This is an odd one, I really cannot say much more than that about this. Alliance Party Cllr in North Down, Andrew Muir has taken a shot at a Green Party candidate who (wait for it) is not standing in North Down or even Northern Ireland. Rather the candidate Richard Stanton is standing in Brighton at the May 2015 general election. (As a local election candidate) UPDATE- Stanton was quoted as saying that the bomb was a “justifiable act of …
One of the few consistent dynamics in the elections north and south was the success of the Green party. In the south the party’s Euro candidate, and former minister of environment Eamon Ryan, is probably kicking himself that he didn’t also run for a seat in Dublin city council. That a minister from the last very unpopular administration was so close to becoming an MEP is testimony to two things: one, the change in the general mood; and two the …
I had an interesting chat today with John Barry. A fellow Dubliner but a far more interesting and indeed public character than that may suggest. John is a Green Party candidate in the forthcoming Council elections standing in the Abbey ward of the new North Down and Ards Council. He was co-opted onto the existing North Down Council when Steven Agnew was elected as an MLA and will be seeking to retain the Green seat in the forthcoming elections but he …
Last in my series of interviews from the Green Party conference is the party’s European candidate, Ross Brown. I began by asking him about his ability to raise the £5,000 pounds necessary to run in these elections, but he assured me that the party along with his online drive to raise funds will allow his participation in the upcoming votes. Brown told me that he believes there should be some sort of public funding for political parties in order to …
The leader’s speech. Taking a firm line on developers, planners and non-disclosure of party-donations. Current councillor John Barry (@CllrJohnBarry) and council candidate Clare Bailey (@ClareBaileyGPNI): Green Party candidate for Balmoral Elli Kontorravdis (@EKontorravdis): And onto Ross Brown and that cartoon: Make sure you read or listen to Ross Brown’s (@voterossbrown) story via Alan. A journey from flag-totting super-Prod to green-fingered, eco-man. Fascinating, relatable-to and relevant. The Chinese proverb says that travelling a 1000 miles does more for the mind than reading …
The Green Party has come a long way. Over the years I’ve been popping into its annual conference, the number of delegates attending has steadily risen, their dress code has smartened and the professionalism of the organization has grown. Yet there is still an informality and an ability to crack a joke in the midst of resolutions and formal speeches. Steven Agnew spoke of targets for the May elections. The Greens are aiming for Ross Brown to receive more first …
Last month I highlighted the bizarre suggestion by the Green Party that in response to the flooding all government ministers and advisors who were sceptical of climate change should be sacked. Memorably when given the opportunity to refine and tone down this suggestion the leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett claimed that even those advisers with no connection to environmental issues should be sacked if they do not accept climate change. The BBC suggested the Chief Veterinary and Chief …
Northern Ireland may have been spared the absolute worst of the weather this year (though the last couple of days have been bad) but the South West of England and South Wales have been extremely badly affected with the Somerset Levels heavily flooded. Then more recently the Thames Valley has been affected. Whether this flooding is actually worse than previous years has been disputed and the suggestion (made on Question Time on Thursday night) that the media only started to …
Planet Belfast is a new play by Rosemary Jenkinson (White Star of the North, Basra Boy) produced by Tinderbox Theatre Company with a cast of four that runs in The MAC Belfast until March 2. Alice (played by Abigail McGibbon) is the only Green MLA in the NI Assembly, and [suspending disbelief for ninety minutes] is a minister in the Executive. She’s a moody, fiery, workaholic, vodka-drinking politician who is willing to entertain all kinds of extreme dietary measures in …
You’ll guess how bad this is when I’m going to apologise in advance for it. Dan Boyle, former tweet-master general of the Green Party, has managed to coincide the launch of his album, Third Adolescence, with the 30th anniversary re-launch of the Green Party. Yeah, you read that right, his album. In deference to his chequered electoral history, he has included a track called ‘Vote For Me’ (if you really hate your ears – you can listen to a sample preview on Amazon). Amazingly, he isn’t the first …
