the West Midlands, the North East and the West of Scotland …

The DUP and its Decisions, Decisions ….

Ian Clarke on February 22, 2023, 11:34 am | Readers 6040

No matter how we look at it, or from what community perspective we look at it, the next few days are likely to be pivotal ones. I want to look at the next few days from an unapologetically pro-union perspective and what I think the DUP leader needs to do to secure the strongest possible outcome for unionism and for Northern Ireland. It’s hard for anyone to argue that the DUP hasn’t had a decent few weeks. Whether by design …

Try Talking to People for a change…

Ian Clarke on August 25, 2022, 7:14 am | Readers 4483

There have been a number of posts here recently about the unionist community, its failings (real and unfairly accused), its difficulties and most recently its need to “embrace its Irishness” as if it was a straightforward and simple issue. Too many of the comments thet followed them are generally well off the mark and border on the obsessive about the Unionist mindset from people outside that community with little grasp or genuine interest in its complexities. And little sympathy for …

A Window of Opportunity?

Ian Clarke on May 16, 2022, 7:11 am | Readers 3032

It’s important to head this up by stating clearly that I’m completely indifferent to which of our First Ministers gets to speak first at press conferences. It’s meaningless. Certainly, I would rather we didn’t have the optics of a Sinn Fein First Minister who spends selected weekends attending commemorations of Provo killers, but equally I think it’s a fitting punishment for the DUP’s party before country chicanery in the St Andrews carve up. Michelle O’Neill does not represent my outlook …

Unionism and a Leap of Faith…

Ian Clarke on March 30, 2022, 8:21 am | Readers 8441

achieve, woman, girl

For this article to work we all need to suspend disbelief and all work on the assumption that in real terms Stormont is ineffective, worthless and has no real positive day to day impact on our lives. That whoever is First Minister has no significance other than symbolism and bragging rights, and that we can all get through the intense period of gloating and recrimination if Sinn Fein emerge the biggest party in May. Do you think we can do …

A Buddy’s eye view of “Belfast”

Ian Clarke on February 8, 2022, 8:00 am | Readers 9829

I thoroughly enjoyed Brian Walker’s thoughts on Kenneth Branagh’s “Belfast.” As Brian witnessed and covered many of the darkest events first hand it’s always interesting to hear his recollections and understandings. I would like to come at the movie from a different perspective as one of the many hundreds of “Buddys” who watched the movie through Branagh’s own window. I viewed “Belfast” with some trepidation as someone who would relate strongly to that period and place. I am nine months …

“Get Back” – a musical and human revelation…

Ian Clarke on December 14, 2021, 10:43 am | Readers 1351

Since it was announced that there was going to be an eight-hour movie of the Beatles January 1969 recording sessions, I have deliberately avoided all previews or post release reviews, to give myself the chance to watch it. I’m glad I did as it was an incredible experience and one I could never have imagined. It sounds strange to say this about the Beatles, but ultimately the music is of secondary importance here. There are wonderful moments, such as Paul …

John Kyle has reminded us all that there is zero appetite for a DUP Lite…

Ian Clarke on November 30, 2021, 10:14 am | Readers 4589

In my post last week I stated my view that “of course there’s not a great depth of understanding of the protocol among those most vocally opposing it (just as there’s no great depth of understanding of it among those most vocally endorsing it).” It was encouraging that there was no real effort in the comments section to refute that view. That’s why I was heartened by Dr John Kyle’s contribution to The View on Thursday last. Discussion on the …

Sectarianism or Snobbery? The impact is the same.

Ian Clarke on November 22, 2021, 10:20 am | Readers 6787

As is so often the case in Northern Ireland, the hyperbole around Bertie Ahern’s recent comments about the ignorance of East Belfast and “ghetto” Protestants (I paraphrase but that’s the essence of his comment) has been loud. Also, again as usual, it has missed the point and therefore let genuinely guilty parties off the hook. Of course Bertie Ahern wasn’t being sectarian. There is nothing in his political past to suggest that he would be that way minded. And of …

Charlie Watts – Can You Hear Me Knocking?

Ian Clarke on August 24, 2021, 6:54 pm | Readers 1909

The sudden announcement today of the death of Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, really hurt, in a very surprising way. But it shouldn’t have. Quite simply I can never remember a time without Charlie or his band. As a kid I was a Beatles fanatic. I still think they stand alone. But the Stones were different. When I was about 13 or 14 (in the mid-70s) I discovered two shops on the Albertbridge Road – Graham’s and the …

An open letter to Jeffrey and Doug

Ian Clarke on July 6, 2021, 5:06 pm | Readers 7740

Now the dust has settled on the turmoil at the top of the two main unionist parties for the foreseeable future, we’ve had a wide range of commentators telling us what challenges they face and what is likely to define their tenure of office. Many of them were from various hues of non or anti-unionist opinion advising unionists on the way forward. But the two leaders (initially at least) would do better to focus on the thoughts and feelings of …

Arlene Foster, yes but spare us the revisionism.

