NI Assembly – Slugger O'Toole

There is an appetite for change. The current context provides the opportunity to do just that.

Soapbox on March 26, 2021, 10:10 am

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Jennifer Wallace (Head of Policy, Carnegie UK Trust) and Hannah Ormston (Policy and Development Officer, Carnegie UK Trust). With the consultation on a new Programme for Government now closed, the Carnegie UK Trust discusses what’s next for how the Executive reflects and responds to the consultation submissions and the broader need to place wellbeing at the centre of public policy and services The Carnegie UK Trust welcomes the focus on societal wellbeing in the new draft Programme for Government Outcomes …

Assembly Commission amend 2016 determination with improvements for staff wages.

David McCann on August 28, 2020, 1:38 pm

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The Northern Ireland Assembly Commission has published a new determination which amends the determination taken in 2016. This is what governs how the staff costs for MLAs and other associated costs with running an office. The headline from the latest determination is that salaries of staff members working for MLAs are set to rise. This change brings staff employed by MLAs into line with other staff members in the Assembly. Grade one staff will see their starting salary rise from …

“This decision is directly, but not solely, related to the issues which arose around the Bobby Storey cremation.”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2020, 7:04 pm

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As BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport said a few days ago, there is “No prospect of Stormont falling.” That doesn’t mean there might not be casualties elsewhere… Having apologised in public for “operational decisions” around the Bobby Storey cremation at Roselawn Cemetery, the Belfast Telegraph reports that Belfast City Council Chief Executive, Suzanne Wylie, and director of city and neighbourhood services, Nigel Grimshaw, have lodged a formal grievance with the city solicitor, and have threatened to resign “if [their] …

What’s in the Coronavirus Bill?

Sarah Creighton on March 23, 2020, 9:13 am

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This week the government intends to push its Coronavirus Bill through Parliament. In its “summary of impacts” document, the government states that the bill is “temporary, emergency legislation” which intends to “provide powers needed to respond to the current coronavirus epidemic.” MPs will be expected to grapple with the 300-page bill over the course of a few days. It will, for as long as it is in operation, fundamentally change our way of life. The legislation represents the biggest diminution …

DUP’s Paul Givan wrote to AG yesterday (not in June) asking if NI Assembly had legislative competence to pass Protection of Unborn Child Act at its sitting on 21 October 2019

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 21, 2019, 5:18 pm

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Read through the Private Members Bill that the DUP tried to bring before the NI Assembly using Standing Order 77 this morning. This post previously claimed that the DUP had written to the Attorney General about the bill on 20 June. A DUP spokesperson rebutts that claim: “This was a typing error. The date should have read 20th October rather than 20th June.” Hopefully their bill drafting was more accurate than the letter-writing …

Today at the Assembly

Alan Meban (Alan in Belfast) on October 21, 2019, 2:49 pm

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Local theatres have begun to rehearse their festive pantomimes, but after a long break, politicians at Parliament Buildings today stepped back into the Assembly chamber to put on their own show. With more than 1,000 days to put their house in order and figure out how restore a stable legislative assembly, the matinee’s start time was put back an hour to 1pm while the Speaker’s office took legal advice. A couple of sets of actors failed to turn up, with the Sinn Féin and Alliance benches remaining completely empty.

In summary, health professionals considered the current situation to be professionally untenable.

David McCann on April 25, 2018, 11:21 am

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The delayed report of the Working Group on fatal fetal abnormality has been released today. Here are the key findings; 5. Health professionals said that, in their professional opinion, retaining the existing legal constraints would continue to place an unacceptable burden on women’s health and wellbeing. 6. Health professionals felt that they were unable to fully meet their duty of care to their patients, particularly when a woman asked for a termination in the interests of her health and wellbeing …

“A feature of the devolved administration here has been that the two main parties have been sensitive to criticism…”

Pete Baker on March 14, 2018, 3:03 pm

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The BBC reported a telling admission from the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling, during the RHI Inquiry yesterday. Mr Sterling said the practice of taking minutes had “lapsed” after devolution when engagement between civil servants and local ministers became much more regular. But he said it was also an attempt to frustrate Freedom of Information requests. Mr Sterling said ministers liked to have a “safe space where they could think the unthinkable and not necessarily have …

New thinking at Stormont doesn’t matter if it’s not backed up by new governance

Soapbox on January 23, 2018, 3:56 pm

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parliament_Buildings_Stormont.jpg

Jonny McCormick has got a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies and a Master’s degree in International Peacekeeping. Jonny writes about politics, business & anything else that pops into his head. Get in touch with Jonny on Twitter @jonnymccormick I recently moved back to Northern Ireland after 5 years living in England. I was delighted to be moving back. I’d be closer to family. I could afford to buy a house. I could access a more reliable public transport system and …

“Any political party that vetoes the re-establishment of the Northern Assembly until further human rights are recognised (or not) is putting the cart before the horse.”

Pete Baker on December 31, 2017, 7:46 pm

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As Newton Emerson pointed out in Saturday’s Irish News, Northern Ireland’s first human rights commissioner, and erstwhile “father of an all singing, all dancing Northern Ireland Human Rights Bill“, Professor Brice Dickson, has had something to say about ‘red lines’ and a ‘rights-based’ society. From the Irish News article Northern Ireland’s first human rights commissioner, Prof Brice Dickson, has penned a robust article in the Irish Times explaining that the Stormont talks issues Sinn Féin is describing as “rights” are …

“Perhaps we can begin with social parity.”

