We Perish If We Yield

Forgot National Police Memorial Day, Remembered New Carpet

2006-10-01T23:31:00.000+01:00

This BBC report on this years' National Police Memorial Day in Belfast caused my jaw to drop. Seemingly someone did a no show.

The President of the Belfast Islamic Society, Yaqub Joya, had been due to play a part but did not arrive at the ceremony.

But Mr Joya later insisted he had wanted to go to the service, indicating that he had simply forgotten to attend.

When contacted, he said: "Oh my God! We've been so busy with Ramadan. We had a meeting which finished at 12.30am last night.

"We've just had a new carpet fitted and all these things are going on and stressed me. I really wanted to go. All the words that I wanted to say had been prepared."

Dishonouring the memory of 4000 fallen police officers because of Ramadan is perhaps understandable if not forgivable. However, the new carpet line is just beyond the pale. Given how touchy Islam is collectively when it is subject to a perceived slight I trust this insult is dealt with quickly by Mr Joyas' community.

UPDATE Seemingly the PSNI Chief Constable was also not in attendance. He was running the Great North Run to raise funds for the RUC GC Foundation. Good for him.

Criticism of Sir Hugh does, in the circumstances, seem churlish.

Annual Whiskey Olympics Cancelled

2006-09-28T23:40:00.000+01:00

I hear that the SDLP have cancelled their conference.

I wonder if that had anything to do with its' proposed start date- 24th November?

Hell Hath No Fury...

2006-09-25T18:28:00.000+01:00

I love this story. Andrew Neils' minions were doing an OB on it from G-Mex this afternoon and now it's bloggable.

...Cherie Blair accused Gordon Brown of lying during his keynote Labour conference speech.
Bloomberg news agency reported that she said "well that's a lie" when she heard the chancellor saying it had been a privilege to work with Tony Blair.

No 10 denies the claim

No really. You couldn't make this up (or could you, Bloomberg?)

Praguetory: Political Joke Du Jour

2006-09-25T13:49:00.000+01:00

Praguetory: Political Joke Du Jour

Enjoy.

Londonistan?

2006-09-25T10:30:00.000+01:00

Philip Johnston pens a thoughtful piece in the opinion pages of this mornings' Telegraph. East London is maybe about to get a Mega Mosque.

It will be the largest place of worship in Europe, a gigantic three-storey Islamic centre, with schools and other facilities, able to hold at least 40,000 worshippers and up to 70,000 if necessary.

It will be called the London Markaz and it is intended to be a significant Islamic landmark whose prominence and stature will be enhanced by its proximity to the Olympic site. When television viewers around the world see aerial views of the stadium during the opening ceremony in six years' time, the most prominent religious building in the camera shot will not be one of the city's iconic churches that have shaped the nation's history, such as St Paul's Cathedral or Westminster Abbey, but the mega-mosque.

I have to admit that the imagery does not bother me. I have lived in Bow and Mile End and anyone who thinks the history of the East End is strictly of WASP Pearly Kings and Queens is delusional. The culinary geography of the routes west into the City tells of waves of new arrivals bringing first bagels and then baltis. What is concerning is who is behind the proposals:

Its backers are the Tablighi Jamaat, a missionary organisation that says it is non-political and peaceful. Yet a senior FBI anti-terrorism official has called it a recruiting ground for al-Qa'eda, and the French secret services described it as "an antechamber for fundamentalism". Its current European headquarters are in Dewsbury, home town of Mohammed Siddique Khan, leader of the July 7 suicide bombers, who attended the local mosque.

I haven't made my mind up whether this is kerb-painting on a grand scale or a welcome sign of cultural confidence. That determination will be suspended until the memory fades of so-called Muslim areas.

Tory Boy

2006-09-24T22:19:00.000+01:00

Given the buzz in local blogsphere that the NI Tories have generated of late I feel it is time, dear reader, to determine just how true blue we all are. As luck will have it The Independent has gone all Cosmo and provided a quiz.

Let me know how you get on.

Europe Wins

2006-09-24T18:29:00.000+01:00

Today I understood the limits of my pan-European identity. After the Ryder Cup victory I realised that the UK can live with a Golfing Europe as opposed to a Federal Europe.

Keep your Euro, your pretend diplomatic service, your constitution and your stately ambitions all I want is a Europe of stroke play golfers. Hell, if the Turks can play let them join in!

I just want to know can we opt out of everything except the slacks and tank tops?

Fair Cop

2006-09-22T09:42:00.000+01:00

Discrimination is an ugly blight on any society, worse when it is embedded by legislation and supported by a government. It is appalling when employment practices deemed unlawful elsewhere in the same country are imposed on another.

At least Gloustershire Police have had the good grace to apologise for the "distress caused" to those it discriminated against. I wait with baited breath the apology from the Police Service of Northern Ireland to those similarly disadvantaged by the aberation that is 50/50 recruitment.

Blog shall speak peace unto Blog

2006-09-21T21:04:00.000+01:00

My licence fee reminder arrived yesterday. Just as my resentment began to fester the BBC posted this about NI political blogging. All the usual suspects were there including yours truely:

the DUP's blog presence is largely limited with the "We Perish If We Yield" blog espousing the party's views

Do I espouse?

Hain Watch#2

2006-09-21T19:51:00.000+01:00

"I would like to see it done on my watch"- Peter Hain on "Hearts & Minds" in response to questioning about a November deal.

"I would like a deal to help my campaign to be Deputy PM"- what Peter Hain was thinking on "Hearts & Minds" when questioned about a November deal.

This man is ghastly. Blotting his CV and blighting his advancement is reason enough to stymie his bogus timetable. Nevermind the bigger issues of potential ministers refusing to endorse policing whilst their organisation still dabbles in criminality and the anti-democratic and sectarian assembly structures. So his final televised "threat" that the in the week after 24th November he will introduce legislation disolving that assembly is a matter for celebration not quaking.

Pity we have to wait 'till then.

Harsh But Fair?

2006-09-21T13:08:00.000+01:00

Samy Wilson has had a pop at Lembit Opik. Seemingly the Montgomeryshire MP proved himself an "utter fool" on Good Morning Ulster.

Maybe, but if his media agent (yes media agent) is to believed

Lembit is a seasoned regular on many television programmes including This Morning, Have I Got News for You, Newsnight, and the Wright Stuff on five. Lembit is also a popular choice for many corporate speaking engagements.

His interests include Astronomy (he has been actively promoting awareness of the threat to earth from asteroids and meteors), flying (particular interest in gliders), motorbikes, and has even turned his hand to stand up comedy. He speaks fluent Estonian and is learning Welsh.

I'll reserve comment on Lembits' foolishness or otherwise until I see his stand up routine.

Former Minister Joins NI Tories

2006-09-21T11:17:00.000+01:00

The NI Conservatives have a new scalp. Former junior minister at the Office of the First Minister/ Deputy First Minister James Leslie has called a day on his association with the floundering UUP and thrown his lot in with Camerons’ Tories. The BBC reports that:

Mr Leslie said the main reason for his decision to leave was his strong support for Conservative values.

"To get serious policy development you need the resources of a national party.

"You can see that clearly in all the political parties in Northern Ireland, there is no serious or fresh thinking."

I know James Leslie, I canvassed for him in North Antrim and was impressed that someone of his background and ability was willing to put up for Westminster against Dr Paisley. That ability was put into sharp relief when he was in the company of most of the UUP North Antrim machine- the same association that thought deselecting James and replacing him with James Currie for the 2003 Assembly elections was a good move. The seat was lost to Sinn Fein.

I wish James well in whatever direction his new party takes him. I understand the desire to be involved in national politics and have to admit to being very tempted by the NI Tories. However, experience of the last Tory government and their stewardship of the process before Labour arrived in 1997 make me wary.

Readers may recall that the Belfast Agreement came from a Talks process where the delegates were elected. The NI Tories stood in that election but were hampered somewhat by Sir Patrick Mayhews' assertion that should any of their candidates (Mr Shipley-Dalton included) be elected they would not need to attend the talks as the Conservative SoS would represent both the party and government interest. Unsurprisingly, no local Tories were returned.

I am a unionist who believes that unionist success will arrive when the Union is secure and unionist parties are therefore redundant. At that point I will happily offer my services to Smith Square. Until then any support for the local Tories will only be forthcoming if they can show a real input into the national partys' NI policy. It may be that only once a Tory SoS is back in Hillsborough can this influence be demonstrated.

I might have been a Young Unionist but I may yet be an old Tory.

UPDATE: Belfast Telegraph interview here.

This Afternoons' Exercise

2006-09-18T14:40:00.000+01:00

Discuss Papal Infallibility in the context of Papal Apology. Please, whatever you do, avoid ANY criticism of Islam whatsoever. Cartoons, with or without Danish captions, will NOT be accepted.

Unintended consequences of appeasement

2006-09-15T10:34:00.000+01:00

UK deployments in the "War Against Terror" have reached a level where the extra troops needed to stabilise Afghanistan cannot be found from within the British Army. The operation against the Taliban is, in any event, a multi-national affair run by NATO so one would expect the allies to send what help the stretched UK and Canadian forces require. Not So.

The BBC is reporting that NATO is struggling to find the necessary reinforcements of some 2500 men. Strange then that next March the British government is disbanding three battalions of specialist internal security infantry.

The duplicity in the governments' approach to terror is highlighted by the treatment of the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment. Trained men, ready to serve are being paid off at a time when their colleagues in 1RIR are part of the dangerously undermanned Afghan adventure. Why? Quite simply to appease Republicans and their fellow travellers.

I'm not suggesting that all three threatened battalions be retained and used as world wide service troops but that the RIR become a two battalion regiment. Both battalions would serve world wide with the "new" 2RIR being drawn from the current Home Service troops who wish to keep soldiering. This is both consistent with the recent Army reorganisation and the current military requirements. It is not, however, consistent with the political requirements of Irish republicanism. For that reason UK, Canadian and Polish troops are disadvantaged in the current fight with the Taliban. Perhaps they will drop Mr Adams a thank you card from Helmand.

Thanks Clare!

2006-09-14T20:59:00.000+01:00

Clare Short is not an obvious friend of the union. Nor is she the first Labour MP who comes to mind when a DUP strategy needs advancing. Her XMG roots have long coloured her views on Northern Ireland, leading to a rose tinted view of the murderers dedicated to its' destruction. Yet, dear reader, it is she who has started the campaign to put the DUP at the heart of UK political life.

