The SDLP Overtake Sinn Féin In New Poll

The Sunday Independent reported over the weekend that a poll has put the SDLP ahead of Sinn Féin for the first time in five years. According to the Sindo, 21 per cent of people polled said they would vote for the Social Democrats, whereas only 18% said they would opt for SF.

Although polls ought to be taken with a pinch of salt and traditionally SF tends to do better than polls predict, this will undoubtedly come as good news to Durkan and McDonnell's party- while the Ulster Unionists have been decimated by the DUP within the unionist camp, a similarly predicted destruction of the SDLP has simply not happened on the nationalist side of the political fence. The main questions now are: will these figures be reflected in the next Assembly election, and how will it tranfer into seats? After all, nationalist parties tend to get less seats than one might expect, even with the PR system in place- for instance, in 1998 the SDLP got more votes than any other party, but ultimately the UUP secured more seats in the Assembly.

Percentage of the vote is not always reflected in the percentage of seats a party gets.

Another problem which the poll identified for the provos was that apparently 57 per cent of their voters oppose the party supporting policing. Given that the leadership is about to rubber stamp support for the PSNI (subject to an Ard Fheis), a time may well be dawning for SF in which a large proportion of its voters stay at home (much like the SDLP has suffered in recent years). This could benefit the SDLP who, although they won't catch those voters as they too support the policing structures, will now have a more level playing field on which to play ball. Indeed, if the SDLP can organise well and remobilise its voters in the face of an SF slump, the poll mentioned in the Sunday Independent may not actually be that far off the mark. It should make for an interesting run-in to the next Stormont elections. [ElBlogador.com]

On Trial For The Claudy Bombings: The IRA, The RUC, The British Government And The Catholic Church

In the same week that a bunch of heartless thugs attacked the memorial in Claudy to the nine innocent people who were murdered by an IRA bombing blitz there in 1972, RTÉ is reporting that Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan’s forthcoming report on the atrocity will pass censure on the RUC, British Government and the Catholic Church.

If the report is accurate, it will confirm rumours that have circulated for years that an act of post-attack super-collusion took place between senior figures from the Catholic Church, the British Government and the RUC to move prime suspect Catholic Priest Fr. James Chesney out of the north following the bombings. Chesney died in 1980. The IRA has never even had the decency to admit to the bombings.

The provos detonated three bombs without warning in the Co. Derry village on 31st July 1972, killing nine people (five Catholics and four Protestants), including eight-year-old Kathryn Eakin. Young Kathryn was killed when the first bomb exploded outside McElhinney's Pub on Main Street. Kathryn was struck by shrapnel as she helped out at her family’s shop. The explosion caused panic, and as people fled, they ran into blasts from two other explosions at the Beaufort House Hotel and the post office.

The people who perished were Joseph McCluskey, James McLelland, Elizabeth McElhinney, Patrick Connolly, Arthur Hone, David Miller, William Temple, Rose McLaughlin and Kathryn Eakin.

Last year Sinn Féin MLA Francie Brolly was arrested and questioned about the bombing, but was released without charge.

If the Police Ombudsman does reveal that collusion took place, it will illustrate perfectly the depraved and sickening level to which many of those involved in the Troubles stooped to cover their tracks.

If IRA-men benefited from collusion with the RUC and British Government (with the assistance of the Catholic Church) vis-à-vis Claudy to get their man out of the north, God knows what else went on. It’s all very well paying lip-service to the campaign for truth, but facts could prove that some of those who are most vociferous in condemning collusion may be part of a movement which operated at the very heart of it and benefited in much the same way as loyalist killers did. Likewise, if Nuala O'Loan is correct, then anyone in a position of responsibility within the RUC and British Government who aided and abetted this cover-up must be exposed and brought to justice along with those who were involved in planting the bombs in the first place.

The public have nothing to worry about if the truth about the Troubles emerges. It is only those who have something to hide that ought to lose sleep at night.

It is time the full dirty truth of the Troubles was revealed. Collusion is indeed no illusion, although until now the truth about who was involved may have been. [ElBlogador.com]

Grow Up, Unionist Begrudgers!

It's not often that this corner of Ireland gets good news, and with hundreds of jobs being lost in Shorts one would think that unionist representatives would be glad of any financial assistance. But unfortunately this was not the case this week when the Irish Government announced that it would be investing £700m of their own taxpayers' money in Northern Irish infrastructure- the unionist parties were incandescent.

Where else in the world would we see such dogmatic political idiocy get in the way of recognising the great use this money will be to people living here?

According to UUP Deputy Leader Danny Kennedy: "This document looks like it was written by a Sinn Féin policy officer and passed under the nose of an Irish Department of Foreign Affairs civil servant."

What?! For someone from a border area, he seems to have very little understanding of the economic needs of his community. And where did he get this Sinn Féin idea from? Was it not the fact that Sinn Féin supported the economic destruction of Northern Ireland for many years? Yes, they may have changed their tune now, but it's clearly just a scaremongering leap of assumption for the UUP to describe this document as SF-esque.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell added: "What we in the DUP will be saying to Dublin is, that if your understanding of this arrangement is that this money is designed to build an all-Ireland economy, we are not going there."

Why not? Why have two separate economies on such a small island competing against each other when we could all benefit from economies of scale by co-operating? Is your belief in your own identity so weak that you are afraid of working alongside the southern government for the benefit of everyone on this island? Catch yourself on!

But it was the News Letter which led the way when it came to belligerent responses to the announcement: "The £700 million donation by the Irish Republic's exchequer to the infrastructure of Northern Ireland will undoubtedly be welcomed by Her Majesty's Government, but it should in no way be seen as a mortgage payment for establishing a permanent foreign foothold here."

