Clear Blue Water Conservatives

It's one month since the Ulster Unionists and Conservatives got together to create a New Force in politics. There was a lot of work done in the background to ensure that Ulster Unionist party members (and representatives) didn't oppose the deal. Some Unionists thought it was a chance for them to recover electorally as part of a bigger movement, a chance for them to make a difference in UK politics, to win more Westminster seats, and possibly a Cabinet seat in the next UK government. Other Unionists preferred Labour policies, including their only MP who practically followed a Labour whip, and has been very quiet recent.

The Conservaties wanted a full merger with the UUP, and a new party called NICUP (NI Conservative Unionist Party). The UUP rejected the notion of a merger and instead chose an electoral alliance. The UCUNF (Ulster Conservative and Unionists - New Force) joint-ticket was formed and David Cameron flew to Belfast to pro-claim: May the force be with you, Reg Empey.

However, it's unlikely UCUNF will have any real electoral success. The Conservatives have never done well in NI. They only have one elected councillor - and he was elected as a UUP candidate in 2005 before defecting. They may have a chance to become the next UK government, but I think it's unlikely they'll achieve enough success in NI to warrant a local person on the UK Cabinet, especially a UUP representative.

Also, the two parties have squabbled over all the details, which led to them choosing such a terrible name. Jeffrey Peel (Vice Chair of Conservatives NI) resigned in protest at the way it was all handled, when he realised the UUP didn't have "the interests of Conservativism at heart". Sir Reg Empey has also angered many Conservatives by saying they are "clearly to the left of Labour" on many policies.

The UUP leaked the new full name to the press early, and the Conservatives responded by leaking the new logo. The new alliance was off to a bad start.


Conservative HQ demanded control of the local associations website (conservativesni.com) and re-directed it to an NI page on their main website. Many Conservatives aren't happy, and renegades have set-up a group calling themselves 'Clear Blue Water Conservatives' who are twitting away about their disapprovals. It's not looking good for the UUP-Conservative pact!

Fantastic!

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately- I've been pretty busy so am only getting a chance now to put finger to keyboard.

Yesterday's victory for Ireland in the Six Nations was brilliant and provided a much needed boost to the nation's mood given the current economic climate. It seems amazing that it took 61 years for Ireland to win the Grand Slam since the last time. For so long the team has promised so much, but the wheels always seemed to come off. However, with seasoned players with experience of success at the highest levels of club rugby in its ranks, 2009 was the year in which Ireland realised its potential.

Congratulations to the Ireland team and let's hope that success is continued!

Decline in Irish

Tuesday’s Irish News reported how the numbers taking GCSE Irish was continuing to fall, leading to a decline in numbers studying the language to AS and A-level. SDLP MLA Dominic Bradley noted that: “Ironically, careerwise, Irish is a much more exciting prospect than ever before with a wider range of careers opening up to young people, especially in the creative industries.”

The fall in numbers does not bode well for the wellbeing of the language. Those studying GCSE Irish tend, for the greater part, to attend Catholic schools thus giving the lie to the idea that all people from a Catholic/nationalist background automatically have an interest in the language. The numbers attending Irish-language primary schools may be significant but, experience in the Republic suggests, that that does not always translate into active adult Irish speakers. It must also be a cause of concern that, still, there is little opportunity for pupils at state schools to find out about the language.

There may well be a new political dispensation here but the work involved to promote Irish will continue to be as hard as ever.

Ní Dhomhnaill in Derry

Poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill will be giving a lecture in Magee College, Derry, tonight at 7.45pm. She is giving the opening talk in this year’s Éigse Cholm Cille on the challenges of writing poetry in Irish. Saturday will see lectures from, amongst others, Fionntán de Brún, Gréagóir Ó Dúill, a reading from Cathal Ó Searcaigh and a book launch of Breandán Ó Doibhlin’s latest collection of essays, Aistí Critice agus Cultúir 3. Ar bís leis an leabhar sin a fháil!

On another literary note, I will be giving a poetry reading with Louis de Paor, Aifric Mac Aodha and Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh as part of this year’s Dublin Book Festival this Sunday 2pm in Dublin’s City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin 2. It’s Pól Ó Muirí, live in Dublin….

Turn for the worse?

Are things about to take a turn for the worse? Media are reporting that the threat level from non-conforming republicans, aka dissidents, has been heightened. I always take public warnings from MI5 with a large pinch of salt. However, I was stopped the night before last on the way home by a very large number of PSNI officers, some of whom were carrying rifles. It was very much a flash-back to the bad old days. Whatever they were doing, they certainly were not dipping for illegal diesel.

