For those that didn’t catch this on slugger.

Apologies for the delay in getting this up – it’s a debate I took part in, focusing on local Councils and councillors and how they interact, or not, with rate payers and the general public, as well as a discussion on education and the SDLP and UUP call to have the Executive deal with it.

It’s well worth a watch.

West Belfast SDLP held the second of a series of public meetings around major community issues, following the highly successful conference on terror threats and national security. The second meeting was on academic selection and the transfer mess that parents, teachers and children are currently faced with.

We will be holding other events around this issue, it was clear from the mood in the room on Tuesday night (30 June 2009) that parents, teachers and most worryingly, children are in deep stress and concerned about this situation.

It is important that this issue does not to go off the political radar, particularly over the summer months. In fact, while this issue represents a crushing failure in our politics and our system, if politicians take the summer recess off from the Assembly – that would clearly represent a slap in the face to all those parents.

The SDLP has already called for the Assembly to be reconvened over the summer, to tackle this issue and many more.  

We want to provide a platform for parents and teachers to air their views and ideas around finding a solution to the current untenable situation.  Many concerns as well as ideas where expressed on Tuesday, and we will be submitting these to the Minister, the Assembly Education Committee and all party leaders in a report drawn up from the meeting.

It is quite clear that Sinn Fein and the DUP have to shoulder a massive burden of blame for this mess. But both the State and those Catholic grammar schools that by their stubbornness have contributed to this situation must also equally shoulder a share of the responsibility. 

School children deserve better than this, better than the unregulated, unfair and unstable system. The SDLP will be keeping pressure on all the parties involved in this mess.

Sinn Fein failed to turn up which was noticed by those in attendance.

While claims where made (after the event) that this debate was an exercise in trying to make SF look bad on this issue, this couldn’t have been further from the truth. But in anycase, their failure to turn up clearly highlights a nervousness in SF around this issue, argubly demonstrated by their own exercise in distorting the Departmental consultation around the Ministers guidelines as well.

TRANSFER TEST: A WAY OUT

OF THE MESS?

You are invited to a public meeting to discuss the current chaos in our. education system

Balmoral Hotel, Dunmurry

Tuesday 30 June

630pm

Panellists:

Alex Attwood SDLP

Paul Butler SF

Olwin Frost Principal Oakwood IPS

Sinead Beare Principal Christ The Redeemer PS

Tony Gallagher QUB

‘I said I’m a communist and I vote for SF, your not a communist, your a right winger, so I would never vote for you’

I proceeded with a few simple questions.

‘How do you reconcile that, you do realise that the SDLP voted against the Programme for Government mainly because it is right wing? 

You also realise that SF wrote the ring wing programme and stick by it to this day, even in the current economic climate? 

Tell me how does a communist SF supporter view the current privatisation in education, on Sinn Fein’s watch?’

I could see his mind trying to process what I was saying and then thought I was about to get an answer.

His response. He tried to kick me. The nice but noticeably odd little man tried to kick me. And then shouted me off his front door. Nice.

My blog has now adopted another function…. to report weekly on the Andersonstown News and it’s coverage. Why?

Over a year ago I decided to refuse an award from Belfast Media Group in protest of the Squinter/Adams stuff and ever since then the paper has censored me from their pages. Literally, cut me out of press releases and cut me out of photos when they printed them (but then published the full photo on their website)

If I’m being honest the paper, as a NEWSpaper just doesn’t measure up. They need exposed for what they are: unprofessional, poor, partisan, stalinist, spineless with amateur editing. The paper is a farce if ever there was one.

Take today for example, 14th May. I am taking part in the Lisburn Half marathon, along with Alex Attwood in aid of Tiny Life.

Now that’s a nice story isn’t it?  The paper has the head line, ‘SDLP members going on the run’ (fair enough) but it’s print only mentions Alex, why does it say ‘members’ and then only mention one?

Well that’s because it’s been censoring me for over a year for having the ’cheek,’ as one person put it, to criticise the paper over it’s handling of the Squinter/Adams farce.

The SDLP has been recording every instance of censorship  that the paper shamelessly and regularly indulges in, including altered photographs. The report will soon be launched.

The paper should be exposed. Anyone who has been censored by the paper, who dislikes it’s partisan view of the world, who believes it’s a waste of tress should comment. 

P.s. did they run the story about SF claiming excessive expenses from your pockets… what do you think?

The atmosphere of the event, due to the speakers very moving contributions, was poignant, and the SDLP agreed to follow this up with another similar event for those who where not able to attend the one in Armagh.

SDLP Newry have now arranged an event to be held this Wednesday in the Canal Court Hotel in Newry at 7.30pm. Everyone is invited.