How have our local political parties reacted to the outcome of the EU crisis summit? Well, neither the Green Party nor the Alliance Party appear to have noticed… The “Conservative and Unionist” MEP, Jim Nicholson, has, unsurprisingly, “welcomed the use of the British veto over a new EU-wide treaty by Prime Minister David Cameron”. “David Cameron was correct in effectively vetoing a new treaty and keeping the United Kingdom out of this new economic accord agreed at the EU emergency summit, …
A delegation of concerned residents – accompanied by the Grim Reaper – travelled to Stormont this morning to present a petition of over 2800 signatures opposed to ‘fracking’ ahead of Green Party MLA Steven Agnew’s motion proposing a moratorium in Northern Ireland on the gas drilling process. Update – Members of the Assembly backed a call for a moratorium on onshore and offshore exploration and the withdrawal of licences by 49 votes to 30, though the BBC notes that “Enterprise …
I encountered a confidence within the Green Party in NI at Saturday’s conference. Their conference attendance was a tad smaller than the Workers Party event on the other side of Belfast. While the party was relieved to have Steven Agnew elected in Brian Wilson’s vacated seat (running against Wilson’s wife who was standing for Alliance) they were disappointed to only return three councillors in the local government elections. Speaking to @greenpartyni”s @StevenAgnew after their party conference (mp3) The party has …
Update – post covering the content of the Green Party conference now published, including audio of the speeches and debates. Environmental governance and nuclear power … these nearly seem like clichéd themes for the Green Party NI to discuss at their annual conference next weekend. While the two leaders’ speeches will no doubt cover other aspects of Green Party policy, including economic and social issues, the main thrust of the agenda is focussed on traditional ‘green’ topics. SDLP Environment Minster …
There’s an interestingly signed letter in the Guardian today • Nick Clegg has repeated the Yes campaign’s claim that only the Conservatives and BNP oppose AV. Here in Northern Ireland, the Democratic Unionist party, the Greens, and Ulster Unionist party all back a No vote. AV would be a tremendous step backward for Westminster. It’s not a fair election system and would rig the electoral system against smaller parties. AV is an obscure, expensive and unwanted system. Tom Elliott Leader, …
The Green Party has six Assembly and twenty two council candidates standing for election on May 5. I spoke to Steven Agnew a few weeks ago in the party’s constituency office (and headquarters) in Bangor to ask about Green Party policies and priorities for the Assembly and local government, local sourcing, and their stance against reducing the number of local councils and their hopes for election results. Steven Agnew once echoed Kermit the Frog when he said “it’s not easy …
Natty pale green ties were out in force as the Green Party launched their manifesto this morning. Steven Agnew opened by saying: Resources are stretched and we have to prioritise spending on areas that meet a number of policy objectives. There is no sense in squandering money on projects that may be good economically but environmentally damaging. Equally we should not be pushing environmental policies that are not good for people. The Green Party benchmarks all its policies on whether …
South Down, along with North Down and South Belfast, is one of the target constituencies for the Green Party, if not for immediate Assembly seats, then at least for growth in its voter base and local council representation. Their Assembly candidate in South Down is Cadogan Enright, already a sitting councillor on Down District Council and the recent runner-up to Steven Agnew for the Green Party leadership in Northern Ireland. I caught up with him while out canvassing in the …
A couple of weeks ago, the (Bangor) Spectator ran a story about UUP councillor Roberta Dunlop’s resignation from the party after not being reselected to stand for her Abbey Ward seat. Her husband and fellow North Down councillor Harry Dunlop had defected from the UUP to the DUP in January, But the other half of the short article is much more intriguing. Brian Wilson, the Green Party’s only MLA, is standing down from the Assembly in May, and new NI …
But will support Finance Bill. Refuse to say how they would vote on a confidence motion. Nothing to do with us, Guv? Adds RTÉ report here. And Text of statement by Green Party leader, John Gormley. Pete Baker