The Suggested Increase In Alcohol Prices- Here We Go Again

BBC Newsline has been suggesting that Northern Ireland might follow the lead of the Scottish, who are suggesting putting minimum prices on alcohol to tackle binge drinking.

What rubbish.

Wholesale, untargeted, punitive actions like this simply serve to punish everyone- they don't address the core problem. We need to look at why people binge drink, not simply hike up the prices of booze. Increased charges at the counter will just make people with a drink problem turn to cheap rubbish. And if they suffer from alcoholism, it will make them even more desperate to take whatever course of action is necessary to get their hands on drink. The fact is that there is inelastic demand for alcohol- price increases won't really affect people's appetite for it.

Meanwhile sensible drinkers are punished for the misbehaviour of others.

Some in the pub trade and independent off-licences will claim that imposing a minimum retail price for booze would be a good move as it would make them more competitive against the big chains. This is a completely separate argument, one which is based purely on protectionism and false pricing. It doesn't relate at all to the wellbeing of the drinking public.

If the Assembly or anyone else wants to tackle the very real problem of excess alcohol consumption, they need to do so through education. Hiking up prices is just a lazy cop-out and will do precious little to solve the problem of alcohol abuse.

Yes, we Cowen!

Tom Kelly, also in today’s Irish News, argues that it is not as tough down South as many commentators argue; there are still investment opportunities. He mentions Fianna Fáil leader and Taoiseach, Brian Cowen’s speech at his party’s ardfheis; Cowen was “serious, serious about doing whatever takes”. (For what it is worth, I thought Cowen gave a good speech.)

Kelly also highlights one of the difficulties of getting Fianna Fáil out of government – who to support amongst the opposition: “The polls suggest no bounce factor for Fianna Fáil as it slumbers but more importantly the polls also suggest that the Irish electorate has no appetite for Enda Kenny as taoiseach, despite his party’s strong showing. The electorate is not stupid. They know its all about leadership.”

(Indeed, were, say Alan Dukes, in charge of Fine Gael, would they be in a stronger or weaker position now? Stronger, I suspect.)

Kelly is also unimpressed by how Stormont is managing financial matters: “The handout mentality that dominates the thinking in the assembly is an economic liability.” Certainly, there have been some sour remarks amongst many in the North regarding the Republic’s economic difficulties of late. However, the fact remains that while Ireland Inc may be taking water, Brian Cowen is, at least, in charge of the bail-out bucket. That is not something anyone in our little regional assembly can boast of.

It might not be a great Republic at the moment – but it is still a Republic.

European Alliance

The Alliance Party have picked North Down councillor, Ian James Parsley, as their candidate for the European elections. The Irish News reports that he speaks French, Spanish and German. He also speaks Ulster-Scots – seriously. I heard him at a conference once using the Scots and he was fluent.

I have heard him speak once or twice and have chatted with him occasionally. He is personable and intelligent and should ensure that Alliance punches above its weight in debates. That said, I was a bit taken aback by his comments in the Irish News. Parsley said: “The party has sought a unity candidate and I am pledged to be that unity candidate.”

It is hardly a battle cry that will attract the voters. Don’t tell me the nice Alliance folk have divisions too?

Literature in translation

The Independent has a very fine book section on Fridays and is one of the few English-language newspapers to make sure that they have fiction translated from other languages reviewed every week. I, for one, greatly appreciate it. After all, if one is going to read in the conquerors’ language, it might as well be material from other countries! Seriously, though, it is nice to see an English-language paper make such an honest attempt to connect with literature written in other languages.

On Friday, The Independent announced, their long list for their annual fiction in translation award, an award which gives equal due to both the author and the translator. Of the 16 books on the long list, I have read only one up to now – Juan Gabriel Vasquez’s The Informers. Vasquez is Colombian and the book was originally in Spanish. Funnily enough, the reason I chose the book was because it was translated by Anne McLean – who also translated Soldiers of Salamis by Spain’s Javier Cercas which won the Independent’s Prize for Foreign Fiction in 2004.

Indeed, Ms McLean and myself are becoming a regular literary item – I am currently reading The Armies by Evelio Rosero, another Colombian writer, who has also been translated into English by – you guessed it – Anne McLean. The Armies has also made the long list. I don’t have a word of Spanish but am thoroughly enjoying discovering contemporary Spanish-language literature in McLean’s company. Here’s hoping she adds another award to her substantial achievements; she certainly deserves it. Never underestimate the power of a good translator.

(I will add as a note that the Portuguese writer, Jose Eduardo Agualusa, is also on the long list for his novel, My Father’s Wives. Agualusa is another fine writer and well worth reading.)