Ms Short is to abandon her seat to campaign for a hung parliament. Seemingly

She said she would campaign for a hung Parliament, where no party had overall control.

Labour should hold a third of the seats, the Tories a third and the rest should be made up of Greens and other parties, the 60-year-old claimed.

The Greens will not win any Westminster seats whilst "other parties" must include those already represented in the House of Commons. Given the politics of devolution in Scotland and Wales it is inconceivable that either the SNP or Plaid would come to the aid of a Brown-led Labour Party short of a majority. The LibDems would demand a fully blown coalition and PR for Westminster. The DUP with 10 (yes count them, 10) members could be bought of by measures which would not affect Labours' electability nor hamper its' social program.

Any wonder the November "deadline" isn't taken seriously?

D'oh #2

2006-09-13T22:28:00.000+01:00

I was driving to work this morning (ironically in deepest East Londonderry) and for a little light relief tuned into Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio Ulster. Interestingly enough he was interviewing the local MP, Gregory Campbell.

So far so good, Campbell is a first class politician with an excellent campaigning record. I know the constituency well and know his hard work has made the seat safe. Given this I nearly drove into the River Roe when he came out with this (reported here):

Mr Campbell said the prisoners would have to show they did not advocate criminality.

If they did, he said, they could be considered for membership of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

"They have to demonstrate that they are repentant and they have to show that they do not advocate that sort of activities," he said.

"If so, they could then be considered, only if they demonstrate that, if they don't, they should not."

The response from DUP HQ was swift

"DUP policy in relation to policing is that there can be no question of a two tier policing system, particularly where terrorists, past or present are attempting to establish their own systems of justice through Community Restorative Justice Schemes," the statement said.

"We do not advocate or support the weakening of vetting procedures for the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the party does not support terrorist prisoners with convictions for murder and other serious criminal offences joining the police."

All politicians drop the ball occasionally (examples here) and whilst this might not be in the "feeding ones' daughter a BSE burger" category, in terms of what currently passes for NI politics it is a pretty big clanger. Perhaps Gregory Campbell should admit he made a mistake and row in behind what is clearly party policy. Otherwise this could run and run.

Madchester La, la, la

2006-09-11T11:26:00.000+01:00

This jumped out from The Sunday Times. I was a student at Manchester between 1988 and 1991 which nicely coincided with baggy jeans, the Hacienda, The Stone Roses et al. Suffice to say Ballymena Academy it was not.

The news about world class research and the ability to attract Nobel Prize winners is all very well but I suspect that Manchesters' popularity lies more in the extra curricular activities the city offers. Jonathan Milne perhaps hit the nail on the head

Its students have a reputation for sex and drug-taking and the city has produced some of Britain’s best-known bands. Now the pull of Manchester has been recognised with its naming today as Sunday Times University of the Year

Apparently my alma mater has changed little since I said a tearful farewell back in the early '90's

Research quoted in the Sunday Times University Survival Guide, published in today’s Magazine, finds its students are the most fashion-conscious and that the city has the best reputation for overall student lifestyle (it also finds they are national leaders in sex and drug-taking, based on a 1999 survey by the Adam Smith Institute), while the city also has a lively gay scene.

Ah, my salad days!

9/11

2006-09-11T10:03:00.000+01:00

I invite readers to take a moment to reflect on what happened in New York and DC 5 years ago.

Another Policing Debate

2006-09-08T10:25:00.000+01:00

There is no doubt that policing will consume a great deal of negotiators' time at the October talks. Whilst it seems that there may be agreement on the structure of a local Justice Department the timing of its' creation is still open to discussion.

Readers may be aware of the increasing powers of the Welsh Assembly contained in The Government of Wales Act. The greedy AMs also have their eyes on policing. Significantly this comes in the context of the aborted police reorganisation which the Home Office botched on Wales’s' behalf.

Any bets on who gets policing powers first? What about odds for and against Stormont or Cardiff Bay?

Juan Carlos, Your Boys Took One Hell of a Beating!

2006-09-07T09:43:00.000+01:00

And just to help our Spanish visitors sing along (with thanks to DN over on Slugger)

Los ojos de mina han visto que la gloria del espana 82..
cuando es poca Irlanda del Norte el mundo qué podríamos hacer ..
ahora el lawrie es el líder y venía después de que usted ..
y éste sea lo que cantamos…

no somos el Brasil que somos Irlanda del Norte
no somos el Brasil somos Irlanda del Norte
no somos el Brasil somos Irlanda del Norte
pero es todo el igual a mí

"Drowning Not Waving"

2006-09-06T20:24:00.000+01:00

The Prime Minister is having a bad day. Starting with the leak this morning of the proposed date next May for his departure and ending up with a mass resignation of flunkies.

Now, I have to admit to having a hand in the odd leadership destabilisation operation so my observations come as a practitioner of this particular black art. Let no one be fooled that the underlings who jumped this evening were acting alone. The hand of he who would be king is all over this. Imagine being a lowly PPS being promised jam tomorrow in a Brown administration in return for a period on the backbenches at the fag end of Blairs' premiership. That promise would have to come from someone who could deliver. That promise would have had to come from Gordon Brown.

Today was about creating the momentum towards a Brown succession by putting the skids under the incumbent. Like a snowball hurtling down an Alpine hillside the end of Blair is speeding to its' inevitable conclusion. The only mystery is when that end comes.

Political plotting is heavily influenced by politicians' survival reflex and in Scotland and Wales the comrades are worried. The devolution elections are due in May 2007 and does anyone doubt that the Celtic fringe will use these mid-terms to punish Labour? Unless of course that party is under new management. And unless that management has a distinctly non English hue. In this Bloggers’ view Brown moves next door into number 10 before Christmas 2006.

What for our little local difficulty? Blair goes, Hain moves and talk of deadlines and joint stewardship seem as convincing as "I'm going to serve a full term". Oh, and by the way Scotland and Wales may be joined by another devolution election in May 2007...

Royal Irish squaddie killed in Afghanistan

2006-09-03T20:49:00.000+01:00

The BBC
is reporting the death of a soldier serving with 1 RIR in Afghanistan. Given the end of Home Service patrols this death is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by the Regiment abroad.

Our thoughts should be with Ranger Draivas' family and comrades.

UPDATE: The soldier injured alongside Ranger Draivas on Friday has today died of his injuries.

Next stop Little Britain?

2006-09-01T14:55:00.000+01:00

Hands of my cash!

2006-09-01T09:48:00.000+01:00

I am self employed and as such pay my income tax bill in two chunks each year. This painful experience every January and July makes me begrudge every single pound taken by a profligate government. Two recent tax related stories therefore aroused my interest (to say nothing of my ire).

The Daily Telegraph is reporting the potential cost of electing a Green "Conservative" government to replace the current shower. Seemingly

Huge rises in taxes on motorists and air travel could be imposed by an incoming Conservative government

but this is ok as apparently

the Tories would create a 21st century transport system, possibly through building 360 mph "magnetic levitation" trainlines

George Osborne is keen because

"With a MagLev railway system in Britain, we would hardly need domestic flights"

Unless you live in, say, Northern Ireland. Perhaps the Tories are going to build a tunnel to Scotland.

The second piece concerns the blackmail over domestic rating currently being committed by the NIO. The BBC are reporting the opposition by NIO finance minister David Hanson to capping the bills of rate payers as happens everywhere else in the United Kingdom. The minister is

opposed to a cap in principle

The minister, like his organ grinder, represents a Welsh constituency. His local authority is the Labour controlled Flintshire County Council led by one Derek Darlington. I have e-mailed Mr Darlington to express concern at his MPs' views on local government funding. I would suggest others do the same.

Gibberish

2006-08-16T12:51:00.000+01:00

Whilst browsing on Slugger I noticed this post about creating a ~~language ghetto~~ Gaeltacht Quarter in Belfast.

Having spent a large part of the summer in monoglot Cardiff I have some experience of pretend bi-lingualism which is best exemplified by this from BBC Wales (or should that be Cymru?).

"The "cyclists dismount" sign between Penarth and Cardiff became "llid y bledren dymchwelyd" in Welsh - literally "bladder inflammation upset" (or tip or overturn).

The Vale of Glamorgan Council said new signs were being made.

It is possible that an online translation led to confusion between cyclists and cystisis"

Ironically I drove past this very spot with a car load of Welsh in-laws. No one spotted the cyclist/ cystisis mix-up.

Good job none of them are GPs.

Republican bomb attack

2006-08-16T11:00:00.000+01:00

The BBC are reporting a failed bomb attack on property belonging to Lord Ballyedmond.

"[Irish]Army bomb experts were called to Lord Ballyedmond's property at Drumgooley [in the Republic], and the device was made safe.

Gardai said it contained 70 pounds of homemade explosive mix packed into a gas cylinder and would have destroyed the house if it had gone off.

Security sources said dissident republicans were behind the attack"

Firstly, all right thinking people must condemn the attack on this industrialist and legislator. Secondly those responsible must be brought to book before any more mayhem is caused. Is there any doubt that the recent bombings in Newry are linked to this nearby incident?

Finally, and most pertinently, just how dissident can a Republican "Active Service Unit" be when operating in the Provo badlands of North Louth/ South Armagh/ Newry? I await a Sinn Fein response - as of 1107 their newsroom remains silent on the issue.

Crime and Punishment

2006-08-14T20:32:00.000+01:00

George O'Dowd (aka Boy George) has started his community service in New York. This high visibility sentence has a lot to commend itself- don't we all know any number of anti social little bas***ds who could benefit from some very public punishment? Instead, in Northern Ireland the "name and shame" element of ASBOs has been omitted due to the potential threat posed to those subject to the Orders. Yet the government tells us society is normalising to a point where it feels jurors face no terrorist threat. So let's have some consistency to justice normalisation and publicise the details of those subject to ASBOs in exactly the same way as elsewhere in the UK.

Not a freebie, honest!

2006-08-13T20:56:00.000+01:00

I don't like the Labour Party.
I don't like the chippiness of Old Labour.
I don't like the hubris of New Labour.
I am, however, extremely fond of Manchester which causes me something of a dilemma. This autumn the comrades are conferencing in that city and are offering a blogger
the opportunity to blog from within G-Mex. I am prepared to endure the Party in order to enjoy the city. All I have to do is to provide 100 words on why pakman should be the conference blogger. Or rather, dear reader, you do. So if you want "We Perish..." to come from the Labour Conference complete the following:

"pakman should be the conference blogger because ..."

Thanks in advance!