A permanent foreign foothold?

I haven't seen such insulting and reactionary diatribe in quite some time. Clearly the News Letter cares little about the economic plight of 'deprived loyalist areas' if it is so quick to reject money from the south, and as for describing our fellow countrymen south of the border as 'foreign'- since when did the 1920 Government of Ireland Act's imposition of an artificial border make those on each side of said boundary 'foreign' to each other?

Thankfully, some more mature politicians welcomed the investment.

SDLP Leader Mark Durkan said: "The promise of more joined-up planning and investment across the range of areas the two governments have outlined will bring significant economic, social and environmental dividends to people throughout the entire country." The Irish Government's plan fits-in well with the SDLP's North-South Makes Sense agenda.

The Alliance Party also welcomed the initiative- economic spokesman Sean Neeson said it "would strengthen the local economy and offer the prospect of new jobs for people here".

Let's stop the brainless tubthumping. It's time to start looking at the bigger picture and stop wasting time on insular faux-outrage. Perhaps if the representatives of unionism started showing some leadership and progressiveness then they might get a better deal and more of a say- until then, the temptation will always be there to just go above their heads, as they're just too much bother to deal with. [ElBlogador.com]

Anti-Europe MEPs Damaging The North

SDLP Deputy Leader Alasdair McDonnell has lambasted the north's three Euro-MPs on their attrocious track record. Let's face it- Jim Allister and Bairbre de Brún seem to spend their time trying to out-irritate each other, while Jim Nicholson is quite literally the invisible man.

Dr. McDonnell said: "Jim Allister of the DUP is publicly lamenting the fact that our share of EU Structural Funds will fall sharply in the next spending round, but what has he done about it? DUP-style ranting cuts little ice in Brussels or Strasbourg, where it is all about networking and building coalitions. Unfortunately, our MEPs are unskilled in the politics of consensus and accommodation.

"Even if they were so skilled, their impact will always be limited by the reality that they simply do not support the European project. Last year all three called on people to oppose development of the EU in a referendum. Their influence is limited to the wilder fringes of anti-Europeanism, and the contacts that were built up over years by John Hume have been frittered away. Unfortunately, our MEPs are more interested in pointless jousting with each other to impress the home audience than in actually achieving anything in Europe.

"Rather than work for our farmers, Jim Allister preferred to drag the Ulster Farmers’ Union into a domestic political row about who else they were meeting in Brussels. The extent of Bairbre de Brún’s isolation in the European Parliament was brutally illustrated in its vote on the murder of Robert McCartney.

"It is deeply unfortunate that our MEPs have imported their petty squabbles into the European forum. We will all pay the price in poorer funding, poorer communities and poorer relations with our European neighbours."

While the north received a high amount of attention during John Hume's time in Brussels, with the SDLP leader enjoying the support of not only the strong SDLP-allied Party of European Socialists but parties across the spectrum, European politicians are now ignoring us on account of the antics of our current batch of MEPs.

While the DUP are non-inscrits (in other words they are not members of any European Parliamentary Group, an accolade shared with the French National Front and the Austrian Freedom Party), Sinn Féin is a member of the fringe GUE-NGL grouping (a coalition which it happily joined to work alongside the Stasi-infiltrated East German-based Left Party).

With friends like these, why would they need enemies?

The antics of Ian Paisley when Pope John II visited the European Parliament in the late 1980s didn't do Northern Ireland any favours- thankfully John Hume was there to counteract it. But now, with all three of our MEPs on the fringes of Europe and opposing its very existence, the plight of the north is dire. For so long European money has propped-up our economy and provided infrastructural development which the British wouldn't pay for. But not any more.

I visited Brussels while John Hume was there and saw the esteem in which he was held. Let's hope that at the next round of elections for Europe we can get to choose a new set of representatives who can regain some respect back for the people of the north- the current bunch certainly aren't going to do that. [ElBlogador.com]

Farewell Michael Schumacher

And so it is that arguably the greatest racing driver of all time, Michael Schumacher, has retired. Even in his last race he displayed the dogged determination and skill which marked his career, but unfortunately it was not enough to win yesterday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

It was clear from the outset of his career that Schumacher was something different- some criticised him for being unsportsmanlike in his determination to win at all costs, but when his skill was twinned with the engineering perfection of Ferrari, his position as Number One driver in Formula 1 became practically unassailable.

Many of us will recall his partnership with Ulsterman Eddie Irvine at Ferrari when the two blitzed the opposition.

It is unclear who will fill the shoes of Schumacher- Fernando Alonso has now won two championships back-to-back and in many ways emulates the style of Schumacher. However, one thing that is certain is that no one could ever replace him. [ElBlogador.com]

We All Own The Tricolour

I would have laughed at Martin McGuinness' performance on this week's Politics Show were it not so serious when he said: “we represent Irish republicanism… we represent the green in green, white and orange.”

Sorry Martin, no you don't. As one of many parties on the island of Ireland, you merely form part of what is the 'green' on the flag. It is this kind of exclusionist tomfoolery by the provos which has sullied the good name of the tricolour. Indeed, the flag of our nation is supposed to represent peace between the two traditions on this island, but instead many now see it as a symbol of physical force republicans marking their territory much like dogs piss against a lamp-post to show other canines who is boss. Thankfully now the IRA is not 'boss' in these areas any more.

It is not respectful to hang our flag along streets all day and all night long, and to leave it there for months until it rots. It is not respectful to use our flag as a political weapon. It is not respectful to attempt to monopolise ownership of our flag to the exclusion of others on this island who may not share your narrow political viewpoint. Yet Martin McGuinness and his cohorts seems to think all this is ok.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone summed it up when he said: "The Irish national flag belongs to all Irish men and women, representing the reconciliation of green with orange in Ireland. How dare Martin McGuinness lay exclusive claim to either our national flag or republicanism?

