David Trimble would ward against Woodward comments

I have just seen the letter from David Trimble to Gordon Brown regarding the recent comments from  Shaun Woodward.

Woodward in an interview with the Guardian has praised Peter Robinson and dissmissed the UUP and its link up with the Conservative party.

Specifically, the Guardian highlights,

Woodward praises Peter Robinson, the DUP leader, as a "strong leader" for the way in which he pressed ahead with devolving policing powers. Woodward says Robinson understood the dangers of political uncertainty.

As an ex-Conservative, Shaun may be trying to demean the Conservatives and the UUP link up with a very personal attack on David Cameron.  Trying to keep his 'Red Flag' credentials methinks.  But it could very well back fire as it shows a Labour Party in disarray over the election.  Labour have aligned themselves with the DUP on this one with Woodward endorsing Peter Robinson.

I wonder who it will do the most damage to.

According to the Guardian Woodward basically accuses the Conservatives and Unionists of

"adopting a "reckless" approach to Northern Ireland, which threatens to destabilise the peace process by strengthening the hand of dissident republican terrorists".

Woodward is accusing the Conservatives and Unionists of threatening the Peace Process.  Hmmmm. I wonder if the DUP agree with this assessment and if they will comment on it.

Iain Dale even comments on Shaun's ludicrous assertions.

I think this is the last desperate throw of the dice by Labour to once again undermine Northern Ireland.  Lets not forget that Labour are 'neutral' on the Union whilst the Conservatives and Unionists are campaigning in Northern Ireland to get it back into the heart of the Union.

I have added the whole letter from David Trimble below.

Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to see if the views expressed by Shaun Woodward, as our Secretary of State, in the Guardian on 2 May accurately reflect government policy.

The Secretary of State has already declared he is neutral on the Union. The Belfast Agreement is not neutral, it upholds the right of the people of Northern Ireland to be part of the United Kingdom. A Secretary of State for NI might be able to justify a general approach of neutrality as between the political parties in Northern Ireland. But by explicitly attacking of the Ulster Unionist election arrangements he is effectively asking unionists to vote for the DUP.

I therefore must ask you is it the policy of the Labour party to be neutral on the union and to encourage support for the DUP? Do you, as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom value the union with Northern Ireland?

I also have to say that it is completely unacceptable to suggest as does the Secretary of State in the Guardian article that David Cameron and Reg Empey are somehow “strengthening the hand of dissident republican terrorists" and I would hope that you would restrain the Secretary of State from making such intemperate comments. Perhaps you would encourage him to show some concern that for the first time in 88 years the police are unavailable the protect voters in the environs of our polling stations during this election.

You may also want to consider the Secretary of State’s apparent lack of concern about the recent budget cuts in NI of £435 million, resulting in Health immediately losing £113 million. Is such an assault on frontline public services congruent with Labour party policy? And if not, should not the Secretary of State have a position on the matter?

Yours sincerely,

David Trimble
The Rt. Hon the Lord Trimble

What do you think of it all?

Gordon Brown and his car crash politics

Saw this on the Irish Times website

Apparently this Volkswagen Golf crashed into a bus shelter metres from a car park where Gordon Brown was unveiling a new Labour Party poster campaign.

The driver apparently lost control after the car was involved in a collision with a bin lorry.  The people driving the bin lorry had apparently been so enthused at hurling abuse at Gordon they forgot to watch the road and hit the car.

Gordon continued with his speech, aimed at re-energising his campaign in the final week of the election, as emergency services attended the scene.

Embarrassing for the lorry drivers for being such prats on the road.

Embarrassing for Gordon because of all the easy satirical innuendos that just trip over themselves to be used. 'Gordon's car crash policies', 'Poster campaign crashes at launch', etc, etc, etc.

What quip can you come up with?

What a Balls over no party logos

Mr Ulster has highlighted an interesting omission on the old voting slip (he has a postal vote and so got it early). Alongside highlighting that there is very little information on timetabling when to send it back, he notices that the Conservatives and Unionists candidate in this case Mike Nesbitt) does not have a Party logo in the little space where one would normally find one. Everyone else has one, but poor Mike is left .... er..... logoless.

So have the Conservatives and Unionists made a bit of a boo boo? Have they forgotten to get a logo registered with the Electoral Commission?

Well after a little bit of hoking around, I have found a bit of a pub quiz factoid.

The Conservatives and Unionists have not forgotten about the logo. They have, in fact, not been allowed to place a logo where you would find the little party logo due to a legislative oversight. 

All elections abide by electoral law. 

The European Union sets electoral law just before each EU election (normally in the January/February beforehand). In the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Regulations 2009, to be precise, it allows for joint candidates (where a candidate is standing for more than one party) to use a single registered logo.  So Jim could stand as a joint candidate with a nice little logo to go with it all.

However, the UK electoral law, which dates back to 1983 (with some updates since) has never been updated to reflect the idea of joint candidates and the probable need for a wee logo to nicely polish off the candidate's name on the voting slip.  As far as I am aware, if it is not in the law, then it can not be done.  It has to be specifically referred to within the legislation so as to legitimately allow it.  What I have found out as well is that the Electoral Office have been aware of this for a while now (you would also like to think the EU elections would have really highlighted it too) but done nothing about it.

So, the Conservatives and Unionists have been snookered.  Or have they? Well, yes they have. 

