conference

“In defence of politics” – the Political Studies Association conference in Belfast this week #psa12

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Political Studies Association

The Political Studies Association annual conference is back in Belfast this week for the first time in 17 years. Hundreds academics from the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond will congregate in the Europa Hotel for three days of speakers, workshops, dining and visiting Belfast’s sights. They’ll be joined by a smattering of politicians and commentators. The conference’s theme is In Defence of Politics, apt given the questioning of politicians honesty, integrity and leadership over recent years, together with the political …

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Margaret Ritchie signs off as leader

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Margaret Ritchie outgoing leader speech

Margaret Ritchie addressed the SDLP conference on Saturday afternoon. Ostensibly introducing a panel on Creating Jobs Supporting People, she reflected that she first entered politics to serve people. Outgoing @sdlplive leader Margaret Ritchie addressing SDLP conference (mp3) She pointed to a “return to poverty” and a new phenomenon of “middle income poverty”. She described “the onslaught of Tory Welfare Reform” as “a major money-saving exercise at the expense of those at the bottom”. David Cameron says “We’re all in this …

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“two challenges and a serious suggestion” offered to Ulster GAA by Dr Norman Hamilton

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It’s hard to predict where a Presbyterian minister will pop up next. The latest nationalist foray was conducted this afternoon by former moderator Dr Norman Hamilton who had accepted an invitation to address the Ulster GAA at their Club and Community Development Conference in Armagh City Hotel (the scene of last week’s UUP conference). Back on 10 January when he was still moderator, Hamilton met with the Ulster GAA in Armagh. The meeting during which the news of Michaela McAreavey’s …

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Billy Hutchinson is the new Progressive Unionist Party leader

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Billy Hutchinson - newly elected as PUP leader

Billy Hutchinson was the only nomination for leadership and was elected unopposed at this morning’s Progressive Unionist Party conference held in East Belfast. You can watch his first interview as leader and hear his comments on what the PUP stand for, where the party is going and whether the PUP has the energy to go forward. Hutchinson spoke of the continued need to challenge criminality, repeating his mantra: You can’t be a criminal and a loyalist at the same time. …

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What’s different about the “Agreement Generation”?

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UCD conference - The Agreement Generation: An Opportunity for Change?

There’s an intriguing one-day conference down in the John Hume Institute For Global Irish Studies at UCD on Wednesday 17 November. This conference will look at themes around the opportunity for change in Northern Irish and all Island politics. The peace process, the passage of time and generations with different frames of reference, have all provided space to reframe the political agendas and the various relationships between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In particular the conference will focus …

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SDLP: Minds clouded by SF?

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A passing glance at the SDLP party conference caused me to think they had a little too much emphasis on SF. So, I ran their leader’s speech through a word cloud to find out when Sinn Féin appeared on the list of most mentioned phrases. You hit ‘Sinn’ as the 10th most popular word during Margaret Ritchie’s address to the faithful. It beat ‘economy’. Blank

PUP to debate cutting paramilitary ties this evening (Update – and didn’t)

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Councillor John Kyle (PUP)

In today’s Belfast Telegraph, Brian Rowen previews tonight’s meeting of the PUP. Dawn Purvis resigned as leader and member of the PUP in the immediate aftermath of Shankill loyalist Bobby Moffett’s murder in May – “a public execution sanctioned by [UVF] paramilitary leaders”. Dr John Kyle stepped in as interim leader, a bit like a pilot with the aim of stabilising the damaged PUP aeroplane and bringing it down to land in a controlled way at the Harbour Airport, ensuring …

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Leadership elections – the Labour way

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Strangely, the (Daily) Telegraph seem to be leading the way on converage post-Labour’s leadership election. First they had Ed Miliband’s article in Sunday’s paper, and this morning they printed a behind-the-scenes look at the choreography and emotions of the announcement and aftermath. Brother David was focussed on winning. After a quick discussion, one of the group was chosen to warn David to prepare himself for the worst. Would it not be wise, the aide suggested, for him to think about …

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