"The Provisional Movement’s brand of extreme nationalism, through thirty years of needless, brutal slaughter, besmirched Irish republicanism, deepened even further the divisions between the people of Ireland and, through Provo abuse, sullied the very meaning our national flag.

"In laying false, exclusivist claim to our national flag and Irish republicanism, Martin McGuinness is guilty of breathtaking arrogance and so badly wrong."

Indeed.

I keep in my possession a large cloth tricolour. I believe in the reunification of this island. I want to see a democratic republic where everyone is afforded equality of opportunity and the rights of all are cherished. I will not have Martin McGuinness or anyone else trying to rob me of my stakeholding in our national flag, nor will I have them telling me that I am not a republican simply because I do not support Provisional Sinn Féin.

Just as Bertie Ahern stood beside the tricolour today at Bodenstown, and just as Fine Gael carry it on their website, we all have a right to share in the ownership of our national flag. The tricolour existed long before Provisional Sinn Féin was formed following a schoolboy argument at an hotel in 1970, and it will live long after that party has expired.

Tiocfaidh Ár Lá! [ElBlogador.com]

The Night On The Town That Cost Us £7 Million

It has been revealed that the cost of the attacks on retail premises in Newry in August will be at least £7 million. According to direct ruler David Hanson, 11 of 13 estimates have been received for damged premises. The cost presumably doesn't take account of the amount of money which was spent on overtime for police and the fire service. Nor does it include the economic damage to the people of Newry who lost their jobs due to these attacks, or the effect it will have on everyone in the region who will now lose out due to investors being discouraged from putting their money into the area.

So what does the 'Rea'l IRA think it has achieved (that's assuming that all three of its members actually have the ability to think in the first place)? Northern Ireland is allocated a fixed pot of money each year- this must pay for everything, from hospitals to schools. Attacks like these divert that money away from vital services. How many pensioners will die from having to wait longer for that vital operation? How many children living in disadvantaged Protestant and Catholic areas will continue to face a bleak future because the money isn't being poured into their local schools to provide a bespoke education that will meet their needs? And all this because the money that was supposed to be poured into these services will now have to be spent paying to repair RIRA damage.

Is this what the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation intended? I think not.

Enough money was wasted during the Troubles on warlike security measures such as hilltop spy-towers and fortress police barracks in response to the provo campaign against the Crown Forces- thankfully the PIRA caught themselves on, stopped their violence, and now the unwanted presence of the British Armed Forces is being removed, freeing our people and freeing-up money to be spent on real issues.

Meanwhile the 'Real' IRA's handful of clinically brain-dead 'operatives' continue to make a nuisance of themselves, bizarrely believing that they can force the British Government from Ireland by burning down TK Maxx. Grow up. You people are traitors. You are damaging the righteous efforts to reunite our nation. Go and get a job and actually work for a living instead of extorting cash from businesspeople, threatening teenagers and burning down people's places of employment. You have nothing to offer society. [ElBlogador.com]

Ian Paisley Joker

Ian Paisley Senior tends to steal the limelight on account of his 'fiery rhetoric' (I'll bite my lip by using this euphemism)- so much so that most people beyond the coast of Ireland are probably unaware that the lazy-eyed spawn of the 'Big Man', AKA Ian Paisley Jr., also plays a role in the Circus of Politics here.

However, in an attempt to step out of the shadow of the Unholy Father, Baby Doc has set up his own website (note to readers at work- turn down the volume on your PC or you'll look a right idiot when the crap music on said site starts booming through your speakers).

Now, I would have thought that if a politician has a website, it ought to be used to set out his or her stall on all things political. But oh no, young Paisley has different ideas- ok, he has press releases and 'opinion pieces' on there, but the overall strapline on his site doesn't say something like 'A Fair Deal for the Politically Unstable' or 'Vote DUP- We're not that odd' as one would expect. It actually reads 'The Ulster that forgets its past is destined to repeat the mistakes of David Trimble'.

What the blazes?!

Has this man really got nothing better to say by way of introduction? David Trimble is yesterday's man- ok, he may have made mistakes, but Christ, this level of obsession with the actions of the former leader of the UUP is unhealthy! Move on!

Oh, and have a look at the links along the sidebar- one redirects the visitor to some computer company (not quite sure what it has to do with Paisley)- on their front page they have a cartoon which features evolution. Tut-tut. Papa won't be happy... [ElBlogador.com]

Northern Ireland Political Family Fortunes

Playing games with our future... [ElBlogador.com]

The Unravelling Of The Bad Friday Agreement?

Friday the thirteenth, according to folklore, is traditionally a day in which bad things happen. However, on Friday 13th October 2006 it seemed that the sketchy agreement at St. Andrews- AKA The Bad Friday Agreement- would buck that trend.

However, now it seems that our hopes may be dashed.

Today's scheduled meeting of the Planned Programme for Government Committee was postponed, apparently over DUP misgivings about whether Sinn Féin would endorse the police before the installation of the shadow First and Deputy First Ministers on 24th November. Presumably the DUP wants Sinn Féin to give assurances that its special ard fheis will have happened by that time, and that Martin McGuinness will be able to give his backing to the Patten arrangements by that juncture.

You'd have thought that this would have crossed their minds last week. But then again, when you leave negotiation to amateurs unaccustomed to democratic procedures and norms, this is often what you get- if the DUP and Sinn Féin cannot deliver on their pledges, I would imagine the electorate would not be too happy. [ElBlogador.com]

Time To Reduce The TV Licence Fee?

