There shouldn’t be a problem with this and it’s an example of where Democracy Live should be going. It’s a short clip from today’s questions to OFMDFM in the Northern Ireland Assembly, via Stormont Live , in which the NI deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness answers replies to a question asking how the necessary community confidence will be assessed...
The front runners in the councillor of the year award so far ... Cara McShane currently Chair of Moyle District Council; Councillor Walter Cuddy, UUP councillor for Dungannon town; the SDLP’s PJ McAvoy in Ballymena; the DUP’s Adrian McQuillan in Coleraine; Sinn Fein’s Lord Mayor of Belfast last year Tom Hartley and his party colleague Conor Maskey. Matthew McDermott of the SDLP on...
NR Greer, a political columnist with the Newsletter was kind enough to omit Slugger’s comment zone from a list of places where is there is still a commonplace perception that there are two sides to the Northern Ireland argument and one is blameless and the other to blame for it all ...
Another score on the board for Jim Allister. In an on air debate on the Nolan Show the TUV leader challenged the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson to say there will be no devolution of policing and justice powers unless Chief Constable Matt Baggott rescinds his decision on full time police reserves. Jeffrey went for Jim’s bait and set another precondition in stone or so it appears. Firstly Peter...
Alex Kane, in today’s News Letter, whilst taking a side swipe at the DUP, challenges Jim Allister to outline a ‘viable and available alternative’. Alex is of course the UUP’s Director of Communications. He asserts that neither the British or Irish Goverment will agree to enact legislation allowing voluntary coalition which would exclude the largest Nationalist party. Alex does...
20 years ago today West German television channel ARD broadcast that - “This ninth of November is a historic day. East Germany has announced that, starting immediately, its borders are open to everyone”. On hearing the announcement East Germans began gathering at the eastern side of the 140km long Berlin Wall. Soon their numbers swelled dramatically, the sheer size of the crowd overwhelming...
This is the last category to be announced and comprises all categories of politician in Northern Ireland, including Westminster MPs and MEPs. But it also includes parliamentarians sitting in both the UK and Irish upper houses, who increasingly are being called upon to play significant roles both inside and outside government. Who represents us well? Who articulate expresses their a strand of opinion,...
No word yet from the weekend chat with Gordon Brown , but after ushering out a little known placeman , followed by a slightly better known placewoman , on Sunday Sinn Féin passed the script to Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister, Conor Murphy, MP, MLA [Perhaps he had a different hat on - Ed] . He was speaking at the annual SF Edentubber commemoration of five men who “kept faith...