The Dirty Two Dozen

2006-08-11T16:14:00.000+01:00

I haven't picked this up on any UK media yet but The Australian is reporting that police have recovered a "martyrdom video" featuring one of the 24 detained Muslim suspects held over the "liquid bombs" conspiracy.

The story also sheds light on two of the would-be killers:

The suspects are mostly of Pakistani origin but two are white converts to Islam. Abdul Waheed, 21, changed his name from Don Stewart-Whyte six months ago after growing up as the son of a Conservative Party official.

Neighbours said Waheed, whose father died when he was 14, had abandoned a life of drugs and alcohol when he became a Muslim, and was working as a salesman at an electrical store.

Another convert, 25-year-old Oliver Savant of east London, had changed his first name to Ibrahim.

Each of the converts grew a beard, shaved his head, began wearing white robes and married an Arabic or south Asian Muslim woman.

This is interesting because on BBC Radio Five Live this morning callers were criticising the use of the adjective "Muslim" to describe the plotters. One contributor even went as far as to demand why their religion was relevant. Well it is relevant because it links terrorists of different ethnic backgrounds (remember the Shoe Bomber?) into a common, oh, let's say, jihad.

I for one am thankful that Islam and not skin colour is the common denominator here. Hopefully the public who are in the sights of these killers will realise their enemy is not identified by his ethnicity but by his religious beliefs- beliefs that can drive a man to contemplate mass murder regardless of his background.

Did you hear the one about the GAA, the Hunger Strikers and the bottle of Bushmills...

2006-08-10T14:11:00.000+01:00

The one local story I did follow from my holidays was the overlap between GAA and the various Hunger Strike commemorations. This weekends' event at Casement Park raised an eyebrow because I am a big fan of the primary sponsor of the GAA in County Antrim.

I contacted Bushmills via their website to enquire what their view was on the link between Antrim GAA and a republican celebration. The following has just landed in my inbox:

"Peter,

Thank you for your email regarding our sponsorship of Antrim GAA. Diageo sponsors more than 200 events and festivals that take place throughout Northern Ireland every year. This vital boost to local towns and communities represents involvement in a broad spectrum of activities, ranging from sporting and cultural programmes to the arts.

We have been assured by the County Board of Antrim GAA that it is neither hosting nor involved in the organisation of the event proposed for 13 August at Casement Park. The use of the ground is a matter between the rally organisers and the site owners and is not connected to the GAA Antrim County Board.

I hope this helps answer your query.

Kind regards,

Gordon Donoghue
Supply Director
Bushmills "

Hmm. I have replied thus:

"Mr Donoghue

thank you for your reply.

However, are you sure that this is not "connected to the GAA County Board"?

I understood that the county board had fallen foul of the GAA governing body in Dublin over its' decision to sanction the rally. Indeed the rally organisers appeared on BBC's "Talkback" to support the county boards' interpretation of the rules prohibiting party political activity. If your assertion that "the use of the ground is a matter between the rally organisers and the site owners and is not connected to the GAA Antrim County Board" is correct then why has the GAA centrally become involved?

I am afraid your reply has raised more questions, specifically the nature of the information the Antrim County Board is providing you, their primary sponsor with.

Peter"

I will keep you posted.

UPDATE 11/08/06 1349 :

"Dear Mr King,

Thank you for you continued correspondence.

We appreciate your interest in our sponsorship commitments and thank you for raising your concerns. As you will appreciate our internal discussions with sponsorship partners are confidential and cannot be discussed with external agencies.

With thanks,

Gordon Donoghue"

Especially if they are misleading you!!!

Service Resumed

2006-08-10T12:11:00.000+01:00

Aren't I glad I flew home on Tuesday rather than squeeze an extra few days out of the holidays?

Heavy court commitments at the end of June and a delightful subsequent break from the laptop are responsible for the blogging hiatus.

I thought that the dog days of August would not provide much material but how wrong I was with mass murder being thwarted as we slept. Comment at this stage would be superfluous but when more details emerge about those arrested overnight I will post again. I hope I'm wrong, but I suspect that, as with 7/7, UK born terrorists are key in this current plot. The implications of that on delicate community relations could be with us for generations.

Tourist Trap

2006-06-22T20:56:00.000+01:00

The Guardian is reporting that the Rough Guide to Britain has been less than flattering about some of the key tourist attractions on offer this summer. The paper has invited its' staffers to pick a "dirty dozen" of the worst offenders.

Surprisingly, for a Guardian piece, I only disagree with 25% of what was written. I always enjoy Tate Modern, especially if approached over the Thames via the Millennium Bridge, the London Eye and Edinburgh Castle. Do readers have any views on the list?

What about a more parochial (s)hit list of dodgy tourist venues? I think Newcastle is vile, the Giants' Causeway portacabin a disgrace and the Belfast visited by the Black Taxi tours lumpen. Have I missed anything?

Let's Kill All The Lawyers

2006-06-21T21:07:00.000+01:00

Saddam Husseins' defence team has suffered another fatality.

"Khamis al-Obeidi, an Iraqi and Sunni Arab who represented Saddam and his half brother Barzan Ibrahim in their eight-month trial, is the third of the former leader's lawyers to be assassinated.

Khalil al-Dulaimi, Saddam's chief defence counsel, said Mr Obeidi was killed after being abducted from his home at 7am by men wearing police uniforms"

For Iraq to have any democratic and stable future there has to respect for the rule of law. This means accepting that there will be an independent bar fearless in their defence of whoever retains them.

In the UK barristers and advocates operate what is known as the Cab-Rank Rule which guarantees that even the most depraved and objectionable have the full protection of due legal process. It is fundamental that clients pick lawyers not the other way around.

When Iraqi lawyers can accept a brief without fear of murder then we will really know that a rights based democracy is possible in the Middle East. Given this, in Saddams' case the survival of the lawyers will have more long term significance than the survival of their client.

Dennis Faul Dies

2006-06-21T20:36:00.000+01:00

I was very sorry to hear of the death of Monsignor Dennis Faul. When I was chair of the UYUC I was invited to a debate at his school, St Patricks' Academy in Dungannon.

The audience was predominantly nationalist and in some quarters unfriendly. Throughout the entire day Dennis Faul was an exemplary host and fascinating company. Our obvious political differences did not prevent Monsignor Faul from extending a hand of friendship in order to promote a civilised exchange of ideas.

That was a level of courtesy that stood in sharp relief to the subsequent pro/ anti debate within the UUP.

Their Mother Must Be So Proud

2006-06-20T15:52:00.000+01:00

Those well known North Belfast rascals, the Shourki brothers, have been creating more than their usual column inches today. Seemingly no one wants to play with them anymore. According to the BBC

"The UDA's ruling body, its 'inner council', issued a statement saying it had expelled a number of members in north Belfast, but did not name anyone.

However, loyalist sources said those expelled include the two brothers."

Meanwhile in the High Court Andre Shoukri has been refused bail on blackmail, intimidation and money laundering charges.

I don't for a moment complain about the spotlight being firmly put over the nefarious activities of alleged "loyalist" terrorists. What I do object to is the celebrity status given to these hoods by certain sections of the local press. The UDA godfathers in Belfast have for too long been treated as if they are some sort of Al Capones in 1920's Chicago rather than profiteers of the back of a squalid little war. Highlighting "A" list lifestyles and using endearing aliases for the gang bosses (remember Dorris Day?) only creates an aura around these people that increases their allure.

Let's take a minute and update ourselves about the Ulster Defence Association.

The tenth report of the Independent Monitoring Commission at paragraph 2.27 makes interesting reading

"The picture of UDA paramilitary activity remains broadly the same in the three months from December. We believe that members of the UDA were responsible for the murder of Thomas Hollran on 18 February 2006 though we have no indication that the senior leadership of the organisation sanctioned his death. The UDA continues to act violently, undertaking both shootings and assaults. The organisation aspires to arm and equip itself. The UDA’s heavy involvement in crime, including drug dealing and blackmail, continues and in some parts of the organisation criminality can be described as endemic."

The criminality of the type displayed by the UDA is turning Northern Ireland into a colder, wetter, badly dressed Sicily. Until such time that this threat is taken seriously by the entire commentariat no serious attempt will be make to remove it. And by serious attempt I don't mean golf with Mr Mary McAleese.

Queer Street

2006-06-18T20:30:00.000+01:00

There is something irresistible about a story that combines secret bank accounts, the UUP and Ken Maginnis. Liam Clarke covers the story in todays' Sunday Times. Notwithstanding the source (my money is on a recently departed party officer), the story raises some interesting issues.

Seemingly to decision to call in the police has triggered a bout of bluster not seen since Jeffrey Donaldson was Kens' bete noire.

"In an angry letter delivered to the commission on Friday night, Ken Maginnis, the UUP treasurer, has accused the body of “conspiring to destroy” its heritage. UUP sources say that the money in the account was mainly used for the upkeep of an office in America and was introduced into party accounts in 2005."

What exactly is the heritage of the Ulster Unionist Party? The Patton Report? Prisoner releases? Or the squandering of seventy years of public good will by committing the political Hari Kari that was Trimbleism? Answers on a post card please.

The Electoral Commission has published the latest UUP accounts here. Are there any accountants who would care to comment on the almost £100,000.00 deficit the party is running? Or the fact that there is a "fundamental uncertainty" in the report given that the party is dependant upon banks and members for continued financial support?

All this negative press and unwelcome scrutiny could have been avoided if full and frank financial disclosure had been made by the UUP. That degree of openness, however, does not form part of the cherished heritage. The hubris of the ruling clique has seen to that in years past.

Doh!

2006-06-16T10:11:00.000+01:00

I see that UUP MLA Robert Coulter has called for tougher sentences on those that attack public servants. So far so good.

He goes on to say:

that he had planned to introduce a new Private Members' Bill in the Stormont Assembly but the restricted working of the so-called Hain Assembly was preventing him introducing a Bill

This is where I begin despair. Even if the Assembly and Executive were up and running, even if the full range of powers it enjoyed pre suspension were restored the good reverend could NOT introduce such a Bill because criminal justice matters are currently (thankfully) reserved to parliament at Westminster.

I am not criticising Robert Coulters' good intentions, I just don't understand why he is promising to do something which he will never have the power to do. Could it be that he thinks he could be able to legislate on this matter? Has he not read the Northern Ireland Act? Did nobody in Cunningham House check the statement? Will he be calling for a tax hike next or declaring war? Is this an example of inflated self importance or ignorance?