I found my annual TV licence bill lying in the hallway the other morning- as usual it has gone up, and this year they are looking for £131.50. Now I know that running the BBC is bound to be pretty expensive, but unfortunately licence-payers in Northern Ireland are not getting as good a deal from the corporation as their celtic counterparts in Scotland and Wales. The amount of time and money that is poured into programming involving those countries' indigenous languages far outweighs that spent by the BBC on Irish.

In Scotland for example, the BBC spends the equivalent of £156 per (Scots) Gaelic speaker on programming; in Wales, they fork out £265 per speaker. Yet in Northern Ireland, the corporation spends a paltry £3 per Irish speaker. And bear in mind, that is three quid per speaker, not per person.

Does that mean that the rights of Welsh speakers, who pay the same licence fee as us, are 88 times more important than those of Irish speakers? And are Scottish Gaelic speakers 52 times more important than Gaelic speakers living in Northern Ireland?

At a recent BBC 'meet the public' event, one of their top dogs admitted that the corporation made 10 hours of Irish language television in the past year. TEN HOURS PER YEAR. And he seemed to think that this was good!

He went on to attempt to offload the blame by saying that 40% of the population here receives RTÉ transmissions, and that TG4 has an arrangement to make services broadcast in Northern Ireland.

Fair enough, but I'm not paying RTÉ and TG4 £131.50 per year.

The only way that the BBC will learn to respect the Irish language and the people who speak it is to hit them in the pocket. The licence fee should be slashed until they get their act together, and then increased again incrementally until it reaches a level of provision which is comparable to that which our friends in Wales and Scotland receive.

Unless this happens, they'll just continue to ignore the legitimate needs of people who speak Irish and people who are learning it. Irish speakers are quite happy to pay for a TV licence- it's just time that they got a little bit more in return. [ElBlogador.com]

Secret Footage From St. Andrews?

El Blogador has been passed a tape containing secret footage smuggled out of the talks at St. Andrews. Could this be real?














Ok, so this is a mock-up, but perhaps truth could soon be stranger than fiction... [ElBlogador.com]

Reg Empey: Brits Out

Reg Empey stated on the UUP blog after the conclusion of the St. Andrews talks: "People in Northern Ireland want their local politicians [to] take charge and send the Direct Rule Ministers home with their unpopular green tinged policies." [Emphasis added]

Reg- would it not have been sufficient to say that we want them out because they couldn't give a toss about people here? Or because they are trying to foist unwanted rates and water charges on us? Or that they have no mandate from the people here.

I'd really like to know what these 'green tinged policies' are. I've yet to see the fruits.

And for someone who describes Northern Ireland as British, it seems bizarre that you want to send British ministers 'home'.

It really is a strange day when the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party is calling for British ministers to leave, and complaining that their policies are too pro-nationalist!

Of course, that suits me fine. Good riddance to them. They certainly weren't 'green tinged' as far as I'm concerned.

The UUP may be 'Simply British' but only when it suits them. Weird. [ElBlogador.com]

Provo Policing (The Good Type)

So the deal could be on. The DUP will agree to powershare, Sinn Féin will deliver endorsement of the policing structures and court system, and hopefully restoration will result.

Of course for the SDLP, who recognised the need to hold the PSNI to account through the Policing Board and DPPs a long long time ago, this is old hat. But as usual, Sinn Féin has caught itself on and has recognised the legitimacy of the SDLP position (cross-reference with the concept of achieving a united Ireland peacefully, engaging in elections, the issue of consent, etc., etc.)- policing for slow learners and all that.

Well, as they say, imitation is the best form of flattery.

Roll-on restoration! [ElBlogador.com]

Bad Language

The Ulster Unionists have created a blog to give the observing masses an insight into what is going on at St. Andrews. However, one of their negotiating team, David McClarty, has revealed a rather uncultured petulant side to his character by describing Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún as 'Barbara Brown' on the blog (11th October 7.22pm).

Now, regardless of what Ms. de Brún was previously known as, if she chooses to call herself by her gaelic name, then that is her right, and it should be respected. It is somewhat reminiscent of Mohammad Ali's situation in the 1960s when some commentators continued to refer to him as 'Cassius Clay' after he converted to Islam.

Similarly, the Ulster Unionist website welcomes visitors in nine different languages, including Urdu, Punjabi and Bengali. But no sign of a 'Fáilte' for Irish speakers. The party describes itself as 'Uniting Northern Ireland- not dividing it'. If this is truly the case, then surely they should be reaching out to those who would identify themselves with the gaelic tradition, and attempting to show them that the UUP is a viable option at the ballot box.

The UUP needs to put its words into action by recognising the legitimacy of the Irish language, and refraining from whoring the dialect of Ulster-Scots as a rival 'Protestant Language for a Protestant People'. Both Irish and Ulster-Scots have contributed vitally to what is modern Hiberno-English, and the UUP, along with everyone else, should recognise this fact.

I wonder what Chris McGimpsey would think. [ElBlogador.com]

Justice For Seamus Ludlow

This year sees the thirtieth anniversary of the death of Seamus Ludlow, who was murdered by loyalist terrorists in Co. Louth. Yet his killers have never been brought to justice.

A combination of UDR/Red Hand Commando collusion and Garda cover-ups has resulted in three decades of heartache for his family. And still it continues.

This week's BBC 'Spotlight' programme featured reconstructions of Castlereagh interviews from the late 1990s in which the suspected main protagonists were named by fellow paramilitaries who admitted to also being there on the night of Mr. Ludlow's killing. Two of those pointing the finger were also in the UDR at the time of the murder, and continued in their 'official' roles long afterwards. Yet all those alleged to have been there that night in 1976 were released without charge by the RUC following said interviews.