Ian Clarke on June 18, 2021, 1:05 pm | Readers 4323

Although by now it seems that the four days since Arlene Foster resignation as First Minister seems like ancient history, given all that’s subsequently occurred, it remains important that the appalling revisionism over her tenure is addressed – from a unionist perspective. In common with most ousted unionist leaders since O’Neill, Arlene is already being presented as a progressive moderniser undermined by the hardcore. Her own allies are peddling this notion, as are nationalist commentators, both for their own ends. …

Challenges mount for our daily newspapers

Ian Clarke on March 15, 2021, 12:42 pm | Readers 1786

Recently the official, independently audited daily sales of the UK and Ireland’s daily newspapers was published for the period July-December 2020. Not unexpectedly they made very uncomfortable reading for editors and proprietors as overall the UK daily regional press sale had fallen by a record 19%. Obviously, the impact of Covid-19 had a major impact on this period, but publishers will take no comfort from that as once lost, it is rare for readers to return, no matter the circumstances. …

How cold is your house?

Ian Clarke on February 25, 2021, 2:37 pm | Readers 4524

I worked around the border for most of the past decade. I came to understand for the first time just how unnatural the border is to many people there as they go about their daily business. It gave me a very real and practical sense of their innate Irishness for the first time and I understand exactly why so many people in the border counties were so uncomfortable with Brexit. I shared their discomfort and voted to remain. But I …

Unionism behind closed doors

Ian Clarke on January 13, 2021, 7:47 am | Readers 5061

Brian O’Neill’s post on Sunday, suggesting that elder statespeople from our two political communities should be approached to lead a commission on reunification proposals, was a very interesting and challenging one. While it can be strongly argued that Brian’s proposal is at least premature, it can equally be argued that his logic was sound in light of the ambiguities exploited by leave campaigners in 2016. Clearly in the period leading up to a future border poll there would need to …

Is voluntary coalition reaching the end of its useful time?

Ian Clarke on December 21, 2020, 2:20 pm | Readers 2683

In Friday’s News Letter, Claire Bailey scathingly casts doubt over the durability of our current system of government by saying “The five-party executive model hasn’t been conducive to sound decision making. The competing priorities of each of the parties means that crisis management is beyond their capabilities”. Unfortunately, she didn’t take her opening paragraph to its logical conclusion in the rest of her article. But it’s a start. This came not long after a Sam McBride article in the same …

Surely it’s long past time that we binned this unspoken “Honorary MLA” status?

Ian Clarke on November 12, 2020, 9:41 am | Readers 2211

Last week, following the resignation of West Tyrone MLA Catherine Kelly following the office cash controversy, Sinn Fein chose to replace her with party colleague Nicola Brogan. I’m not singling out this MLA or her party as five parties have done similar since the last Assembly election. But the word “appointed” is such an inappropriate one in any democratic process and it needs to be addressed. An MLA goes for whatever reason, but the electorate has no say in who …

Alliance: Now (or never) is the time to move beyond sound bite success to real world delivery…

Ian Clarke on July 28, 2020, 9:37 am | Readers 3126

In earlier articles I’ve written that as someone still fundamentally pro-union. To recap, I’ve felt electorally disenfranchised for quite a long time by two unionist parties that have refused to reflect my general social outlook. Apart from a vote for David Ervine in East Belfast in 1997, I voted UUP. They lost me post-Trimble. So, I’m politically homeless. Like many on either side of the community. The Alliance Party should fill that void. But it doesn’t. Not because it is …

How does our press emerge from lockdown? Part Four: Has the paywall dice got any spots?

Ian Clarke on June 21, 2020, 10:18 am | Readers 1920

I hadn’t planned even to write the third installment of this series but now, here is the fourth! Events of the past few weeks have been playing on my mind and I think it’s worth sharing. Recently, those of us who follow the Belfast Telegraph on social media will have noticed that it was actively promoting the fact that its “premium articles” would soon only be available to paying subscribers. Hugo wrote an article in anticipation of it happening a …

Patronising the “liberal unionist”

Ian Clarke on May 28, 2020, 8:45 am | Readers 8309

I’ve often noticed a strange but predictable phenomenon, and last week I experienced it directly here on Slugger. It was on Jay’s thread about the merits or otherwise of the established unionist parties. When I bookended criticism of the two main unionist parties with similar criticism of the priorities of Sinn Fein, I had a number of responses deriding me as a poor representative of “liberal unionism” or as a member of the “liberal wing” of unionism. That got me …