Enough already, I see an opportunity.

I am available for remedial classes on devolution if and when suspension is lifted. Reasonable hourly rates, discount for block bookings.

Well, Sir Reg?

2006-06-15T22:18:00.000+01:00

In 1994 the UVF attacked a pub in the County Down village of Loughinisland with assault rifles. Six customers were murdered and five injured. The horror of the scene is almost unimaginable (and I have seen more than my fair share of SOCO albums). Now the families have broken their silence to demand answers as to why this mass murder has gone unpunished.

The issue of unsolved murders in Northern Ireland is deserving of a proper post of its' own.

However, the Loughinisland attrocity was carried out by an organisation now formally linked to the Ulster Unionist Party. I think the families have a right to know what Sir Reg has done to try and obtain the information they crave from his new best buddy, David Ervine MLA. A public demand from the UUP leadership for their PUP allies to assist the police investigation is the very least they could do.

I couldn't advise readers to hold their breath.

The Land of the Free

2006-06-15T13:54:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Iain Dale for the heads up. Enjoy.

Too Protestant

2006-06-15T09:27:00.000+01:00

I lecture Law to young people (post GCSE) as part of a course designed to prepare them for employment in the public services. There are excellent links with all the services who are keen to recruit from the students.

Yesterday was marked by an end of year celebration of the achievement of these young people. I was struck by how many were going on to either higher education or into the uniformed services - exactly the outcome that the course was designed to deliver. In my time teaching the Royal Navy had recruited, the Army had recruited, the RAF had recruited, the Fire Service had recruited. The PSNI had, to my knowledge, not.

I asked around as I was keen to discover why policing was seen as such an unattractive option. It turns out that there is indeed a problem with the PSNI - it does not want these young people because they are Protestant (or to use the language of discrimination "non Catholic"). A number of students had indeed applied to the PSNI but each one fell foul of the sectarian recruitment policy. Of those discriminated against the majority were taking temporary MacJobs in order to apply again whilst the rest were looking for employment elsewhere, lost forever to policing in Northern Ireland.

The Belfast Agreement was flawed in so many ways that opposing it was, for this blogger, a "no brainer". But yesterday actually brought home to me what the "process" had delivered in human terms- sectarian discrimination and a curtailment of opportunity. Surely no basis on which to build a stable and equitable future?

Class(room) Warrior

2006-06-14T13:25:00.000+01:00

I nearly choked on my bagel this morning listening to Good Morning Ulster this morning. At 7.21am (about 51.30mins into the stream) Frank Bunting from the Irish National (sic) Teachers' Organisation commenced an interview about the governments' proposed blackmail on the issue of academic selection for post primary education. What followed was revealing in the extreme as Bunting ignored the governments' outrageous politicking with the educational system but launched a full frontal on selection.

It was then the mask slipped.

After an attempt to misrepresent public opinion on the issue Bunting let the class hatred which lies behind the attempt to destroy grammar schools shine forth. Listen to his remarks about middle class parents, the desire for private education and (for some reason best known to himself) Sports Utility Vehicles. Nothing about improving the lot of pupils in secondary schools. Nothing about addressing the need for proper vocational education. Just bile directed to those who defend the current system. The language, the invective used reminded me of the dying days of the Left at Manchester University almost twenty years ago. I can only hope this outburst signified the dying days of those, like Bunting, who are using the debate about selection to advance their out dated class based agenda.

Sorry

2006-06-13T22:23:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, through the actions of a small number of our citizens, Northern Ireland is disgraced. Take this report on a racist attack on a visiting Indian youth cricket team. I just wonder if the sportswear clad scum who have dragged our provinces' good name into the gutter had any idea that other Indians were in the process of creating 1,000 jobs for their city? I suspect not, after all a job would only get in the way of the Buckfast consumption.

I just want to say sorry to these visitors. I hope they enjoyed City Hall and the cricket at Stormont. Most of all I just want to say please don't judge 1.6 million of us by the actions of 16 morons.

Swift police action is necessary to redeem the situation. That can only happen if information is forthcoming from within the community from whence the attackers came. How this develops will be a test for the good people of Belfast. I dearly hope that we are not found wanting.

Would The Last Person To Leave Cunningham House Please Turn Out The Lights

2006-06-11T11:45:00.000+01:00

The inability of the Ulster Unionist Party to hold on to its' more able members must cause concern to those who care about a party seemingly dying on its' feet. The Young Unionists have always had an active role within the party and in days gone by it was seen as a fast track to internal advancement given the delegates to the Ulster Unionist Council which the youth section had of right. In 1998 I was chair of the UYUC and am happy to say the organisation provided both the impetus and the personnel to challenge the pro Agreement policies of the "senior" party. Those were the heady days of UUC meetings after UUC meetings culminating with the Martin Smyth leadership challenge in the cattle shed at Balmoral. I will always regard my political salad days with a great deal of affection.

Since 1998 the UUP has been loosing former key Young Unionists at an alarming rate - remember the party had invested time and money on developing these people. Jeffrey Donaldson, Peter Weir, Arlene Foster and William Humphries are all past YU chairs that now hold elected office representing the DUP. Now it seems the list of former Young Unionists going on to greater things outside the UUP has grown. Peter Bowles has had enough of the UUP/UVF and done the decent thing and joined the Tories. This is a principled move and one for which Bowles deserves the greatest credit. As a North Down voter I suspect I will be seeing more of Cllr. Bowles in about three years time...

Lions and Donkeys

2006-06-09T09:59:00.000+01:00

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

Keen eyed observers will have noticed that I am a fan of Kipling. I thought of him when I read about the treatment of the recently acquitted guardsmen. Initially because of his words, repeated above, and then because of his close personal relationship with the Irish Guards.

Blair and his government have treated the Army disgracefully. Overstretching it abroad whilst attacking its regimental structure at home has sapped morale to such a point that servicemen are absenting themselves without leave in record numbers. Those that do do their duty must now keen one eye out for improvised explosive devices and another for the Army Prosecuting Authority. They must patrol in inadequately armoured vehicles, perhaps without body armour or working communications, in areas of this dangerous world where Blair and his ministers fear to tread.

There is an unspoken covenant between the soldier and his government. He or she will put him or herself in harms way if asked to do so and the government is expected to provide if disaster ensues. That understanding is in danger of breaking down along with army medical provision and the community links of the ancient regiments. Who has welshed on the deal? Not Tommy. But then again he "ain't a bloomin' fool".

Updates here and here.

Political Breakdown

2006-06-08T10:05:00.000+01:00

The head gasket on my car decided to fail yesterday. With a plume of blue smoke and, alarmingly, no power steering it came to rest on the hard shoulder. I called the AA and settled back to await the inevitable bad news. I formed the opinion that the car was knackered.

By coincidence Prime Ministers' Questions was being discussed on Five Live. It soon became apparent that my Freelander wasn't the only thing to be past its' sell by date.

Not only was Blair tired and evasive but the entire half hour showcased a government totally bereft of any ideas. After almost a decade in power the New Labour project looks to have run out of steam. No one should be surprised. The last Tory government hit the buffers in 1992 after thirteen years (what a pity for his party that Major won that years' general election). The voting public are heartily sick of the incumbent while "Dave" waits in the wings.

As we enjoy the last days of the Blair administration those of us in Northern Ireland are also, perhaps, watching the death rattle of the 1998 devolution settlement. The incomprehensible failures of the "Preparation for Government Committee" (sic) mirror the structural failures that have bedevilled Strand One of the Good Friday Agreement.

Should anyone care?

Under the 1998 structures the DUP, Sinn Fein, the UUP and the SDLP are embedded in government in perpetuity. The number of executive ministers they may have may change, the joint office of First and Deputy First Minister may even rotate but beyond that elections to the Assembly will have no affect on regional governance. So what happens after ten years when we have a local administration as knackered and as useless as the national one we currently enjoy? Nothing. The voters will have to put up with it and settle down to another ten years and another ten years after that. Perhaps that is why few tears will be shed by the cognisi when the existing machinery of government suffers terminal head gasket failure.

Today At The Legislative Assembly

2006-06-07T00:04:00.000+01:00

I went to Stormont this afternoon. After some light refreshment with renewed acquaintances I had opportunity to watch the debate on industrial de-rating.

The first thing that struck me about the place was how busy it seemed. Business people affected by the proposed changes were out in force to lobby and to watch. Some had been issued with montages of the 108 MLAs, presumably to score performances. The press were there, Eamonn Mallie resplendent and Martina Purdy, well, being Martina Purdy. The place actually seemed as if it was relevant.

Sadly, due to pressure of time I only had time to listen to two contributions from the floor of the Assembly. The proposer John Dallat, SDLP MLA for East Londonderry, read his speech in a tone which given the heat of the afternoon was dangerously close to ponderous. However, the first speaker to offer support was Ian Paisley Snr. Rising from the First Ministers' position he delivered a speech that was consensual and ,frankly, Presidential. There was concern for the working man and his right to a fair wage, no party political point scoring and what venom there was was directed at the Secretary of State.

For a moment I allowed myself to believe that devolution could actually work. Was it the surroundings, the topic of the debate, the anxious voters keen to watch their politicians help their cause? Then I realised why all things seemed possible - Sinn Fein had absented themselves from the proceedings. If Adams & Co. had risen to support small businesses in Northern Ireland for how long could other parties restrain themselves from pointing out the gross hypocrisy of a movement which waged economic warfare with bomb and incendiary now supporting those self same businesses? And what self respecting Shinner could resist an opportunity to justify each and every explosion?

I left knowing what I knew before I entered - cross community government is currently only possible without Sinn Fein. That means that there will be no government. I hope the people with the score cards realise that.

A Time To Die

2006-06-05T20:46:00.000+01:00

En route to work this morning I listened to Stephen Nolan on BBC Radio Ulster. As I got to the top of the Glensahne he was interviewing Roy Bennet about the assisted suicide of his son Paul. Regardless of ones' views on this subject I defy anyone not to be moved by Mr Bennets' recollection of his sons' last days suffering from motor neuron disease.

I listened firmly in the camp of those who support a change in the law in this area. Then Nolan interviewed Nigel Dodds MP who is a strong opponent of Lord Joffes' Bill. Something very rare happened as I left Dungiven- a well crafted and passionate argument almost changed my mind. Regardless of any religious objections to assisted suicide or physician assisted suicide Nigel rationally put forward a case to protect the vunerable and maintain a stable doctor/ patient relationship. Nigels' points were all the more powerful given the role he had as a father of a desperately ill child.