Not only that, but they have never been interviewed by an Garda. Despite the fact that information was passed to them by the RUC which identified the suspects shortly after the killing, an Garda's central intelligence services refused to permit action to extradite these men to the south, fearing that the RUC would demand a quid pro quo regarding IRA prisoners being extradited from the south.

The role of the the police is to serve and to protect- their primary responsibility is to ensure that those guilty of crime are brought to justice. Yet political expediency won the day, and the killers of Seamus Ludlow were allowed to continue walking the streets, and probably kill again.

Those personnel in an Garda who were involved in blocking the progression of the Ludlow case should be ashamed of themselves.

And turning to the element of collusion in Mr. Ludlow's murder- last week the UDR/ RIR was given a 'Conspicuous Gallantry' medal by Queen Elizabeth II. For many, the only thing 'conspicuous' about the whole episode was the lack of apology for the countless innocent people killed as the result of many of those 'gallant men' in the UDR/ RIR colluding with loyalist paramilitaries. Innocent people like Seamus Ludlow.

Likewise, Provisional Sinn Féin is flogging the 'On-The-Run' dead-horse again in an attempt to secure a 'Get Out Of Jail Free' card courtesy of Her Majesty for as-yet unconvicted paramilitary fugitives, effectively letting them off the hook. This would include the killers of Seamus Ludlow.

There can be no amnesty for those guilty of Troubles-related crimes, whether they were Republican, Loyalist or Security Force personnel (or a combination of any of these). Sinn Féin, like the UDR/ RIR, is ignoring the needs of victims by attempting to erase the darker chapters of our past from history.

It is time that the families of people like Seamus Ludlow found out the truth about the deaths of their loved ones- and they must have the full support of everyone, including paramiltaries and the governments.

There can be no more cover-ups. There can be no excusing those involved. [ElBlogador.com]

Kim Jong-il's North Korea

Attention has been focussed on the reclusive state of North Korea in the past couple of days following their detonation of a nuclear bomb. However, very little is known about the internal workings of the country, or about its leader Kim Jong-il. The regime in that part of the world first came to my attention when I studied A-Level Politics, and stories about life there always provide fascinating (but certainly not positive) reading. Here are some interesting facts about North Korea and its leadership:

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il is credited with writing six operas in two years, and with personally designing the huge Juche tower in Pyongyang.

Yeah right. We believe you (billions wouldn't).

Kim Jong-il was born in Siberia in 1941 during his father's period of exile in the former Soviet Union. But official North Korean accounts say he was born in a log cabin at his father's guerrilla base on the country's highest mountain - an event marked by a double rainbow and a new star in the sky.

Hmm... doesn't bode well for citizens seeking transparency from their government!

Radio and TV sets in North Korea are pre-tuned to government stations that pump out a steady stream of propaganda... Ordinary North Koreans caught listening to foreign broadcasts risk harsh punishments, such as forced labour.

Nice.

The 'Eternal President' is Kim Jong-il's father Kim Il-sung, despite the fact that he died 12 years ago.

Creepy. I wonder have they rigged-up his corpse to operate as some sort of battery-powered automaton spouting propaganda and order.

The North Korean government issued this press release following detonation of the bomb:

"The field of scientific research in the DPRK successfully conducted an underground nuclear test under secure conditions on October 9, Juche 95 (2006) at a stirring time when all the people of the country are making a great leap forward in the building of a great prosperous powerful
socialist nation.

"It has been confirmed that there was no such danger as radioactive emission in the course of the nuclear test as it was carried out under a scientific consideration and careful calculation.

"The nuclear test was conducted with indigenous wisdom and technology 100 percent. It marks a historic event as it greatly encouraged and pleased the KPA and people that have wished to have powerful self-reliant defence capability."

These people certainly have a way with words, I'll give them that.

Konstantin Pulikovsky, a Russian diplomat who travelled with Kim Jong-il by train across Russia to Moscow (he doesn't like flying) claimed that the North Korean leader had live lobsters air-lifted to the train every day which he ate with silver chopsticks.

Indeed- what a connoisseur of fine taste... [ElBlogador.com]

Delegations To St. Andrews

The parties have begun to name their delegates to this week’s crunch talks at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Word has it that the Ulster Unionist team is composed of leader Reg Empey, deputy leader Danny Kennedy, David McClarty, press officer Alex Benjamin, Fred Cobain, Tom Elliott, Michael McGimpsey, Dermot Nesbitt, David McNarry, Alan McFarland, David Campbell, advisor Mark Neale, Jim Nicholson MEP, Young Unionist Mark Dunn, and Sylvia Hermon MP.

Being left at home are former UUP leader and current Upper Bann MLA David Trimble, as well as John ‘Forty Foot Bargepole’ Taylor and Ken Magennis- all are experienced negotiators and would have brought to the table experience from Good Friday 1998, and in Taylor’s case, Sunningdale.

According to John Coulter in The Irish Daily Star, some members of the party are livid at the make-up of the delegation, with one remarking to him: “Is the party just simply sending folk to fill up spaces because it can’t match the DUP’s negotiating team? If the UUP comes back with nothing from Scotland, Sir Reg will get the blame for taking a C-List team, and this will certainly spark a leadership challenge from the liberals.”

Coulter says such a challenge could take place in spring 2007 at an Ulster Unionist Council meeting.

