Mike Nesbitt

Ken Maginnis tells Nesbitt that he’s a cross bencher so there isn’t any whip [Updated x 2]..

Mick Fealty on June 18, 2012, 11:51 am

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Who would be a leader of the Ulster Unionist party? Courtesy of John at Nuzhound, this editorial says much that needs saying on both sides of this argument: Ken Maginnis, in his political heyday, was a courageous politician who also fought terrorism as a member of the UDR. But his intemperate language on the issue of gay marriage does him no justice. While he is entitled to be opposed to gay marriages, this newspaper disagrees strongly with the views he …

Catholic family in Armagh prepared to give up a bed for Nesbitt…

Mick Fealty on April 3, 2012, 9:36 am

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I’ve not had a chance to hear the TalkBack programme from yesterday, but it seems Mr Nesbitt has got himself some relevance in today’s papers… His conversation with a Catholic family, a Mr Phillip Ferris from Armagh has made the Irish News this morning as the man who invited the UUP party leader to come and stay with him… But he will have to take them as he finds them… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written …

Mike Nesbitt: “A steely determination to get what he wants…”

Mick Fealty on April 3, 2012, 8:40 am

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Great piece from Alex Kane on Eamonn’s site looking at some of the realities of politics of Northern Ireland, against which he tries to measure the new leader of the UUP… First the winning team: The DUP and SF didn’t get to where they are with make-it-up-as-you-go-along ideas. They defined an end goal, put in place a strategy and an agenda and then set out yardsticks by which to measure success. Mike says he has no ‘quick fixes’ or ‘big …

Nesbitt to take ministerial role for the UUP…

Mick Fealty on April 2, 2012, 9:02 am

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So that explains why Danny Kennedy was looking so glum on Saturday… Apparently, according to Diana Rusk in the Irish News, Mike’s taking his job, because ‘it would look good’ to for the leader to be in the Executive next year… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

Nesbitt’s task is to discover a real purpose for the UUP. But will they let him?

Mick Fealty on March 31, 2012, 7:15 pm

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Even the scale of Mike Nesbitt’s victory surprised some of his supporters. Slugger understands they were already confident of a 60-40 margin, but 81-19 was a resounding victory. He should not have any of the problems of his predecessor. Indeed, the major theme his acceptance speech was that party loyalty is a two way affair. He avoided the cock up of Alasdair McDonnell’s SDLP leadership, though in that regard Tom Elliott’s hasty exit meant there was no big media occasion …

UUP Leadership – Mike Nesbitt’s pitch (and an interview) plus what John McCallister said

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 31, 2012, 6:48 pm

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81% of the UUP members gathered at the Ramada Hotel this morning voted for Mike Nesbitt to be leader. 19% voted for John McCallister. The result can be interpreted in a number of ways. It’s certainly a clear endorsement for Mike Nesbitt as leader, and the party didn’t shy away from a “fast track” leader. It can also be seen as a clear rejection of going into opposition immediately, though some members go further and say it’s a rejection of …

And into the last bend of the UUP leadership race: Who will win?

Mick Fealty on March 30, 2012, 6:37 pm

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Someone, in their infinite wisdom, at the BBC has decided not to make this week’s Hearts and Minds video available on the iPlayer (which is odd)… So all we have of Mike Nesbitt’s interview is this fragment clipped and satirised and played over and over… (you’d almost think someone didn’t want him to win tomorrow)… The only thing I’ll be betting on tomorrow night is that Eamon Mallie will have news of the winner before anyone else… But over at …

A bold step? Or just more of the same better communicated? An interview with John McCallister and some thoughts on Mike Nesbitt.

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 29, 2012, 9:05 am

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I spoke to John McCallister on Monday evening after the close of a Platform for Change event looking at a change “from the politics of identity to the politics of ideas”. I view it very simply that we don’t have many more chances to get this right. We either do the unionist unity route which I’m very opposed to – I think it’s bad for Northern Ireland, bad for unionism, just an unhealthy state in our politics and we would …

Kennedy’s out; will McCallister stay in the race to fight a confident Nesbitt?

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 16, 2012, 10:26 am

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When I bumped into Mike Nesbitt at an event last night, he looked very confident when he said “I’m going to be leader”. This morning, Danny Kennedy has withdrawn from the race and not submitted his papers, leaving John McCallister and Mike Nesbitt as the two declared candidates. During Tom Elliott’s own leadership campaign, Mike Nesbitt was at Tom’s side and remained fiercely loyal throughout Tom’s reign. That should work to his favour in the event of a leadership vote …

Can the new UUP leader put an end to the party’s inexorable drift?

Mick Fealty on March 15, 2012, 1:33 pm

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Liam Clarke in the BelTel, frames the leadership contest within the UUP: In its heyday the UUP was the party of the Union. Later it became, with the SDLP, a party of the peace process. Since then it has struggled to define a new role for itself and support has drifted away. It has flirted with the Tories, the DUP, and the SDLP and before that the PUP as it sought allies to halt its decline. At each stage it …

Mike Nesbitt: “I am entirely sceptical about what would motivate [DUP] to call for co-operation beyond self-interest”

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 15, 2012, 11:35 am

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Mike Nesbitt raced out of the pit lane and formally announced his bid for UUP leadership this morning as Rodney has already mentioned. Press conference observers noted the presence of antique expert and MLA Danny Kinahan who had previously declared a preference for Danny Kennedy when the field was narrower. Mike’s statement may end up as a good template for the other candidates to follow when they make their pitch over the coming days. Praise the previous leader. Tom was …

John McCallister joins the UUP leadership race

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on March 13, 2012, 7:25 am

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This morning, John McCallister – UUP Deputy Leader of the Assembly Group – has thrown his farmer’s cap into the ring to replace Tom Elliott as leader of the UUP. In a statement McCallister calls himself an “unashamed liberal progressive unionist” and makes a couple of his policies clear: UUP shouldn’t be allowed to float into the orbit of the DUP. If elected, the UUP would go into opposition at Stormont. The question now is whether Mike Nesbitt (who managed …