Speakers include, no gloss just matt contributor Gerry Conlon of the Gilford Four, Breege Quinn, who’s son Paul Quinn was murdered with no one brought to justice, Raymond McCord, who’s son Raymond McCord Jnr was murdered and Anne Morgan, who’s brother, Seamus Ruddy is one of the disappeared.

The event will be chaired by the SDLP’s Alban Maguinness MLA, the party’s European Candidate and Justice Spokesperson.

If you couldn’t get to the event in Armagh in January, or if you are interested in the (lack of) Justice processes in NI relating the troubles/paramilitaries, or if you want to hear moving personal testimonies from tireless campaigners for justice, I would highly recommend that you try and attend.

I attended the rally today at City Hall in support of workers who are suddenly finding themselves out of work.

There was a small turn out - when you compare the rally here to the rallies across Ireland and Britain, coupled with the fact that we here in NI are going to be hit worse than England, Wales or Scotland in terms of job loses - the turn out was disappointing. It is all of our responsibilities to ensure that workers have their rights protected. Anyone could be next.

It’s in our nature here, until it affects us we generally don’t pay attention. We vote for the same politicians who consistently fail to help us, and we will again when the EU election comes along.

Our political leaders, the First Minister and deputy First Minister’s response to the economic crisis: attack the Belfast Telegraph for raising the issue. Are they for real? Notably the National Union of Journalists attended the rally – no doubt to sent that same message to our so-called leaders.

While the speakers where very good, they consistently failed to call up those that have the biggest responsibilty here to deal with job losses.

Sinn Fein and the DUP!

They didn’t name Robinson or Maguinness – SF representatives told us on easter that they have co ownership of the institutions, well they must accept then, along with that comes co-responsibility and co-failure to act. As well as co-blame for the executive turning a blind eye to what is happening.

It’s time to get real, people are losing their jobs, homes are being repossessed, people are being taken to court, employers are walking all over them.

Time to turn up the pressure. Time to put Mr Adams and his co-ownership rhetoric to the test.

Time for a new budget and programme for government.

new20priorities20in20difficult20times-07200420092081

Time for help for our workers.

Time to help the economy. 

Time for movement.

Time for action.

SDLP European Candidate Alban Maguinness MLA with John Ware and Michael Gallagher

Margaret Ritchie MLA, Minister for Social Development

Dolores Kelly MLA with John Ware and Barney Rowan

Alex Attwood MLA with Dame Nuala O'Loan

MArk Durkan MP MLA closing the Seminar

The Seminar boasted some very high profile and informed panellists such as John Ware, Barney Rowan and Dame Nuala O’Loan. There were fascinating accounts of real life tragedies and struggles from contributors such as Michael Gallagher and Brendan Duddy.  

A very adept account of particular aspects of the event has already been written, click here and here to view.

For the second time this year (and probably ever) I was reading an opinion piece by Newton Emerson in the Irish News and said, ‘he’s got a point here.’  (Below)

accountability-only-way-to-draw-out-toxic-intelligence

There was an overwhelming consensus in the room, coming from the speakers and the mood of those present that robust oversight is needed to monitor the intelligence services – right now virtually none exists. As Professior Colin Harvey of QUB said at the Seminar, ‘is it right that a police officer is subject to far reaching accountability measures and the intelligence officer they happen to be working with is subject to virtually none? Of course not!’ 

That was very much the consensus. But there was also a feeling in the room – that for whatever reason the intelligence services have continually escaped proper scrutiny, that that will always remain the case. There are too many vested interests, particularly in Northern Ireland, for doors to be opened or lights shone in dark corners. As Barney Rowan said, the governments have an interest in keeping the light off, as do Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries.

As Newton Emerson said in his article ‘  Currently, the peace process approach to intelligence is to build a wall between it and policing so that policing can be made accountable without compromising intelligence. This is why surveillance of dissidents now falls to MI5. Sinn Fein fully endorses this policy, to the point of making a bogus distinction between intelligence and “civic policing”.

Not only does Sinn Fein endorse this separation of accountability, effectively meaning robust oversight of policing and none of the spooks - but they negotiated it! It makes one wonder about those vested interests. And with the presence of Alex Maskey and Bobby Storey at the Seminar on Saturday, one wonders a little more?!

It truely was a dirty war, but people such as the families of those murdered in the Omagh bomb should not have to pay the price of no scrutiny, while undoubtedly others reap the rewards.

Margaret Ritchie, the Minister for Social Development paid a visit to Poleglass, in West Belfast yesterday evening to speak with a number of residents, representing resident groups, community orgainsations and well….. just themselves. (Most interestingly perhaps….. a group just set up representing working single parents).

From the SDLP West Belfast office was Alex Attwood, Tim Attwood and myself (responsible for the award winning photos)!!