Meanwhile the SDLP’s team is pretty predictable- Mark Durkan, deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell MP MLA, South Down MP and Sunningdale veteran Eddie McGrady, Senior Negotiator and leader of overall SDLP delegations on the Preparation for Government Committee Sean Farren, Policing Spokesperson Alex Attwood, Equality and Human Rights Spokesperson Patricia Lewsley, Finance Spokesperson and Party Chief Whip John Dallat, Justice Spokesperson Alban Maginness MLA, and Regional Development Spokesperson Margaret Ritchie MLA. I'm not sure if there are any internal party negotiators attending.

As yet, I have not heard who the DUP and Sinn Féin will be sending, but I think it’s pretty obvious that all the big hitters will be making the jaunt over the Irish Sea. [ElBlogador.com]

Money, Money, Money (Or Lack Thereof)

According to the Department of Communities and Local Government, houses prices in the north have risen by a whopping 25.9% in the past year.

While Northern Ireland used to be the poor relation, the acceleration of prices here has made it the second most expensive property market in the UK. Yet the cost of living here is higher, and the income levels lower.

How exactly are people supposed to get on the property ladder without taking out an inflated mortgage which pushes them to their economic limit?

And if first-time buyers are lucky enough to find a house, many of them are now facing massive rates hikes and the the addition of water charges, despite the fact that every last penny is probably already being used to pay back the bank or building society each month.

The bailiffs will be busy in the next few years. No wonder property developers are taking over. [ElBlogador.com]

Eight Years- The Price Of A Child's Life

Am I the only one who is puzzled and disturbed that the brutal killers of young Damilola Taylor only got eight years in prison?

Damilola bled to death after being cut in the thigh with a smashed bottle in 2000. Investigations into his slaying have been a complete mess, with three trials taking place, costing £16m and untold stress to the young boy's family.

Damilola's father has criticised the sentence saying it would do nothing to deter other criminals. The Judge in the case said neither of the two accused had shown any regret or remorse and that although the sentence may seem "inadequate", he had to take into account that the pair were only aged 12 and 13 at the time of the killing.

Let's not be fooled- they knew perfectly well what they were doing. And they are definitely old enough now to recognise the full horror of what they did, but still they couldn't care less. The full rigours of the law should be applied- manslaughter can carry a sentence of up to, and including, life imprisonment. How about sending out a message to other would-be thugs by locking these filthbags up permanently- if they show remorse in future, then let the parole system take its course, but until then they should be kept behind bars.

Too many people are prepared to use violence in modern society at the drop of a hat- this case is a perfect example and illustrates the horror of extreme violence. I may be liberal in my approach to social issues, but as far as I'm concerned the liberty of the law-abiding innocent public trumps that of weapon- wielding thugs.

Throw away the key and then see how likely people are to try and copy their antics. [ElBlogador.com]

Food For Thought

As many of you are probably already aware, I’ve been writing a number of restaurant reviews for El Blogador in the past while. Feedback has been very positive, but one thing I can’t do while dining at a local eatery is take a walk around the kitchens and food storage areas, lest I come under attack from a knife-wielding chef who doesn’t like his workspace coming under too close scrutiny.

However, according to the BBC this could all change, with the Food Standards Agency working with various local authorities across the UK to introduce cleanliness ratings systems for restaurants in their districts. According to the report, until recently inspection results were kept secret (ludicrous when you consider that the whole point of inspections is to maintain public health), but the advent of Freedom of Information has changed all that. Now, these developments seem to indicate that moves are afoot to make information about the cleanliness of restaurants readily available to the discerning diner as standard, rather than having to go through lengthy Freedom of Information procedures to simply see how clean your local greasy spoon is.

As it turns out, this is nothing new. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (yes, it sounds a tad Nazi-esque to me too) has a superb system whereby every restaurant in the city is rated for cleanliness, with results available online. For instance, if you were intending to visit McDonalds on Fifth Avenue, a simple search reveals that overall it is pretty clean, although inspectors found that the “toilet facility [was] not maintained and provided with toilet paper, waste receptacle and self-closing door” and “personal cleanliness [was] inadequate. Clean outer garments, effective hair restraint not worn.” This is the kind of information that most diners would consider fundamental when deciding where to eat, yet over here we do not have access to such basic facts.

Such a system on this side of the Atlantic would be revolutionary. However, it is vital that there is a uniform classification system, or else the effect would be lost.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to pen restaurant reviews for El Blogador, and perhaps someday I’ll be able to present the cleanliness ratings alongside them to give you the full picture!

http://elblogador.blogspot.com/2006/05/restaurant-review-tony-romas.html

http://elblogador.blogspot.com/2006/07/restaurant-review-caf-vaudeville.html

http://elblogador.blogspot.com/2006/07/coffee-shop-review-caf-renoir-botanic.html

http://elblogador.blogspot.com/2006/09/restaurant-review-serai-university.html [ElBlogador.com]

When Veils Are Good

Jack Straw is in a spot of bother for suggesting that Muslim women should take off their veils. I can't speak on behalf of Muslim people, but certainly as part of any deal I would demand that some politicians should start wearing veils in return. Here are a few of my suggestions for prime candidates from this part of the world:












Brad Pitt










Kate Moss











George Clooney

At the risk of seriously playing the man/ woman/ hermaphrodite, has anyone any other nominees? By the way, this is only a bit of fun :) [ElBlogador.com]

The Abortion 'Debate'

Newton Emerson made an interesting point in yesterday’s Daily Mirror, arguing that it is about time the Human Rights Commissioner Monica McWilliams looked at the abortion issue.

The crux of his argument relates to the fact that McWilliams says she is going to look into the 50% remission policy for jailed perverts- not in response to public concern, but because “Northern Ireland is different from the rest of the UK.” The 1967 Abortion Act has not been extended here, so how come she isn’t looking at that differentiation between Britain and here?

