Dolores Kelly Condemns Paisley

SDLP Equality Spokesperson Dolores Kelly has put down a motion calling on the Assembly to censure Ian Paisley Junior for offensive remarks about gays and lesbians in an interview with Hot Press Magazine.

She said: “It is one thing for a backwoods politician to go off on an anti-gay rant– Ian Paisley Junior already has form in this area, and we have had any number of DUP representatives disgracing themselves with homophobic outbursts in council chambers- but it is quite another thing when we get it from a government minister with responsibility in related areas.

“Ian Paisley is a junior minister in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, the department which is charged with promoting equality and bringing forward the Single Equality Bill. Vulnerable groups who are potential victims of discrimination should be able to look to him for help, not attack.

“If he cannot leave his extreme personal views outside his office, he must be kept away from any decisions which may be affected by those views.”

The following motion has been lodged with the Assembly Business Office:

“That this Assembly disassociates itself from the remarks made by Ian Paisley Junior in a recent interview with Hot Press Magazine which were offensive to the gay and lesbian community, and censures him for them, and further calls on the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to ensure that he will have no role in handling gay and lesbian issues.”

It is not yet known when the motion will be debated.

What do people think when they put their number 1 beside the name of people like Paisley? It's certainly worrying that large chunks of our electorate are apparently content to support such idiocy.

So much for a new dawn.

Sunday Sounds On El Blogador: The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Special

With this week marking the fortieth anniversary of the release of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on 1st June 1967, today's Sunday Sounds is composed of songs from that very album. The album still remains the biggest selling record of all time in the UK. Enjoy!

Today's Elections: Good News For Democracy, Whatever The Outcome

Whatever the outcome of today’s general election, it’ll be good for democracy because for once we’ll have had a proper contest in which pundits and public alike really have no idea who will form the next government.

For a long time, the question wasn’t ‘if’ Fianna Fáil got into government, but rather how large their majority would be. Even when they entered the era of coalition, it was merely a question of who would be Fianna Fáil’s partner after each election. Save for a period of Fine Gael strength in the 1980s, Fianna Fáil government of some form was all but guaranteed.

Such absence of true competition is bad for democracy. I don’t mean that from an anti-FF perspective- any party remaining too strong for too long would be bad news, whether it is FF, FG or whoever- but I’m sure that even the most ardent Fianna Fáilers would agree that things are a lot more exciting when there’s a bit of a challenge.

I was speaking to Enda Kenny a while back and he was confident that at this election there would be a complete change in the status quo. Now whether that comes to pass or not, I think anything which upsets the apple cart and forces all parties to fight for each and every vote is a positive thing.

As an independent bystander, for me the outcome of the election isn’t the important thing- it’s the fact that we don’t know what the outcome will be that has made the difference this time.

And They're Off!

So here it is- election day in the south! If I get a chance, I'll put some updates on here as I receive them. It'll be close!

Sunday Sounds On El Blogador: Irish Election Spoof YouTube Videos

I've given music a skip this week and gone for some comedy videos on this week's elections in the south. Great stuff!

Ahern v Kenny: Clash Of The Titans

As we enter the last week of campigning for the southern general elections, tonight RTÉ will be running a debate between the leaders of the two main parties- Bertie Ahern of Fianna Fáil and Enda Kenny of Fine Gael. I've met Enda before but have never had the pleasure of Bertie's company.

In an increasingly media-orientated political culture in the south, image is constantly moving up the agenda for would-be candidates, which would suggest that tonight's spectacle is important. However, it should also be borne in mind that in the 2002 debate Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan was general deemed to have 'won', but history went on to record a disastrous election result for his party.

If nothing else, tonight's show should be interesting in showcasing the two potential taoisigh head-to-head in the mouth of one of the most open elections in recent years.

Sunday Sounds On El Blogador: U2

Vera McVeigh RIP

It was with sadness that I learnt of the death of Vera McVeigh, an 82-year old Donaghmore, Co. Tyrone resident. On the face of it, Vera was a normal, decent, family woman. However, like many other similar such people, Vera was bereaved when her son was murdered by the provisional IRA. Not only that, but the provo child killers who slew her son buried his body in secret. It was Vera's wish that she would get her son's body back to give him a decent burial before she herself died. Unfortunately this simple hope was never realised.