Pete Baker on December 19, 2017, 11:04 pm

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Writing in the Guardian, Richard Angell, LGBT officer of the Labour Irish Society and director of Progress, has an interesting suggestion Owen Smith is right to say that if the parties of Northern Ireland cannot get their act together and restore power-sharing government then direct rule, however undesirable, must be used to make progress on LGBT and reproductive rights. But he is wrong to say that referendums are necessary to give a mandate for change. For one, thing they are not required. Unlike in the …

By the weird laws of the suspended Assembly an ex MLA continued legally taking her £55k salary…

Mick Fealty on October 20, 2017, 11:34 am

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It turns out the Principal Deputy Speaker (don’t ask about the title, it was the product of another wee DUP/SF deal) has been quietly taking money for a job she’s no longer in a position to do (she didn’t stand in March). In contrast to her fellow (just ordinary, upper ‘caps’) Deputy Speaker Danny Kennedy, she chose not resign and to continue taking the money. [Nice work, if you can get it? – Ed] Sinn Fein seemingly hung her out …

Options for Petition of Concern reform

Daithi McKay on October 2, 2017, 10:07 pm

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Back in February – when we were in a different world politically – I looked at the possibility of reforming the petition of concern and whether retaining the mechanism was beneficial for nationalists. The unionist majority in the Assembly disappeared faster than many predicted. From 52% of the 108 outgoing MLAs to 44% of those elected in March. An 8% drop in less than a year and perhaps an indication that the electoral register is catching up with longer term demographic …

“Women in Northern Ireland continue to be discriminated against.”

Pete Baker on August 22, 2017, 5:14 pm

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With the Northern Ireland Department of Health refusing to update guidance to health professionals here regarding pregnancy terminations, despite the changes to UK policy announced earlier this year, in the Guardian Goretti Horgan, a lecturer in social policy at Ulster University and a founder member of Alliance for Choice in Northern Ireland, argues for change to address the equality issue that failed to make it into anyone’s ‘red lines’. [Because that would break the bastards? – Ed] Probably… From the Guardian …

“it is tempting to conclude that SF has no strategy…”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2017, 3:46 pm

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From yesterday’s Irish News, Patrick Murphy, once again, making direct contact with the head of the nail. While the DUP’s future role in Westminster is far from predictable, it is easy to understand. Sinn Féin’s strategy, however, is less clear. Indeed it is tempting to conclude that SF has no strategy, other than to prolong the talks and hope for a lucky break, similar to the one the DUP received in Westminster. Sinn Féin collapsed Stormont because of the RHI …

“six months later nothing seems to have replaced that philosophy beyond aggressively taking on the DUP…”

Pete Baker on July 3, 2017, 3:27 pm

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Ahead of the likely suspension of open party political hostilities briefings to the media for the summer, the News Letter’s Sam McBride has an interesting piece in search of a Sinn Féin strategy. [There’s a strategy?! – Ed] Just tactics… From the News Letter Long forgotten are the days when Martin McGuinness warmly recalled how he and Ian Paisley had agreed that they could run their own affairs and didn’t need English ministers in Belfast. Sinn Fein is now warning …

On Brexit, the Irish are caught between two opposing forces, but at least they’re showing more invention and concern about the North than the British and northerners themselves

Brian Walker on May 3, 2017, 1:46 pm

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The ritual opening shots in the Brexit campaign must leave the Republic feeling caught in a trap in a dialogue of the deaf between two opposing forces. So much, so sadly predictable, in spite of all the warm words- although the crudeness of the exchanges is perhaps surprising. It’s pretty clear that the Irish government don’t favour the aggressive opening approach by the Commission and confirmed this morning by its chief negotiator Michel Barnier. On the detail of the FT’s …

Amnesty for soldiers and police officers appears imminent after the election. And the effect on prospects for restoring the Assembly?

Brian Walker on April 27, 2017, 1:27 pm

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The government appear to be on the brink of taking the legacy of the Troubles out of the hands of the Assembly. The only question remains if they would entertain an agreed counter proposal from the Assembly parties . You can work out for yourself the prospects of that The Times (£) are reporting that The British government has moved one step closer to shielding British soldiers who served during the Troubles from murder prosecutions despite concerns that it could …

The saving grace of electoral pacts is that they’re short lived. There’s a longer and bigger game to play afterwards

Brian Walker on April 25, 2017, 12:38 pm

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One sign of changed times is leading commentators such as Alex Kane Tom Kelly and Newton Emerson ranging across newspapers that not so long ago would have stuck to simple uncomplicated messages for well understood and stable readerships. Times have indeed changed for us all. From my remote position in London however, Alex and Tom are making very heavy weather of the issue of electoral pacts on both sides of the divide. They’re doing so for the best of reasons, …

Left to themselves, the parties won’t agree. The time has come for the governments to bring forward solutions which involve the people directly

Brian Walker on April 9, 2017, 11:11 am

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Observed from London, the political atmosphere at home is surreal. The volume of comment on the talks is in inverse proportion to hard information. Expectations of agreement by Good Friday are so low that the local media can barely be roused from torpor. Emergency action for feeding the Stormont cats occupied more space in the Belfast Telegraph the other day. Further emergency action to fund the regional government must be taken within a week followed by the crunch decision to …