Archive for the 'News' Category

A New Think-Tank for Small Government: PolicyNI

Published February 13, 2012 News 1 Comment

Last week I wrote a blog post suggesting that it was time for a new think-tank for Northern Ireland – dedicated to the idea of reducing the role of the public sector in Northern Ireland, and changing the nature of our politics.

In that post I asked people to contact me if they were interested in helping me – and I have been astounded just how much this idea seems to have resonated. I’ve received emails of support from people from all walks of life.

So to give some substance to the idea I have created a new website and have decided to call the new think-tank PolicyNI. There isn’t much content there as yet – but I’m delighted that a few people who contacted me have agreed to jot down some thoughts. Over time I’d hope that more perspectives will be published on the site. In time, we may even undertake some research and public consultations. However, it’s very early days.

PolicyNI is a new Northern Ireland based Think Tank and lobbying group dedicated to reducing the role of the public sector. We also want to establish a new type of political discourse focused on rationality rather than tribalism. We are not affiliated with any political party. So if this concept inspires you, please visit the site. You can register your support or volunteer your services – and by doing so you’ll get notified as and when we organise future events, or appear in the media.

http://policyni.com/

Lord Feldman Commits to Cutting Ties with UUP

Published January 5, 2012 News 6 Comments
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Lord Feldman’s recent statement, written for the Belfast Telegraph, is to be welcomed. It makes clear the Conservative Party’s intention to do what it should have done decades ago – namely to seek a mandate to govern, and to organise, in every part of the UK. The statement is especially welcome as it includes sections that I wrote myself, on behalf of the Party, several years ago – before the ill-fated UCUNF debacle.

I wish the new Northern Irish Conservatives every success. At last we may start to see the normalisation of our politics.

It’s now Up to the Tories…

Published December 24, 2011 News 6 Comments
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Is this how the new Party logo might look?

After a few weeks thinking time, the UUP leader, Tom Elliott, has responded to Conservative Chairman Lord Feldman’s letter – the one that suggested the the UUP should wind-up and go home.

As expected, Elliott has dismissed Feldman’s suggestions - rather than the UUP Party executive.

So, it’s now over to the Conservatives to do something.  And that something, it would appear, would be to establish a new Northern Irish flavoured right-of-centre political party with formal ties to the Conservative Party in London but with local leadership and electoral ambitions.

As I’ve said in the past I would wish this new organisation success.  But I would hope that – from launch – the organisation sets out a secular, non-sectarian stall, free from the baggage of the past. The new Party needs to define itself very quickly as something fresh, different, cross-community and attractive.  It will need a confident and articulate voice and it will need to be well organised and well-funded – two qualities the local Conservatives never really achieved.

I’ll be watching 2012 developments with interest.

Death of a Hero

Published December 17, 2011 News 4 Comments

Christopher Hitchens had cancer and knew he was dying. But, nonetheless, his passing is immensely sad. His polemic was brilliant and his incisiveness was both alarming and wonderful. His oratory, simply spellbinding.

Given his passing, this quote is more apt even now than when he wrote it.

“The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.”

Are ‘Celtic Fringe’ Conservatives About to Declare UDI?

Published September 4, 2011 News , Opinion 8 Comments
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DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 29JAN10 - David Cameron, Le...

Is David Cameron prepared to see the creation of 'sister parties' in the devolved regions? Image via Wikipedia

The BBC is, today, running an article that suggests that the frontrunner to lead the Scottish Conservatives wants the Scottish Party to distance itself from the Party in London.  In effect, Murdo Fraser wants the Scottish Conservatives to be more, um, Scottish.  There is an inherent logic to this as Westminster is, increasingly, the parliament of England – and more powers are being devolved to the regional parliaments.  Fraser’s ambition, apparently, is to create a Scottish right-of-centre party in Scotland, freed of London-centric coalition baggage.

I gather that similar moves are afoot to create a Northern Ireland centre-right party out of the ruins of the near-dead Ulster Unionist Party and the Conservatives in Northern Ireland.  Rumour has it that several prominent Ulster Unionists are planning to defect to the Conservatives in the next couple of weeks.  And, in an act of meeting them halfway, the Conservative leadership here wants to create a new NI-focused centre-right, and non-sectarian brand – much more distant from the London Party.

To an extent this seems logical.  Some in the UUP genuinely want to distance themselves from the sectarian baggage the party brings to electorate – but don’t want to join a Conservative Party that has no, local, electoral prospects.  Many local Conservatives have also come to the realisation that in the context of devolution there has to be an element of Realpolitik at the core of their single-nation idealism.

If the result is that a genuine non-sectarian, centre-right party is created here, I’m all for it.  I’d just have concerns that the new party – whatever it’s called, will have the necessary leadership charisma to make it an electoral success.

Government proposals actually increase proportion of unelected, C of E Bishops in Lords

Published May 17, 2011 News , Opinion Leave a Comment
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View of the House of Lords Chamber in the Pala...

Image via Wikipedia

The Government’s proposal to retain 12 reserved seats for Church of England Bishops would actually mean an increase proportionately of the presence of Bishops in the House of Lords. Keeping any reserved seats for the Bishops would be an affront to democracy and antithetical to the aims of a fairer and more egalitarian parliament, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has claimed.

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg set out the Government’s plans in a statement to the House of Commons from 15.30 on Tuesday 17 May. The Government’s proposals include a significant reduction in membership of the chamber, from nearly 800 at present to 300, and between 80-100% elected and the remaining appointed. At present, 26 Bishops of the Church of England are entitled to sit in the House of Lords as of right; the only such example of clergy holding automatic membership of a legislature in a modern democracy.