Opposition to the Joffe Bill is a truly cross-community issue in Northern Ireland. I canvassed for two DUP candidates at the last Westminster election and was surprised by how many people raised the issue on the door. In Enniskillen, Arlene Foster was approached by a convinced nationalist who wished to thank her party for the stand it had taken at Westminster on the issue.

As I said I almost changed my mind. Listening to how motor neuron disease had reduced Paul Bennet to a point where he had found the

"last 18 months of his [life] intolerable, as he was in constant pain and had been terrified of choking to death as he was unable to swallow"

I thought what would I do in that situation, faced with loosing the power to communicate and living frozen in a dying body. Dear reader, send me to Switzerland.

Confound Their Politics

2006-06-02T15:38:00.000+01:00

Godfather-in-Chief, Gerry Adams has been sounding off this afternoon. In response to suggestions that his Chief Negotiator and former Londonderry Provo 2-i-c, Martin McGuinness, was actually a long time British agent Adams said

"I think the sub-text of all of this is that there is a possibility elements in there want to see Martin McGuinness dead,"

"That's what I take out of this - it is a very serious situation.

"I think it is emanating from the old guard within the old RUC perhaps some still active within the PSNI, all the dirty tricks, within British military intelligence."

Hang on though, I thought the guilty men in the McGuinness-as-Bond story were the DUP. Acording to Martin

"elements of the DUP were behind the claims"

Either Gerry and Martin aren't talking or their handlers are sowing a little Friday afternoon mischief. Over a pint. In the sun. I'm off ...

Thanks Auntie

2006-06-02T10:11:00.000+01:00

To day is Coronation Day (check your nearest public building is properly dressed).

This is not a post about monarchy and its benefits but one to alert readers to the fact that, courtesy of the BBC, one can watch the original 1953 television coverage. Given the weight of social history that surrounds the broadcast, let alone the event, this is a fantastic resource. How many of our grandparents' first television experiences were on 2nd June 1953?

My neighbours aren't gathering around my lap-top to watch but if you have a spare moment today launch the clip and try and imagine how a battered and drained nation felt as ancient custom heralded a brave new world.

I think I'll go and pay my licence fee now.

Land of the Free and the Tone Deaf

2006-06-01T20:31:00.000+01:00

Sing along if you like, the lyrics are here.

Another Lesson From Australia

2006-05-30T22:01:00.000+01:00

John Howards' Australia just keeps on impressing. Given the UKs' experience of The Human Rights Act this piece from "The Australian" is illuminating.

The opinion piece is set against the background of the kidnap and rape of a fourteen year old girl. The 55 year old attacker was
sentenced at first instance to one month imprisonment. Seemingly sodomising a prepubescent is hunky-dory in the Northern Territory if you are an Aboriginal elder.

The fear in Australia is that the flawed thinking which allowed Chief Justice Martin to make such an appalling mistake is about to be entrenched in state versions of our Human Rights Act. The UK experience is causing concern. As well it might.

Albrectsen has hit the nail on the head:

"these bills, filled with the alluring language of rights, cement into the law a radical left-wing political agenda"

Distressingly for this blogger the British judicial experience of "a rights culture" is examined and condemned. I never thought I would read the British and Uzbeck legal systems lumped together with equal contempt in an op-ed from a nation that shares our common law traditions. But then, on issues from travellers to terrorists, our system has held itself up to quite proper ridicule.

Our constitution vandalised, our parliament impotent, our courts mocked. Nice legacy Tony.

When You Dine With The Devil ...

2006-05-30T21:26:00.000+01:00

This is a developing story but alleged UVF leader Mark Haddock has been shot and critically wounded. He was at home on Crown Court bail awaiting judgement in his attempted murder trial.

Even if this turns out to be another bout of "loyalist" internecine blood letting it would be worthy of comment. In the context of the UUP/UVF Assembly Party serious questions must be asked of Sir Reg and those within Cunningham House:

1. if Haddocks' alleged organisation was responsible for this piece of "house keeping" will the leader of the PUP be allowed to remain within the Assembly Party?

2. if Haddocks' alleged organisation was responsible for this piece of "house keeping" and the leader of the PUP remains within the Assembly Party can that Assembly Party be considered to be committed to "exclusively peaceful means"?

3. if that Assembly Party fails the "exclusively peaceful means" test should it be excluded from any potential executive?

4. Who is going to be first to tell Sir Reg I told you so?

This blogger is of the view that a grubby political deal designed solely to gain the UUP an extra ministry has the potential to deprive it of any place around the Executive table. Shrewd move chaps, shrewd move.

Yob Culture Tolerated

2006-05-29T21:37:00.000+01:00

I picked this up from a piece on "Talkback" before the holiday weekend. Lord Laird has obtained, in answer to a written question in the Upper House, details of Anti Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued in Northern Ireland. To date in Northern Ireland 13 such orders have been made. Compare, if you will, to Manchester.

I have a problem believing that throughout each of the twenty six district councils in NI there are only 13 people deserving of ASBOs. Holywood has its' fair share of sportswear clad toe-rags one of which liberally "tags" the town with his nom de plume "Bean". He has at least twelve WKD sodden mates doing the same so why haven't they been ABSOed? The answer dear reader is simple- cost. Local councils are empowered along with the Housing Executive and others to make application to a Magistrates' Court for ASBOs. I have asked a number of councillors from North Down and else where why the rate payers were not being protected from a disruptive minority and on each occasion I was told that the councill as a whole did not want to pay for the prosecutions! They will pay for hanging baskets, to prosecute people for littering and fund twin town junkets but not to operate legislation designed to help the vunerable and check the unruly.

I thought councils in Northern Ireland were frustrated at being powerless. I thought they were crying out for powers to help communities. The government has now given them power which they ignore. Is the cost issue the only problem or is it reflective of a deeper malaise in our society? The anti social, if you are to believe their tatoos and grafitti, are well connected to the local "hoods". Perhaps the failure of local councils to pursue ASBOs has less to do with no money and more to do with no balls.

Next time a wannabe councillor comes knocking ask her or him if your quiet enjoyment of your neighbourhood is worth £1200.00. If not take full advantage of the STV system to put her/ him bottom of the pile.

"A miracle of deliverance"

2006-05-27T15:28:00.000+01:00

I have always enjoyed May. It contains my birthday, is right-bang in the middle of spring, has two (yes, count them) bank holidays and holds the promise of a long court-free summer. I also like May because every year it comes around I try to read something new about what was happening in 1940. This has ranged from "Their Finest Hour to "Never Surrender"(finished last week). This is not a post about the relative literary talents of Winston S. Churchill and Michael Dobbs but to simply point out to readers that to-day, 27th May, is the 66th anniversary of the start of Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of the British Expedition Force from Dunkirk.

In "Their Finest Hour" Churchill wrote:

"Ever since May 20, the gathering of shipping and small craft had been proceeding under the control of Admiral Ramsay, who commanded at Dover. After the loss of Boulogne and Calais only the remains of the port of Dunkirk and the open beaches next to the Belgian Frontier were in our hands. On the evening of the 26th an Admiralty signal put Operation Dynamo into play, and the first troops were brought home that night.

Early the next morning, May 27, emergency measures were taken to find additional small craft. The various boatyards, from Teddington to Brightlingsea, were searched by Admiralty officers, and yielded upwards of forty serviceable motor-boats or launches, which were assembled at Sheerness on the following day. At the same time lifeboats from liners in the London docks, tugs from the Thames, yachts, fishing-craft, lighters, barges and pleasure-boats - anything that could be the use along the beaches - were called into service."

The 300,000 troops saved in 1940 included the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Ulster Rifles who are pictured above waiting to embark from the beaches.

Churchill spoke to the Commons on 4th June, marking the end of the evacuation with his "we shall fight on the beaches" speech. Less famously, he reminded the House and the nation that:

We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations

The story of the "little ships" is deeply engrained in our national consciousness because it was such a close run thing, the sense of the bullet dodged allows us not to dwell on what would have happened had the BEF been annihilated in France.

Those who carelessly enjoy freedom today should pause and remember 1940.

Stand Up For The Ulstermen!

2006-05-27T14:33:00.000+01:00

After Munsters' fantastic win last weekend, Ulster won the Celtic League last night by beating the Ospreys. Much happiness chez Pakman not least because of the obvious Welshness of Ms Pakman. The win is a great shot in the arm for the team who have disappointed in this years' Heineken Cup. With next years' campaign in mind, being Celtic champions will improve the draw and consequently the chance of progressing to the knock-out rounds. I'm getting excited at the thought - roll on September!

It Was The Sun Wot (Should've) Won It

2006-05-26T10:10:00.000+01:00

The Daily Telegraph has won the Newsnight poll of best front pages of the last century with its' 9/11 page. For this blogger the front page to the left will always be a favourite, capturing as it does a certain zeitgeist.

For the full list of candidate pages, see here.

Oh, Advance Canada Fair!

2006-05-26T09:22:00.000+01:00

Thanks to ATW for the heads up on this good news from Prince Edward Island. Coupled with Australias' growing world stature as exemplified by her on-going intervention in East Timor could it be that by this outbreak of soundness the great Dominions are showing the Mother Country how to act on the world stage? Maybe Neville Shute was prophetic when he imagined a Commonwealth populated by the brightest and best leaving the UK with the rest.

Any lessons from Montenegro?

2006-05-25T13:49:00.000+01:00

The final demise of Yugoslavia restores a pre-1914 feel to the map of Europe with tiny, exotic sounding states once more sovereign.

From an Ulster unionist point of view there are a number of points worthy of comment.

Firstly, the demise of Yugoslavia yet again shows the impossibility of artificial states accommodating competing nationalities. If the hope of Irish nationalism is a unified state on the island of Ireland with 49.9% of the voters of its six north-eastern counties rejecting that state and all its trappings how long before this Eire Nua goes the same way as Czechoslovakia et al? Of course, within the present boundaries of Northern Ireland there is a destabilising competing nationalism. If Montenegro can leave Yugoslavia why can't, say, South Armagh leave the UK? While we're at it lets blow the bridges over the Foyle and trim Fermanagh around the edges. As for Tyrone ...

Then we come to the question of legitimacy of the newly independent state. The EU demanded any pro independence vote would require a 55% majority before it was recognised. Any views on this from our Nationalist readers?