But they are not on their own.

All our Conservatives and Unionists candidates are in the illustrious company in the personage of Mr Ed Balls - of Labour Party and Education Department fame.  

He is a joint candidate for Labour and Co-Op (yup fresh veg and government Ministers).  He does not get a logo either. Poor Ed.  

In fact there are 42 candidates in total who are standing jointly for Labour and Co-Op are in the same boat.  Nice photos, but no logos.

6 May here we come.....

Nick Robinson in his BBC Blog has reported that,

The starting line and the finishing post are now both in sight.

On Tuesday 6th April 2010 the current Prime Minister will announce the date of the general election.  Polling day will be Thursday 6 May.

And so the pitches to the electorate will come thick and fast from Gordon, David and Nick.

Nick (Robinson not Clegg) reports that Gordon Brown will dub the election "the big choice", and in his speech is expected to say: "The people of this country have fought too hard to get Britain on the road to recovery to allow anybody to take us back on the road to recession."

This is interesting as David is supposed to be giving a a speech with the theme of  "the Great Ignored"  and will argue that "good, decent people... they just want a reason to believe that anything is still possible in our country. This election is about giving them that reason, giving them that hope".

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg will say: "Today is the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown" (well he is right there) before presenting himself and his party as the source of "real change and real fairness" (not so right here)

So what does this mean for Northern Ireland.  The two big slogans have a ring of familiarity about them.  

Gordon's  "The Big Choice" is very much apt to Northern Ireland.  The people of Northern Ireland will have 'a big choice' on 6 May this year on how they want to see our future develop.  Gordon has also, it must be said, closed down that big choice for us as much as he can, by constantly failing to recognise the equal rights of the citizens in this corner of the UK to vote for UK wide politics.  He has pandered to the pro-Irish republican section in his party (such as 'Red' Ken Livingston, Claire Short, Kevin McNamara, and Mo Mowlam) by ignoring the constituent rights of the people of Northern Ireland to be card carrying members of the Labour Party (not that I would be amongst them, but I know a number of people who are left leaning unionists who felt a bit peeved when re-directed towards the SDLP).

David's slogan is also pertinent to us in this wee province.  "The Great Ignored", to me, only helps to highlight the years of neglect we have suffered to ensure an 'acceptable level of violence' is contained in Northern Ireland - far from London or English economic centres.  David is now recognising the great ignored right across the UK and the need to engage them in helping to build a bigger, stronger, better United Kingdom.  He has recognised Northern Ireland as in his "own selfish and strategic interests, too." when he spoke at the UUP conference in 2008.  At least he is interested in us.  His reference to 'good, decent people' made me cringe a bit, due to the use of the 'decent people' moniker by the UUP in a previous election.  But his sentiments are worthy.

Maybe he will give us a reason to believe in UK wide politics once more.

Roll on 6 May.

Labour sponsors Unionist Unity!?!

The DUP Unionist Unity campaign e-petition - notice the sponsored link. (click on the picture to see more clearly)

Purile? Yes

Petty in pointing this out? Yes

Did I have an ironic laugh to myself? Yes

The link is also tagged Unionistfightback.  More like each other, again.

Labour's Department of Government Waste gets an April spring clean

April Fools!


Or is it?


How are your taxes being wasted??


The Conservatives have launched a parody website entitled the Department of Government Waste highlighting Labour's fiscal inefficiencies. 


No matter your own political leanings it is a brilliant little piece of political satire along the same sort of lines as mydavidcameron was used to undermine the Conservative message.

Alan McFarland and the North Down conundrum

New 'New labour' supporter?

The BBC is reporting the resignation of North Down MLA Alan McFarland from the UUP.

He has been MLA for North Down for 12 years and claims he is leaving the party because he is uncomfortable with the electoral link up with the Conservative Party and that the alliance was detrimental to unionist interests in Northern Ireland.

A bit odd since the interests of unionists is to remain part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  Is it not a bonus to have Her Majesty's Official Opposition (at least until 6 May) having a selfish and strategic interest in supporting that union?

I know Alan, and have a great deal of respect for him, but I can not see how he can so suddenly become a New Labour supporter.  Throwing his towel in with Sylvia may not be the best thing for him to do. Nor the best thing for protecting the interests of unionists in Northern Ireland. 

Labour have resisted giving British and Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland equal status with the rest of the UK. Where is the Labour Party in Northern Ireland elections?  Labour Party activists have had to fight tooth and nail to become recognised here.  I don't subscribe to the New Labour ideology (mostly selling of the national assets to drive us even deeper into debt), but I do support Labour activists in Northern Ireland gaining equal status with England, Scotland and Wales.  I welcome normal national politics seeping into Northern Ireland electoral choices.

At least the Conservatives are providing the electorate here an opportunity to vote in UK wide democratic politics.

I googled Alan and found already a lot of chatter on twitter about him resigning and checked out his website. But it did not tell me a lot.  In fact it is not very informative at all.  About anything.

I don't believe this is a set back for the Conservatives and Unionists in the long term.  If Alan could not 'thole' it then he has every right to make his choice to follow his own 'Sylvia' lining.  But it is a very Sylviaesque stunt to try and create as many problems as possible during an election campaign.  I fully expect to see Alan out and about working for Sylvia, but it will be interesting to see if North Down follows down that New Labour route.