At present, Bishops make up 3% of the House of Lords. Under the Government’s proposals that would increase to 4%. Reducing the number of reserved seats for Bishops from 26 to 12 would actually increase their presence proportionately in the chamber.

BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson has commented as follows (and I wholeheartedly agree):

‘The presence of unelected prelates is an anomaly within our system of government, and their retention, even in diminished numbers, would be an indefensible affront to democratic principles. In no other legislative chamber are elected or appointed representatives deemed so insufficiently qualified to deal with matters of belief and morality that they require supplementing by clergy.  Retaining the Lords Spiritual and actually increasing their presence proportionately is completely at odds with the aspiration of a more legitimate and representative second chamber.’

A 2010 ICM poll found that 74% of people think it is ‘wrong’ for Bishops to be given an automatic seat in the Lords, and that 48% said that it was not important for Church of England Bishops to have a role in the Lords. The poll questioned over 1,000 people from different backgrounds.

Sorry for lack of posts folks…

Published April 13, 2011 News Leave a Comment

Rather busy work-wise.  No doubt will get more politically reinvigorated as the elections get a little closer.

The Way I Tell ‘em

Published February 8, 2011 News , Opinion 5 Comments
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Nigel Farage.

UKIP Leader Nigel Farage will be in Northern Ireland next week. Image via Wikipedia

A commenter on a previous post has drawn attention to the fact that The Belfast Telegraph is reporting that veteran comedian Frank Carson is planning to put his hand in his pocket to support UKIP – to help introduce non-sectarian politics into Northern Ireland. Well done Frank – and Nigel Farage, UKIP Leader.

Carson is quoted in the article as saying, “People in Northern Ireland vote for their church, they don’t vote with their heads, it is ridiculous.” Well said. And I wish UKIP every success establishing their brand of national, non-sectarian politics here.

It’s interesting, however, that, according to the Telegraph piece, UKIP wishes to scrap the Scottish and Welsh assemblies, as well as the Barnett Formula, but plans to maintain the NI Assembly. Although there are heavy hints that the party wishes to make our local legislature rather smaller. Can I suggest no more than 20 elected members?

It’s interesting that despite not having constituency associations everywhere and hordes of members UKIP plans to contest the Assembly elections. The Conservative Party has been organised here for two decades but appears reluctant to do so. However, it’s encouraging that at least one national party has the guts to contest elections in every part of the UK. Well done Frank and Nigel.

Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/comedian-frank-carson-backing-uk-independence-party-15076686.html#ixzz1DNcISwbO

Unequivocal Support?

Published February 7, 2011 News , Opinion 1 Comment
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Debating chamber in Scottish Parliament building

On the same day that Conservatives in Scotland and Wales will be electing members to their Parliament and Assembly, Conservatives in NI will be barred from so doing. Image via Wikipedia

Alex Kane has written an excellent piece in Today’s Newsletter. Here’s just a taster. You can read the full article in the comments to my previous post.

“It is worth noting that I have seen the words ‘unequivocal support’ used in Central Office documents in 1989, 1992 and 1996. It turned out to mean nothing on those occasions and it means nothing now. On the same day that Conservatives in Scotland and Wales will be electing members to their Parliament and Assembly, Conservatives in NI will be barred from so doing. Not by their own choice, mind you, but simply because Central Office doesn’t want the Secretary of State to have to take sides when it really matters. It seems he can say what he likes when he is in Opposition—but not when he is in Government!” – Alex Kane in Today’s Newsletter

Why Conservatives are Wimps

Published February 4, 2011 News , Opinion 62 Comments
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DAVOS/SWITZERLAND, 29JAN10 - David Cameron, Le...

Is Cameron serious about detoxifying our politics? Image via Wikipedia

This is an extended version of a comment I have made on my previous post. I felt it deserved greater oxygen.

A few of my former colleagues in the local Conservative Party organisation have criticised me for being a tad lukewarm re. yesterday’s announcement about Party organisation here. This is my attempt at an explanation. Interestingly, Alex Kane, former Head of Communications at the UUP, agrees with me (see comments on yesterday’s post).

The point I have made is that the local Conservative Party Area Executive threw all its toys out of the pram because CCHQ refused to contest the Assembly elections. The Area Chairman, Irwin Armstrong, resigned over the issue. Now he has un-resigned when nothing has changed.

The excuse for the U-turn is that because of the delay in reaching an agreement with CCHQ it would be impossible to get ready for elections that are still several months away. But that’s nonsense – as has been pointed out by Seymour Major over on his blog.

Even a single candidate put forward for the Assembly elections would make clear that the Conservatives are serious and intend to define themselves as a brand distinct from sectarian “Unionism” and “Nationalism”. There is no point to democratic politics if elections aren’t contested. Constant preparation for success is not the point – it’s about democracy, plain and simple. If the brand is dodgy, no-one will vote for it. That’s politics.

But the end game in the process is about de-toxifying our politics. We’re either in that game or we aren’t. And, it would appear, the local Conservatives seem to have decided that they are not – and that implies sloppy and wimpy leadership.

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Musings on things political and secular…

This is my site where I share my world views for anyone who might be remotely interested. Visit only if you think the content is interesting. Oh and comment is free. So go right ahead and agree or disagree. But, please, be kind and polite (especially to me).
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