There is no doubt that abortion is a human rights issue, whether one is 'pro-choice' or 'pro-life' (I don't like the simple use of these tags as it indicates that this is a black and white issue, which detracts from the intricacies and individual circumstances surrounding the issue and how it affects individual people). Yet there is a deafening silence when it comes to debating the topic. Currently, thousands of Irish women from both sides of the border travel to Britain each year to avail of abortion facilities there. Emerson points out that this is often at their own expense and they often go alone- to pretend that abortion does not exist for Irish people is simply ridiculous, and such aloofness just makes the situation worse for women, many of whom may be suicidal and feel they have nowhere to turn.

As the situation stands, the well-off have a choice; the economically disadvantaged (or, to be less euphemistic, the poor) have no choice. This in itself is a cause for concern, as everyone should have an equal right to make medical choices based on need rather than ability to pay- this is separate from any moral opinions on the abortion issue, as it discriminates based on economics rather than ethics.

For too long, the religious views of a section of society have been allowed to dominate and shut-down debate. Only last week, a right-wing pro-life fundamentalist group forced a planned non-partisan debate on abortion in Dublin to be cancelled- they don’t even want the topic to be up for discussion. If people are confident in their opinions on the abortion issue, whatever 'side' they take, then there is nothing to worry about if opposing views are aired- debate is healthy, and rather than society sticking its head in the sand and ignoring what goes on behind closed doors, let us be mature and responsible and actually address all the issues surrounding abortion. This would be infinitely preferable to the current situation whereby those on either 'side' of the abortion issue often simply use their position as a dogmatic stick with which to beat the other side.

Informed debate enables people to make informed choices.

It is not just a case of saying one supports the right to choose abortion, or one opposes it. There is a need to look at the whole issue and everything that accompanies it.

By ignoring this issue, we are ignoring the needs of a great many women. [ElBlogador.com]

The 12th IMC Report- Time For Government

So the Independent Monitoring Commission has pretty much verified that the provos have stuck to their promises. The IRA has left the stage. Yet the DUP is still scrambling for excuses not to restore government at Stormont.

And while they are rabidly obsessed with the activities (or lack thereof, as it turns out) of the IRA, they almost completely ignore loyalist paramilitary scumbaggery. Who has killed the most Protestants in the past five years? Who peddles drugs in loyalist areas? Who is continuing to extort money from would-be investors in areas like the Shankill Road? Suffice to say, it ain't the provos. Nigel Dodds even went so far as to criticise a recent police raid on a UDA show of strength. Surely if he is so worried about paramilitarism, he should have been complaining that the police weren't heavy-handed enough!

In the meantime, while the DUP's entire raison d'etre revolves around watching what the provos are doing, they are blindly ignoring the true threat to the people whom they claim to represent- the UDA and UVF.

No one is saying that the DUP needs to be best friends with Sinn Féin, but to sell the people of the north down the river for the sake of dogmatic intransigence is just plain stupid. It's quite clear that remote control British Direct Misrule does not have the best interests of the people here at heart. It's all about money for them.

Let's not forget, Fianna Fáil sat down with Cumann na nGaedhael in the Dáil just a few years after the bitter Irish Civil War- old suspicions still linger even today, but it doesn't get in the way of both parties utilising the democratic system. The Stormont Assembly provides for a coalition in which the constituent parts need not be of the same political persuasion- that is its whole point. Therefore, there is nothing stopping the DUP going into government with the SDLP, the UUP and Sinn Féin- there is nothing saying that they must be bosom-buddies. All that is needed is for them to be professional and mature. [ElBlogador.com]

Tasers Kill

The PSNI remains the only regularly armed police force in the UK, a hangover from the Troubles. But rather than attempting to civilianise in the new climate of peace, Hugh Orde wants to introduce electro-shock taser weapons. Recent Amnesty International research shows that tasers can kill.

The photo above links through to a video which shows a man with epilepsy in Georgia being tasered to death by police (note some of the sick comments which have been left below the video on YouTube). To watch it, you may need to register as it is quite shocking.

It is not clear whether the planned introduction of tasers here would be met with a reduction in the number of officers carrying guns- the latter, of course, would be welcomed. However, there are serious concerns regarding the use of tasers such as: health risks, particularly to vulnerable groups like young people and those with heart problems; inadequate independent research and testing to verify safety; and the potential for misuse, based on experience so far in the USA and Canada.

Too many people have died in the north of Ireland as a result of police and British Army bullets. Ongoing efforts are being made to move our new police service, the PSNI, towards being part of the community- the use of guns and the introduction of electric shock devices, in addition to the continuing maintenance of a plastic bullet arsenal, does not sit well with this aspiration.
Indeed, Police Ombudsman Nuala O’Loan, who knows more than anyone what is needed to maintain a good police/ public relationship, told the BBC: "I have no say as to whether the police chose to use tasers or not. That is a policing decision which they will make. But if it were that I found there was a need for something like a taser, then I would feel entitled to say it. I haven't identified such a gap yet."

The whole point of signing-up to engage in the policing structures is not to necessarily support the police per se, but rather to support the wider concept of better policing. If this means directly opposing PSNI plans to introduce tasers, then so be it- that is the responsibility of people who want better policing, and it highlights the need to be fully involved in holding the police to account, such as through the Policing Board.

The ever-vigilant Amnesty is leading the way on the taser issue. People with concerns about the planned introduction of these new weapons can check out their new blog at http://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs.asp?bid=25 , where details are held on how to contact the relevant authorities.