The 'people' behind this terrible crime are below contempt. There was absolutely no justification for the murder of this young man, still less for the hiding of his body.

The same goes for other murderous thugs such as those in that great slur on the good name of socialism, the INLA. Today I heard on Radio Ulster the eloquent words of Anne Morgan, whose brother Séamus Ruddy was killed by the INLA outside Paris. In contrast to the continuing shameless and unrepentant bravado of the INLA, Mrs. Morgan displays the utmost composure in the face of the ongoing knowledge that her brother's body lies in some unmarked hole in the ground in a forest in France.

Yesterday may have been all smiles and jokes at Stormont, with the omnipotent commentators describing it as some sort of great break with the past, but for many thousands of people living here, the past continues to haunt them and will do so until their dying day. Some of those revelling in massive salaries and the trappings of power would do well to remember that.

El Matador On BBC Radio Five Live

The BBC got in contact with me last night to ask about my views on devolution of power to the Stormont Assembly. It's quite a while since I've done this kind of interview off-the-cuff, but hopefully it didn't sound too bad. The bits they used can be heard here (about three hours in- there's a button to skip forward in chunks of 15 minutes to get to that point without having to listen through the rest of the show). There's also analysis from Kevin Connolly afterwards.

Next stop News At Ten ;)

D-Day: Devolution In Northern Ireland

Today is 8th May 2007: D-Day. Of course one could debate whether the 'D' stands for 'Devolution' or just 'Delay'- after all, we were in this position in 1998 but some parties failed to recognise the real opportunity we had at that time to make a real difference to people's lives here. Never mind.

It has been a bizarre spectacle in recent weeks to see Paisley and the Provos practically salavating at the idea of governing together- all being well, this apparent goodwill will be carried forward to the executive table. After all, a battle a day will not result in any victories but merely bruised political egos and delay in delivering on the issues which affect people's daily lives.

It will also be interesting to watch the SDLP and UUP- finally released to some extent from the burden of carrying the responsibility of delivering devolution, the dynamic in the assembly will no dount change from its previous incarnations.

Roll-on the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement!

Sunday Sounds On El Blogador: Joy Division/ New Order

The End Of The Union?

Ok, so the UK isn't going to fall apart overnight, but the emergence of the SNP as the biggest party in Scotland certainly does not do the forced marriage of nations any good. I'll not be complaining anyway.

If the point came whereby Scotland left the union, would there actually be a union any more? Would the fact that a full nation, in the form of Scotland, had left the union leave the inclusion of six Irish counties within said union tenable? I think not.

Interesting times indeed.

For the number crunchers, here are the final results of the Scottish parliamentary elections:

SNP: 47
Labour: 46

Tories: 17

Lib. Dems.: 16
Others: 3

A Good Offer

Spotted this company giving away 100 free .info domains: http://www.spiralhosting.com/blog/read/3

Apparently there are still over 50 left.

Message To The UVF: Disappear Now

So the UVF is to put its weapons 'beyond reach', but not beyond use. So what? They claim to have been on ceasefire for over a decade, so surely their weapons in theory ought to have been 'beyond reach' during the time since anyway. Of course, the truth is that they have been quite happy to fire bullets and kill people whilst on 'ceasefire'.

If the UVF truly believes in democracy, then they would destroy their weapons. The fact that they are holding onto them simply proves that they are reserving the ability to strike out in anger if things don't go their way in future.

This is simply unacceptable.

The UVF has no right to be in possession of weapons, as evidenced by the countless bloody murders meted out by scumbags in their ranks down the years.

Call me pessimistic, but why should I applaud this non-move by an illegal, undemocratic, drug-peddling and fundamentally disgusting criminal organisation? I don't carry a gun to shoot people and clearly I don't believe that I should- therefore, judging others by the same standards to which I hold myself, it is quite clear that no one else should be carrying weapons, especially not psychotic maniacs like those in the UVF.

So the message is quite clear to the UVF- decommission now and go away and leave us all to leave in peace.

Welcome To The Dark Ages

The HSE in the south is attempting to prevent a girl who is pregnant with a child that cannot survive from leaving the country to have an abortion.