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Stormont: “A new spirit of mutual cooperation and respect”?

Category: The North Published Date Written by Eoin Gilligan

 

After weeks of negotiations and stalemate it was all smiles and corny jokes today. The Sinn Fein/DUP coalition has survived to limp on like Tweedledum and Tweedledee strapped together in a three legged race. But the underlying contradictions in the north mean that we can anticipate other crises before too much time elapses.  Gordon Brown hailed the agreement to devolve policing and justice powers to Stormont on April 12th as having heralded “a new spirit of mutual cooperation and respect.”  Yet still we are left in a sectarian blind alley with no answer to the crisis facing working class people in the north.

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 February 2010 19:43

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Why stand for election?

Category: The North Published Date Written by Paul Holmes on his Blogspot

This article was written for a British audience, but the sentiments and ideas are crystal clear. We are pleased to reprint Paul Holmes article for the attention of UNISON members in the Northern Ireland Region who will be voting in the election and for that matter for all workers in Ireland.

  • Nominate Paul Holmes!

  •  For One left candidate in the UNISON General Secretary Election!

Why Stand for Election?

Shades of 1979. An unpopular Labour Government, a Tory Party waiting in the wings and an economic mess. What awaits us?
The Labour Party don't think they can win the election, the Tory Party are scared to win it and the Liberals know they can't win it. Nobody is promising anything but misery. Our cuts won't be as bad as theirs. Where's the vision, where's the hope?

Last Updated on Friday, 05 February 2010 20:37

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UNISON General Secretary Election: One left candidate needed: Support Paul Holmes

Category: The North Published Date Written by UNISON IMT Supporters

 The post of UNISON General Secretary is one of the most important jobs in the whole of the Labour and trade union Movement in Britain and the north of Ireland . UNISON is a decisive force in the public sector and is potentially extremely powerful. UNISON is also one of the biggest unions affiliated to the British Labour Party and the leadership of the union is intimately tied up with the British government. As such this election is as important as the UNITE General Secretary Election, and in the Public Sector perhaps more so. Unlike the UNITE union however, UNISON only organises in the north of Ireland and has a Northern Ireland Region.

Last Updated on Thursday, 04 February 2010 19:45

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UNISON: Request for nomination for General Secretary from Paul Holmes

Category: The North Published Date Written by Paul Holmes

We reprint here, Paul Holmes request for nomination in the UNISON General Secretary Election. As explained in our other material we consider that Paul is the only candidate who has a chance of beating Dave Prentis the current General Secretary. 
 
  • For a General Secretary on a worker's wage, in touch with the branches and their members!
  • Nominate Paul Holmes!

Last Updated on Thursday, 04 February 2010 21:57

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Stormont deadlock reveals the contradictions in the north

Category: The North Published Date Written by IMT Ireland

 

Long discussions into the small hours, shuttle diplomacy and the combined weight of Gordon Brown and Brian Cowen and still the deadlock continues over the devolution of policing and justice in the north. The process is meant to have been agreed years ago, but the deep contradictions in the north mean that every issue and every syllable has to be fought over. The “peace process”, far from solving the problems of the working class has enshrined sectarian division and entombed the leadership of Sinn Féin and the DUP in Stormont, presiding over the minutiae of what is more or less an overblown County Council.

 

 

Doubtless the intention of British and American Imperialism was to “normalise” politics in the north, but any faint hope that this would elevate the role of the SDLP and the UUP has been dashed because of the underlying contradictions in the situation. It’s no surprise that the issue of policing and the Parades Commission have become such stumbling blocks. The SF leaders are under pressure to make some progress towards setting a date for the devolution of police arrangements and the DUP are very conscious of the political divisions within unionism which have lead to the development of Traditional Unionist Voice and the closer links between the Ulster Unionists and the British Tories. They can’t afford to appear soft on the question of the parades and must appear as intransigent as possible over the PSNI question also.

Last Updated on Thursday, 28 January 2010 23:17

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