And finally, viability. The new state will have less that 700,000 citizens but size, it seems, is no longer any barrier to independence. The EU is now peppered by shire-sized nations from the Baltic via Central Europe to the Balkans. Do Irish Nationalists really think that should Northern Ireland ever be absorbed into an Irish republic Ulster unionists would be happy to be the only people in Europe without a state? Palestinians we ain't.

Any lessons from Iraq?

2006-05-25T10:04:00.000+01:00

Iraqs' problems dwarf those of Northern Ireland but her quest for a coalition government is worthy of note. Iraq now has a government which took three years to form. There was no talk of "joint stewardship" or similar threats whilst the Iraqis got down to the business of coalition building. Why then in Northern Ireland is the same process time limited? Is it because the form of government on offer to Northern Ireland is so inflexible as to make discussion about a coalition unnecessary? After all d'Hondt does all the hard work.

Blair talks about his hopes for the Iraqi government to go full term. It is not unreasonable to assume he has similar ambitions for the stability of any NI executive. In those circumstances is the imposition of a dead line wise? Stable government in Northern Ireland will require a fundamental shift away from the enforced coalition of the Belfast Agreement. It will also require a degree of cross community good will that has been lacking to date. This blogger expects that task to take considerably longer than six months.

If I were to foresake the blue skies of Ulster...

2006-05-24T10:22:00.000+01:00

By way of a slow mornings diversion I recommend this :

Which country should you REALLY be living in?

Seemingly pakman belongs in Russia

A vast terrain filled with beautiful scenery and interesting characters. You don't trust the world. You feel they are always up to no good. Which is why you'd make a great Russian.
You want life to be simple and have no desire for riches, fame or wealth - and thats the only way your government would have it.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Feel free to post the results. I suspect a few regulars will be joining me in St. Petersburg.

Jail Time For Murder - 30 Months

2006-05-23T16:29:00.000+01:00

It seems that both loyalism and the failures of the Good Friday Agreement are to remain in the spotlight for some time to come. The early release of Finucan killer Ken Barret is a coming together of both themes.

During the referendum campaign of 1998 Tony Blair weighed in behind the "Yes" coalition and in a key intervention at the Balmoral Show stated:

the only prisoners whose cases can even be considered by the Independent Review Commission are those belonging to organisations which are observing a total and unequivocal ceasefire

Now I understand that Mr Barret murdered as a member of the UDA. The latest IMC report comments on that organisations' current activities at paragraphs 2.26 to 2.28. Highlights include:

members of the UDA were responsible for
the murder of Thomas Hollran on 18 February 2006

and

The UDAs' heavy involvement in crime, including drug dealing and blackmail, continues and in some parts of the organisation
criminality can be described as endemic.

and

that it remains an active threat to the rule of law.

How does this square with the pitch Blair made for the "Yes" campaign in 1998?

It doesn't.

Like so much of the process the line from spin into lie was crossed. Is it any wonder that an arrangement sold by deliberate misrepresentation now releases killers whose terrorist organisation remains active and fails to deliver stable devolved government?

Regs' Mission To Explain

2006-05-20T10:52:00.000+01:00

I'm sorry to go on about this but the UUP/ PUP/ UVF story will not go away. Sir Reg has confirmed to the BBC that other MLAs apart from Ervine were approached to join the UUP. Quite correctly he does not name them but a couple of Alliance MLAs and Paul Berry seem to have been the likely targets.

What is interesting is the sequence of the approaches. If extending UUP Assembly Group membership to Ervine was inspired by a noble (if misguided) attempt to bring the active UVF into the democratic fold then this blogger would have expected Ervine to be the first and only MLA to be approached. After all offering membership to, say, Seamus Close could have no possible bearing on "loyalist" criminality. On the other hand if the UUP were grubbing around for someone, anyone, to get them an extra Executive seat then it makes sense, given his baggage, that Ervine was their last port of call.

So what is it? Getting into bed with the UVF for short term party political gain or something less sordid?

About Last Night

2006-05-19T15:44:00.000+01:00

An unusual post, a request for information.

Last night the UUP/UVFs' executive met in Cunningham House. Were any readers there? If so I await details with baited breath. Correspondents should focus on the following:

1- did Basil McCrea state the link-up with the PUP has cost the UUP 20% of its' remaining support?

2- did Sir Reg retort by claiming 20% was "a conservative estimate"?

3- did any North Antrim party members say they would "never be back" in Cunningham House?

4- Alex Kane.

All info gratefully received.

Trimble Under Threat

2006-05-19T09:07:00.000+01:00

For a former leader of a formerly great party David Trimble is no shrinking violet. First we had the "Out in the Cold" aired last month (and blogged extensively), then there was his backbench speech at Stormont on Tuesday and now this.

All politicians make mistakes and enemies. That is the nature of the business and perhaps it is only the magnitude of the mistakes that distinguishes one politico from another. For public life in a democracy to thrive those mistakes must be expected and then judged by the electorate. Targeting of politicians by sleaze hunting tabloids, baying mobs or sinister websites can only dissuade potential politicians from entering public life. Then who suffers?

As for Mr Trimble, I trust the necessary action is taken in respect of this latest attempt at intimidation. I also wonder if he is really ready to retire from politics. Al Gore is at "step nine" of his recovering politician programme. I wonder if David Trimble has even started to travel that route. If not should Sir Reg be worried?

Boundary Commission Proposals Out

2006-05-18T09:31:00.000+01:00

The latest proposals for Northern Irelands' parliamentary constituencies have been announced by the Boundary commission and reported on by the BBC.

I'm no Nicholas Whyte but a few points arise:

1- the retreat from any radical readjustment of East Antrim. UUP sources had been hoping for tactical voting in the proposed "Coast and Glens" seat to remove Sammy Wilson.

2- the extension of the Belfast seats. Given the RPA surely it makes sense to have Belfast City Councils' boundaries coterminous with those of the four parliamentary seats?

3- the retention of 18 seats. The blunt answer to the West Lothian Question has been a reduction in Scottish representation at Westminster. Should devolution ever work here will a similar reduction be proposed for NI? With MLAs returned for parliamentary constituencies could this have a knock-on effect at Stormont?

Judges Attacked After Head-Scarf Ruling

2006-05-17T22:57:00.000+01:00

CNN is reporting on the murder of a Turkish judge and the wounding of four colleagues by a lawyer.

"One of the judges, Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin, was shot in the head in Wednesday's attack and died later in hospital, officials said.

Four of the judges -- including Ozbilgin -- had voted in February against the promotion of a school teacher who wore an Islamic-style head scarf outside work. The fifth had voted in favor."

If this attack had happened in Iraq or Saudi I wouldn't have blogged it. The fact is that it happened in Turkey which has embarked on a process that will lead to eventual EU membership. My question is this:

how can a society where an educated professional guns down judges who make a secular ruling in the face of Islamic opposition be reconciled to the liberal values of the current EU?

When Turkey joins the EU there will be freedom of movement for her citizens. Given the Polish example we can expect a wave of visitors from Asia Minor. Will the more extreme amongst them respect the secular nature of their host countries or will judge-killing become a risk when any issue pertaining to Islamic tradition comes before a court? Given the recent events surrounding the infamous Danish cartoons I suspect notions of judicial independence, liberal democracy and pluralism will cut no ice with some of the new "Europeans" from Anatolia.

Cracks Appear

2006-05-17T19:24:00.000+01:00

Sylvia has spoken. The last UUP Member of Parliament has told the House of Commons of her
distress at the linkage of the UUP to the UVF proxies in the PUP. Seemingly she was not consulted about the move and her "support" has been bought by the pathetic logic of Hume/ Adams:

"If Sir Reg is able to establish now a policy to bring about loyalist decommissioning and prevent any more murders, any more Lisa Dorrians in my constituency, then that would be worthwhile"

Of course Lisa Dorrian was murdered by the narco-terrorists of the LVF. If one were to follow this logic UUP membership should be extended to that choice bunch as well.

Pathetic nonsense from David Burnside on Good Evening Ulster this evening as well. Seemingly he supports this move as a tactical one to deprive Sinn Fein of a hypothetical executive post. According to this moral compass the UUP can use one group of terrorists to deprive another group of terrorists of power. So much for clean hands in local UUP politics.

Sinn Fein/ Hamas love-fest at Strasbourg

2006-05-17T09:13:00.000+01:00

The loathsome nature of the Irish republican movement can be judged by the company it keeps. During the Second World War it got into bed with Nazi Germany, to fund its' latest campaign they alligned themselves with Gadafis' Libya and now through the good offices of Ms. de Bruin they are acting as fanboys for the psychopathic Hamas.

Apart from the anti-semitism which links these Sinn Fein/IRA allies there is at their core an attatchment to violence to advance political aims. What message does Sinn Fein send out by singing the praises of the bus bombers? Not one that builds confidence in this unionist blogger that they are a fit coalition partner in any potential NI executive.

Alliance Get it Right (At Last/ For Once - delete as applicable)

2006-05-14T13:47:00.000+01:00

The Alliance Party collectively are anti Grammar School, NIO flunky QUNANGO jockeys but occasionally on an individual basis they hit the nail on the head. Sean Neeson is 100% right with this press release. I whole heartedly agree with him when he states :

"The creation of 10 departments was designed to facilitate an even sectarian carve-up, but it clearly has not worked. Boards, voluntary-sector bodies, businesses and individuals are all having to deal with a multitude of departments and agencies even to get the simplest task done"

If this commitment to small government continues IJP might even get a preference the next time he comes asking!

First Step Back to Sanity

2006-05-14T12:31:00.000+01:00

Given this from the Sunday Times, this from the Sunday Telegraph and this from the Observer the time seems ripe to grasp the nettle of extracting the UK from the disastrous implementation of the 1998 Human Rights Act.

As a first (I admit, mostly symbolic) step in rescuing our society from the lunacy of Euro-inspired activist decision makers I propose the following :

The Civic Responsibilities Act 2006

An Act to commence the process of injecting some reality into public decision making in the United Kingdom.

[14th May 2006]

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:-

1. - The Human Rights Act 1998 is hereby repealed.
2. - (1) This Act may be cited as The Civic Responsibilities Act 2006.
(2) All provisions shall come into force on the day the Act is passed.

As with all difficult situations once the decision is made to do something then subsequent actions become easier to contemplate. What about reservations or opt outs from the ECHR itself? What about reviewing our relationship with European institutions that have as a precondition of membership adherence to that convention? By flying this kite the Lord Chancellor may have opened a Pandoras' Box he and his government may find difficult to close.