The police are here to protect the people. Therefore, they must also listen to the people. [ElBlogador.com]

Paisley To Meet Archbishop Seán Brady

So Ian Paisley is due to come face-to-face with the Anti-Christ next week. And once he has finished looking at himself in the mirror, apparently he's heading down to Armagh to meet Catholic Archbishop Seán Brady. [ElBlogador.com]

The UDA: From 'Quis Separabit' to 'Quid Pro Quo'

The South-East Antrim ‘brigade’ of the Ulster Defence Association (an organisation which was shamefully only declared illegal in August 1992) has demanded some £8 million of taxpayers’ money to ‘go peaceful’.

Yes, you read that correctly: EIGHT MILLION POUNDS.

This demand is coming from an organisation with a long and bloody history of violence, extortion and downright thuggery. An organisation with an estimated 200 AK-47 rifles, a cache of Uzi machine guns, 200 handguns, hundreds of machine pistols and home-made submachine guns, as well as a quantity of plastic explosives in their possession. An organisation which murdered hundreds of innocent people, usually because they were Catholic.

These people should be paying us money for what they did, not the other way around.

And people needn’t bother kidding themselves that this is the first such move by the UDA to ‘embrace’ alternatives to violence, and that the scheme should therefore be funded with our money. Apart from the fact that the initiative being mooted is not even being promoted by the UDA-at-large, other similar such ‘moves’ towards constitutionalism have been made down through the years without any satisfactory outcome.

In 1974, the UDA funded the Ulster Citizens’ Civil Liberties Centre which published a ‘Bill of Rights’ the following year. The killing continued.

In 1978 they sponsored the New Ulster Political Research Group, styled as a political think-tank. The killing continued.

In June 1981 the Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party was established to replace the NUPRG. The ULDP advocated independence for Northern Ireland within the Commonwealth and the European Community. The killing continued.

In January 1987, the UDA published the document ‘Common Sense’ which set out their plans for a future political settlement. Indeed, this was welcomed by the British Government, the NIO and even the SDLP. The killing continued.

In 1989 the ULDP changed its name to Ulster Democratic Party, and went on to enjoy some electoral success before its expiry in 2001. The killing continued.

So it is not as if the UDA in South-East Antrim is presenting anything new. The only innovation is that they are now seeking to extract large sums of public money for their plans, rather than having to rely on drug peddling or extortion to line their pockets.

Now don’t get me wrong- I welcome any move which will help promote peace and stability. Working class Protestant areas such as the Shankill have been neglected for years and they certainly need government investment. But the fact that this branch of the UDA is styling itself as an overnight convert from killer to community worker, while simultaneously demanding to have control over large sums of money to fund their ‘community development’ programmes, reeks of cynical opportunism. Let’s not forget that these people have been the ones who have held their communities to ransom for three decades.

Letting them control grassroots initiatives in deprived loyalist areas is like putting Ian Huntley in charge of the school tuckshop.

Tommy Kirkham, presumably speaking on behalf of the South-East Antrim UDA said: “We believe that with Beyond Conflict [the contemporary name they have given this scheme] as the transformation mechanism, and working in partnership with those from a paramilitary background, we can succeed in bringing about an end to all paramilitary activity and structures within a five-year period.”

Fair enough. But why do they need money to do it? Surely they should do it for the good of the community alone. And if this transition were to took place on a purely voluntary and unilateral basis, then surely greater government (and indeed private) investment will follow anyway. Why do we need the UDA to control it?

The whole thing is reminiscent of an incident a couple of years ago when Pat Convery of the SDLP in North Belfast criticised the UDA in South-East Antrim for taking down flags in one small area simply to placate the Parades Commission in order to secure approval for loyalist marches in that district, rather than taking them down across the board as a gesture of goodwill towards the whole community.

The UDA only does ‘good’ things if it can get something in return. Perhaps they should change their motto from ‘Quis Separabit’ to ‘Quid Pro Quo’.

If this UDA faction, which some believe has actually splintered from the greater organisation, wishes to move towards peaceful and productive activity, then it has my support. All efforts to make the transition from depravity to decency should be applauded. But they needn’t bother rattling the begging bowl around here. [ElBlogador.com]

[Credit to the ever-excellent CAIN for additional facts.]

Does The DUP Do Anything But Yap?

DUP South Belfast election loser Jimmy 'Splitter' Spratt has condemned PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde for not attending the National Police Memorial Day event in the Waterfront Hall yesterday.

Now, I could understand Spratt's rage had Orde been off having afternoon tea with the leadership of the Real IRA, followed by a frezied orgy with a group of provo-supporting hookers, topped off with a pint of Guinness at the Vatican. But needless to say that isn't Orde's style. As it turns out, the Chief Constable was actually participating in the Great North Run in England to raise money for the RUC George Cross Widows Association.

The DUP never seems to have anything positive to say about anything. I know that the UUP are running around like headless chickens, but why would anyone vote for Paisley's bunch? Those bible-thumping troglodytes just wander round in circles permanently, and we all know where that leads you- nowhere. [ElBlogador.com]

The Rose

I noticed on the Irish Labour Party's website that they have produced a newsletter/ newspaper (I'm not quite sure if it is on newsprint or is glossy) called The Rose. It looks impressive from a presentation point of view, and they are confidently and clearly setting out their stall for the forthcoming election. One thing I noticed is that they are handcuffing themselves to Fine Gael, referring to themselves and Enda Kenny's party as the 'Alternative Government'. There is also an interesting emphasis on maintaining low taxation.

Fianna Fáil also produce a newspaper- 'The Nation'. However, to download it you need to register with their site, which is a bit of a nuisance. [ElBlogador.com]