Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 12/11/2009
As noted in comment yesterday, Fionnuala gives the authentic account of the rise and fall of the SDLP, ending with a threnody of prevailing pessimism about its future. Like her and many others of our generation, I knew all the old gang pretty well but have met only a handful of today's lot, Maginnes, the Attwoods, Hanna, Dallat, Ritchie, McGrady, McDonnell and yes the “hapless”- (unkind and...
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 10/11/2009
Today it was Margaret Ritchie's turn to formally launch her bid for the SDLP leadership. Am told those present included Eddie McGrady, Brid Rodgers and MLAS; Tommy Gallagher, Thomas Burns, Carmel Hanna and Alex Attwood. She majors on her vision for the North and a new Ireland. Full speech below the fold.
The Irish Times (Free subscription) | 15/10/2009
SDLP MP Eddie McGrady is to receive substantial libel damages over a newspaper report on his expense claims, it has been revealed.
BBC News (Free subscription) | 14/10/2009
South Down MP Eddie McGrady has revealed he has been asked to pay back more than £6,000 in expenses.
BBC News (Free subscription) | 14/10/2009
South Down MP Eddie McGrady is to receive substantial libel damages over false newspaper allegations about his parliamentary expenses.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009
As we expect a Westminster election next Spring most of the Parties are keeping their selections under their hats. The SDLP in Lagan Valley have yet to choose but the name Brian Heading again is jumping around. Heading is a councillor in Lisburn and has been since 2004 through co-option but was elected in 2005. It is expected that most sitting MP's will stand again. However questions surround sitting...
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 04/07/2009
By Barry McCaffrey Irish News 03/07/2009 British government plans to extend non-jury trials in Northern Ireland can not be justified in the wake of recent loyalist decommissioning, SDLP MP Eddie McGrady, right, last night warned. Diplock, non-jury trials, officially ended in 2007 but the British government said they could temporarily continue in exceptional cases if the Director of Public Prosecutions...
The Talking Clock (Free subscription) | 17/06/2009
Alan Whitehead (Lab) asked about green energy and climate change budgets and asked what would happen if they were "cut by, say, 10%". Gormless trotted out the predictable piffle. Gormless vs Cameron David Cameron's first words were "welcome to Prime Minister's Planted Questions". He said that when Gormless talked of "Mister Ten Per Cent", Gormless was talking of his own...
Tangled Blog (Free subscription) | 02/06/2009
I note that when Mr. Eddie McGrady, M.P. for South Down, claimed £2000 for for the cost of eight nights' accommodation between April and July 2007, the fees office did not question it. However, when he also tried to charge £1,562 for food, £184 for telephone and £826 for "laundry, sundries etc", one official scrawled next to the claim "8 days? " The bill...
A Pint of Unionist Lite (Free subscription) | 02/06/2009
I posed a few questions here about Eddie McGrady, the SDLP MP for S.Down's travel expenses a few weeks back.Eddie, quoted in the Daily Telegraph today:"When in Westminster for parliamentary business, representing the constituents of South Down, I stay in hotels which I believe offers greater value for money for taxpayers than a second home," Good man...I think:On one occasion, Eddie McGrady...
BBC News (Free subscription) | 02/06/2009
South Down MP Eddie McGrady defends spending £17,000 on hotels in London as part of his parliamentary expenses.
The Telegraph (Free subscription) | 02/06/2009
Eddie McGrady a Northern Ireland MP claimed more than £17000 for topoftherange London hotels and tried to charge the taxpayer £2570 for food laundry and telephone bills over eight nights.
Slugger O'Toole (Free subscription) | 10/12/2008
I’m not sure if anyone else has this one yet, but Eddie McGrady has laid down an early day motion at Westminster: That this House calls for a review of current funding arrangements under which Sinn Fein can use parliamentary funds calculated on the same terms as Short money for expenditure on press, publicity and other representative functions including constituency party promotion which is in...
SAOIRSE32 (Free subscription) | 05/12/2008
News Letter 05 December 2008 SDLP MP Eddie McGrady has accused Secretary of State Shaun Woodward of being "weak" on loyalist paramilitaries. Mr McGrady issued his condemnation of Mr Woodward after his announcement that loyalists will be given until February 2010 to decommission their arsenals. The Northern Ireland Office denied that the Secretary of State was being weak and said that it...
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