Forget Sinn Fein/ IRA, now its UUP/ UVF

2006-05-13T12:46:00.000+01:00

The BBC is reporting that UVF linked PUP leader David Ervine MLA is to join the Ulster Unionist Assembly party. There have been a few occasions in the last ten years when the crass stupidity of the UUP has left me slack jawed in wonderment and this is another. It seems for political opportunity a formerly great party has thrown its' lot in with loyalist Sinn Fein wannabes. Has Sir Reg not understood the import of the last IMC report in respect of the UVF? Just to remind readers of paragraphs 2.30 and 2.31 of that report :

"2.30 The reduced level of activity on the part of the UVF following the end of the feud with the LVF to which we referred in our Eighth Report has remained apparent. But the organisation nevertheless continues to be responsible for a range of criminal
activities, including violence, and it continues to display behaviour indicating that it intends to remain in paramilitary business. The UVF undertook both shootings and assaults over the recent period. It continues to recruit new members throughout
Northern Ireland. We believe that the weapons, explosives and other paramilitary
equipment which the police seized from premises in Belfast in February belonged to
the UVF. Crime is prevalent throughout the organisation.

2.31 There has been some effort by elements of the UVF leadership to tackle criminality. As with the leadership of the UDA, we recognise that there are certain people who want to move away from criminality. We welcome this wherever it occurs but at this stage we do not see any significant impact on the behaviour of the organisation as a whole. Nor has there as yet been the positive move to stop targeting nationalists and ethnic minorities for which we called in our Eighth Report. We do not therefore change our overall assessment that the organisation is active, violent and ruthless, and the recent statement from a spokesman that it does not intend to do more before 24 November 2006 is not encouraging."

So the UUP are embracing a party linked to a terrorist organisation who at the time of the IMC report had been involved in shootings, assaults with criminality running through it like "Blackpool" through a stick of rock. It gets better - the UVF is involved in sectarian and racist targeting; it is "active, violent and ruthless".

Walking into Castle Buildings with these people in 1998 was appalling enough. Extending membership of the Assembly Party to their leader is quite another.

What the hell are the UUP playing at?

RIP WC

2006-05-12T20:13:00.000+01:00

The first pro-Agreement party to actually disband is the Northern Ireland Womens' Coalition. I have fond memories of individual NIWC members from the Forum (where they secured two top-up seats) and negotiations but as a party they were even more firmly entrenched in the NIO pocket than Alliance.

As for their cross community credentials, whilst the elected membership may have come from both major traditions I always felt that the brains behind the operation were not well disposed to unionism. I recall being canvassed when I lived in South Belfast during the 1998 Assembly elections. When the WC candidate (and leader) saw who opened the door she told her team "don't bother, he's a unionist." This in a STV ballot.

As I said above on an individual basis I wish Jan Morice, Kate Fearon and Pearl Sagar well.

BTW any idea what Susan McKay means when she states that "the coalition ... is also credited with giving support and advice to other smaller parties, including the loyalist parties"
? Suggestions as to the nature and recipient of the support gratefully received.

Hain Watch #1

2006-05-09T22:03:00.000+01:00

The Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland has apologised for a centrepiece of NuLabour hubris- the imposition of all-woman shortlists on constituency selection meetings. According to Mr Hain,

"The first law of politics is you listen to the people"

Strange then, when back in Belfast the same Peter Hain can state

"the government remained committed to the abolition of academic selection"

My understanding of the situation in Northern Ireland was that the people
supported academic selection.

Not so much NuLabour double-speak but rather Hain double-standards. I await his apology when wearing his NI hat.

Ballymena Murder

2006-05-09T21:27:00.000+01:00

These posts at bebeo are almost unbelievable. Almost as unbelievable as the murder of Michael McIlveen itself. I say "almost" in both cases because in my line of business I come across incidents of mindless violence almost daily. In a society that used to pride itself a 1950's sense of community how has it come to pass that we have in our midst baseball bat wielding child killers, people who disfigure others by using thieir teeth to rip off lips and ears and the almost casual use of near fatal violence as post pub entertainment? Could it be that Northern Ireland is indeed a place where you can get away with murder?

West Lothian Question centre stage after a bad night in Barking

2006-05-05T11:15:00.000+01:00

So Charles Clarke has been pushed after failing to jump in response to the non-deportation scandal. His replacement at the Home Office "the government department responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales" by stage Scotsman John Reid will raise eyebrows. Given the evidence of English resentment displayed in Barking and elsewhere last night am I the only one to agree with the now former Home Secretary when he states he did not agree with the prime minister's judgement .

With Blair now clearly on the way out and Brown the heir apparant in the not too distant future both PM and Home Secretary will (initially at least) be MPs representing Scottish seats. How will that happy coincidence go down with English electors in the subsequent General Election? Will asymetric constitutional change (ie dangerous tinkering) come back to haunt NuLabour?

RUMOUR - Five Live are questioning Hains' future in NI. I fear he will stay but let's see.

Perfidious Hain

2006-05-04T13:08:00.000+01:00

It seems that being Labours' chief enforcer in the celtic fringe can get you in trouble. Under privilege Welsh nationalists have named Peter Hain as being implicated in a peerage scandal. Seemingly, an attempt was made to buy off the late Peter Law. As regular visitors will know I have more than a passing relationship with Wales and what little I knew of Mr Law would have suggested that he was a man of principle who could not be bought with ermine. But then again we are dealing with the hubris of NuLabour piled upon the hubris of Peter Hain. I trust for the good people of Wales, Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK that nemisis is just around the corner.

Update here.

Real World Intrudes

2006-04-30T14:50:00.000+01:00

There will be slow blogging over the next week or so as the evil world of work calls. Just so you don't feel too sorry for me I would recommend this from the Sunday Telegraph. It's nice to know that someone with the moniker "Moneybags" thinks I deserve a pay cut. Perhaps the more senior members of the Bar should spend more time ensuring that the Legal Services Commission pays counsel what they are owed rather than indulging in obnoxious attempts at self justification at the end of extremely lucrative careers.

108 Apprentices to face the boardroom?

2006-04-30T14:36:00.000+01:00

According to sources including the BBC it seems that the Scottish First Minister is coming to Stormont to address the quasi assembly on the benefits of devolution. Why then does the story carry Donald Trumps' picture? Is he coming instead of Jack McConnell with the long overdue message "You're fired"?

UPDATE - the BBC are be back from their Bank Holiday break and have corrected the page.

"All the lonely people... where do they all come from?"

2006-04-28T11:49:00.000+01:00

The world seems full of unfortunate people. The Vancouver Sun is reporting on the rise of asexuality. Seemingly

Analysing a British survey in which more than 18,000 people were questioned on their sexual practices, he [Anthony Bogaert] found 1.05 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement, "I have never felt sexually attracted to anyone at all."

I wonder if these figures can be extrapolated? Or if you are unfortunate to live in an area with a disproportionate number of unattractive others are the figures different? Contributions from (the many) readers in Galiagh would be welcome.

Senior Provos are Criminals Shocker!

2006-04-26T22:37:00.000+01:00

The Independent Monitoring Commissions' 10th report is the start of the choreography which the government hopes will lead to a return of devolution to Northern Ireland. Of course had the SDLP and the government had any political bottom line when dealing with republicans devolution need not have been suspended after Stormontgate - just Sinn Feins' executive role within it.

A great deal has been said in the media and in the Commons about the report so I just wish to focus on one area that causes me some concern amidst the generally positive comment the IRAs' past three months has generated. The report states at page 13 :

2.16 We have found signs that PIRA continues to seek to stop criminal activity by its members and to prevent them from engaging in it. We believe that some senior PIRA members may be playing a key role in this. This seems to us to be in accordance with the publicly articulated strategy. We believe that volunteers who had previously engaged in illegal fundraising have been told to refrain from doing so. That said, there are indications that some members, including some senior ones, (as distinct from the organisation itself) are still involved in crime, including offences such as fuel laundering, money laundering, extortion, tax evasion and smuggling. Some of these activities are deeply embedded in the culture of a number of communities, not least in the border areas, and increasing proportions of the proceeds may now be going to individuals rather than to the organisation. We have no reason to amend our earlier view that money is a strategic asset and that the organisation will look to the long-term exploitation of discreetly laundered assets which were previously gained illegally.

Of the top of my head a few points arise :

• How high up the Provo food chain are these senior members?
• Are these senior members in leadership roles?
• Is there a cross-over of these senior members into Sinn Fein?
• When will the criminal exploitation of illegally obtained assets cease?
• Why are these assets still being exploited?

Questions surround Sinn Feins' fitness for government that are unique to that party. Any potential coalition partner has to be sure that by forming a government including Sinn Fein they are not empowering a front for continued gangsterism. Unusually for a unionist I would look to Fianna Fail and Bertie Ahern for some guidance on this issue. No weasel words about Europe or the status of the Irish Defence Forces please. I just want to know in light of the quoted paragraph are Sinn Fein fit and proper partners in a potential Irish government?

Well Bertie?

ANZAC Day

2006-04-24T21:56:00.000+01:00

. In Australia and throughout the world Australians will comemorate their veterans. Aussies have cultivated a relaxed "devil may care" persona but when it comes to the feats of the "Diggers" they are universally respectful. In 2001 I was lucky enough to spend some time travelling in Queensland and in every one street, one pub town we passed through there was always an immaculate war memorial. Australia remembers with gratitude as should we. At every possible occasion the UK should remind herself of the immense sacrifices Australia and the rest of the Commonwealth made for our freedom - especially at Heathrow where descendants of those who volunteered for Britain queue for entry whilst the EU citizens of Germany and Italy pass through unmolested.

Vatican To Save Ulster for the Union?

2006-04-24T18:33:00.000+01:00

I wonder what Tim Pat "Count the Catholics" Coogan thinks about this?

No Dancing Please - We're Dutch.

2006-04-24T09:56:00.000+01:00

Hold the front page! Politicians are ...too boring to bop. Thank the Lord that Mr Balkenende will forego the disco delights of Amsterdam - if only we had been spared this !

The Big (Sl)Eazy?

2006-04-23T21:34:00.000+01:00

Post hurricane politics in New Orleans has been characterised by an unpleasant racial subtext. The mayoral election is taking place against a background of displaced voters and civil rights scrutiny. According to ABC :

"Race has become a key factor in the election. Less than half the city's pre-Katrina population of 455,000 have returned, and civil rights activists note that most of those scattered outside the city are black. Prior to the storm, the city was more than two-thirds black; it has not had a white mayor since 1978 when Moon Landrieu left office.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson has said he plans to challenge the election outcome in court regardless of the winner, arguing displaced voters were disenfranchised because they weren't allowed to vote in polling places in such adopted cities as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta"

Is this just African American mopery or does Rev. Jackson have a point?

Arrivederci Euro?

2006-04-22T17:39:00.000+01:00

Italys' biggest problem is not whether Prodi or Berlusconi is the head of government but rather the looming disaster caused by the Euro straight-jacket. This story has been running for some time with Italian friends of mine predicting since summer 2005 that the Lira will make a devalued return. Given this Latin re-run of Churchills' gold standard folly is it any wonder that the single currency debate in the UK has gone quiet? And what about the other small economies of Eurozone? Does the Italian present point to a Portugese, Greek or even Irish future?

Long to Reign Over Us

2006-04-20T20:35:00.000+01:00

Apart from a case of the head staggers in November 1985 there is very little of what Baroness Thatcher has to say with which I could disagree. This birthday tribute to HM is no exception.

Given the ghastly collection of career politicos who make up the current political class in the UK it is perhaps unsurprising that the saving grace of our system is the monarch. As Australia discovered, when faced with an exemplary sovereign no "Mate for Head of State" campaign will prosper.

So, join with this happy monarchist, Margaret Thatcher et al and send birthday wishes to our Queen.

Happy Birthday Ma'am.

Flying Column Licked!

2006-04-20T14:45:00.000+01:00

Is this in the same vein as the 90th anniversary celebrations put on in Dublin last week-end? What next - the Civil Rights Mushroom Double Swiss ?

Land of My Fathers (in Law)

2006-04-20T13:47:00.000+01:00

Now that the Easter holidays are almost over normal blogging service can resume. As usual the last week was spent in Wales.

Why do I feel so at home in a place awash with language fascists, psycopathic republicans, expensive yet powerless politicians and Peter Hain? Is it because Wales provides a glimpse of what Northern Irelands' future could be - with adaptable devolution and impressive civic renewal? Despite the "whisky" and and the Lib Dems I like the place.

Worth a visit.

Update

What was he thinking?

2006-04-12T20:32:00.000+01:00

Television can be a terribly harsh medium and last nights' Out in the Cold was no exception. Now whatever I think of 1998 and the behaviour of the man and his minions subsequent to that years' Good Friday I actually felt rather sorry for David Trimble at the end of the video - the shopping trip with Daphne was pure Alan Bennett.

The discussion elsewhere has been illuminating and I have just one observation to add. The political failure of David Trimble was due to his lack of empathy with what made unionists unionists. His "theoretical unionism" did not understand how prisoner releases and, particularly, the demise of the Royal Ulster Constabulary would affect his project. No matter if in 20 years the GFA confounds this blogger and creates the bed rock of a prosperous, peaceful and British NI David Trimble, Lord of whatever, will always be the man who failed to save the RUC.

Infant Malady Knocks Blog for Six!

2006-04-11T21:16:00.000+01:00

Pakman junior (Ms Pakman?) brough home the usual from nursery last week - finger painting, new actions to "The Wheels on the Bus" and tonsillitis. Needless to say being thirty five renders one particularly susceptable to childhood illnesses and as a result I have been in a drug induced semi coma since Friday night as my pathetically low pain threshold called in pharmaceutical back up. I'm back now and ready to go.

I suppose this is going to be the talking piece of the next twenty four hours. I'll post tomorrow when I have had a chance to watch the video but in the meantime what about some gentle diversion I call Lord Trimble of ....

Drumcree
Tunnel
Castle Buildings
Bayreuth
Chateau Neuf

Over to you!

It's Broke, Fix it.

2006-04-06T14:40:00.000+01:00

So Tony and Bertie (since when was he invited in on Strand One?) have a
plan. Ho hum.

Here's mine, which has as much chance of success as the PMs' :

1. Reduce the number of MLAs to 90
2. Reduce the number of government departments to six
3. Remove the sectarian designation of each member
4. Remove the double sectarian veto within the legislature
6. Remove the D'Hondt system for creating an executive
7. Require any proposed Executive to be endorsed in its' entirety by at least 66% of voting members
8. Enforce collective responsibility on that Executive by requiring it to bring forward a Programme for Government within six weeks of its endorsement. That Programme would then require an endorsement by the Assembly of at least 66% of voting members
9. Failure at points 7 or 8 would start the clock ticking to one final attempt at endorsement or an assembly election
10. Casual vacancies to be filled by an election
11. Legislation to require a simple affirmative majority unless 25 members object, in which case the Speaker to rule that a weighted majority of at least 66% of voting members is required
12. First Minister and Deputy First Minister are to cease to be co-dependent and joint appointments

What do you think?

DAAD - Direct Action Against Donaldson?

2006-04-05T17:59:00.000+01:00

We've been here before; shotguns (forensically important), franchised killings and mendacious denial.

Republicans murdered Donaldson. All that remains to be determined is which variety and with what authority.

How about this hypothesis. We know that the short term plan to have an Assembly without an executive is deeply unpopular with Sinn Fein. Posters on other blogs have asked why would the republican movement sanction a killing which would derail their beloved process. Perhaps the answer is this - the Donaldson murder was a tactical move to derail this stage of the process. It also sends the "we haven't gone away so don't even think about messing with us" message to the the government.

I heard the bumptious Jim McDowell boast on the BBC that his paper would know the identity of the killers by the week-end - I trust the public interest will be sufficient for that knowledge to be shared wit the rest of us.

Whodunit?

2006-04-04T23:10:00.000+01:00

Who tortured and murdered Dennis Donaldson? In terms of the Northern Ireland "peace" process no other question will matter over the next few weeks, certainly not any hard questions either PM Tony Blair or his Irish counterpart may have to ask our local political parties.

Feel free to speculate. Who gains the most by the killing? What tactical or strategic purpose could it have? I'll post my conclusions when the dust settles.

"Once you remove the impossible, whatever remains,however improbable, must be the truth."

Update here.

O Canada.

2006-04-03T23:35:00.000+01:00

I have a great affection for Canada, especially BC. The place feels like a nicer version of the UK with well kept public spaces, a real sense of civic pride and a service ethos that makes you realise how dreadful the average High Street shopping experience on this side of the Atlantic is. If the option ever presented itself I'm not sure that the many delights of Holywood would trump Vancouver.

Anyhow, I came across this in the Vancouver Sun. If Afganistan is the forgotten front in the "war on terror" then the Canadians are the overlooked combatants. Did any UK readers know that Canadians were in action in Afganistan and that

"Canada's most significant battle in 32 years"

had just taken place? No small boast for the nation that took Vimy Ridge.

There was a time when the British media would have highlighted this sort of news from a Commonwealth country. That, sadly, no longer seems the case. In terms of overseas interest the visit of the US Secretary of State, the fragrant Ms Rice, monopolised the column inches. I'm all for the Special Relationship, but let's not forget who our real friends are. Spare a thought then for Pte. Costall and his comrades in 1st Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

A Blast From the Past.

2006-04-03T20:26:00.000+01:00

I see that ten years since its' creation the Forum has finally appeared as a foot note in the history of the peace process. I have many fond memories of the Interpoint Centre; highlights include

"The RUC will remain a unitary force, with any delegation of authority and responsibility continuing to be a matter for the Chief Constable. There will be no two-tier police service, and there will be no special arrangements to facilitate the recruitment of former paramilitaries."

and

"there will be no reduction in the RUC's strength so long as the threat from terrorist groups continues."

and

"there is absolutely no question of allowing parties or persons who represent paramilitary-related groups to join the heart of the Administration without having clearly established a commitment to democratic and peaceful means through decommissioning and other measures"

All the above from David Trimble on 17th April 1998.
Or what about this from the voice of "progressive" unionism

"In the story that the Member recounted a moment ago he touched upon homosexuality, which society now appears to think should be tolerated. We have seen recent examples of this in an advertisement by the Yorkshire police and in a cathedral service. Is it not a fact that paedophiles very often target children of their own sex? Are we not, by turning a blind eye to one perversion, perhaps encouraging or condoning another?"

Ken Maginnis on 22nd November 1996.
But my favourite (from the very first day!) has to be

"You have the light behind you — a great policeman's trick when interrogating a suspect"

From the only gentleman amongst the entire shower, Sir John Gorman.

Is this what the shadow assembly holds for the body politic?

The future's bright!

2006-04-02T23:59:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Fair_Deal for the heads up. As a constant reminder of Unionist success I have pasted a countdown to 2016 on this site's side bar. Let each second that passes remind us of the continuing failure of the republican project.

It's the constitution, stupid!!!

2006-04-02T15:34:00.000+01:00

Politics in Northern Ireland is presently based on a stand off between two diametrically opposing views - those who accept the integrity of the United Kingdom and want to maintain our position within it versus those who see Northern Ireland as a failed political entity and wish speedily to remove it from the UK (and indeed the map) by facilitating absorbtion into the Irish Republic. Unsurprisingly, such fundamental divisions permeate through into unionist and nationalist world views.

Take this for example. The Northern Ireland Assembly is just one of a number of devolved assembly so beloved of NuLabour. Its' design was outlined in the Good Friday Agreement (aka the Belfast Agreement) but it only came into being when legislated for by parliament at Westminster. That parliament is sovereign over all things in the United Kingdom and has powers to alter or dispense with legislation at will. The fact that the 1998 Act reflects the Good Friday Agreement makes it no more immune from amendment (or eventually repeal) than, say, The Dangerous Dogs Act.

Perhaps once Mark Durkin and his party study the constitution of the state they wish to leave they will better understand that in order to provide Northern Ireland with workable devolution changes to the Assembly will be legislated for - regardless of what happened in a different political era.

Lordy, lordy, lordy ...

2006-04-01T15:31:00.000+01:00

Welcome one and all, or as we say in Ulster-Scotts "fair fa' ye" . Having enjoyed the excellent Slugger O'Toole and ATW I have decided to follow in the steps of Fealty and Vance with "We perish if we yield". This will be an unashamedly unionist view of and from Northern Ireland to provoke debate and discussion. Enjoy.

For starters, Lord Ballyedmond has always struck me a an unusual addition to the Ulster Unionist benches at Westminster. After all what can one offer David Trimble and Bertie Ahern (never mind this good friend of Ulster)? I wonder if recent events which threaten to soil legacy of the current PM will have a Northern Ireland post script?