Category: news

Belfast, dissidents, news, Newspapers, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, RepublicanLeave a comment

combining stories makes a better read…

Michael McFarland Campbell

On page 16 of the Final Edition of the paper copy of today’s Belfast Telegraph there is a story by Deborah McAleese about how Colin Duffy was led into the dock at the Coleraine Magistrates Court looking dishevelled with a sports jacket scarely covering his bare torso Mr Duffy’s solicitor told the court that his client had been forcibly strip-searched and his shirt cut from his body by prison officers as he left HMP Maghaberry that morning… Following on from yesterday’s post about how newspapers could do better, I would argue that the following information from a story by Victoria … Continue reading combining stories makes a better read…

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Belfast, newsLeave a comment

city centre stabbing – condemned

Michael McFarland Campbell

I have condemned the city centre stabbing in Belfast’s Royal Avenue here I condemn the stabbing in Belfast city centre’s Royal Avenue earlier this evening. I trust that the people of Belfast who may have been in the area around 1815 will assist the Police Service of Northern Ireland by giving witness statements if required. Continue reading city centre stabbing – condemned

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Blogging, Media, news, Newspapers, Northern Ireland life1 Comment

newspapers: could do better on NI – Greenslade

Michael McFarland Campbell

Roy Greenslade seems to have hit on something in his blog on the Guardian‘s website. Northern Ireland is seeing a resurgence in Republican violence. There is need for decent reporting of events here in Northern Ireland in the mainstream British press. Arrest of nine men by Gardaí Nine men were arrested by Irish police – six in Wexford, one Waterford and two in Louth – under Ireland’s offences against the state act… The story did not appear in the print editions of any London-based Sunday national. But it was reported by the Sunday Times’s Irish edition. It should have been … Continue reading newspapers: could do better on NI – Greenslade

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Drugs, Health, HIV, news1 Comment

failure of cannabis prohibition – US government data demonstrates this

Michael McFarland Campbell

“Alcohol and tobacco are far more dangerous drugs than cannabis, but no one is being killed in an alcohol or cigarette black market because those drugs are legal, regulated and taxed.” Joseph D. McNamara Retired Chief of Police for San Jose, California Back in August I signed The Vienna Declaration to show my support for the ending of the prohibition of drugs. A new report issued by the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (ICSDP) today entitled: Tools for debate: U.S. federal government data on cannabis prohibition uses US government data to show the clear failure of United States … Continue reading failure of cannabis prohibition – US government data demonstrates this

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news, Northern Ireland life, Police, PSNILeave a comment

bomb blast in Derry – enough is enough

Michael McFarland Campbell

    The news that there has been a bomb in Londonderry comes just as I was turning in for the night. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is warning that there will be traffic disruption on Tuesday morning. This is the second bomb near the area of Strand Road / Culmore Road in two months. The first was on 3 August outside Strand Road PSNI station. Tonight’s exploded outside the Da Vinci centre on Culmore Road, and has caused damage to many shops and local businesses. Although, at the time of writing, there appears to have been no claiming … Continue reading bomb blast in Derry – enough is enough

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Belfast, Health, mental health, news, Northern Ireland life, PSNI3 Comments

PSNI MMRT get gold stars: Belfast HSC Trust does not

Michael McFarland Campbell

This weekend has been a very difficult one for my family. This evening I would like to say a very big thank you to the members of the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team who trekked up Slieve Donard late on Friday evening/early on Saturday morning to find my brother, D-, who was up on the mountain with very little protection. Stephen’s post yesterday evening about suicide was very timely. D- is in a very bad way at the moment. However, other than the Mountain Rescue Team to thank, the Police Service of Northern Ireland in B district have been very very … Continue reading PSNI MMRT get gold stars: Belfast HSC Trust does not

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Justice, London, newsLeave a comment

one year on: let’s think of the judiciary

Michael McFarland Campbell

Last year, a fundamental change in the British judiciary occured on this day. For after centuries of being the final court of appeal in England (and the rest of the United Kingdom as it was annexed united to England, the House of Lords ceased to function in this way. During the fifty-fourth Parliament of the United Kingdom, the Constitutional Reform Act 2008 (c.4) was passed. This created the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. Sadly this sounds very American to my British ears. There didn’t really seem very much wrong with the old system, but we have to get on … Continue reading one year on: let’s think of the judiciary

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Labour, LGBT, Manchester, news, StonewallLeave a comment

Quote of the Day – #moreBS

Michael McFarland Campbell

It is not a member-run organisation. It does not give the opportunity to LGBT people to come together. Guess who? Got it yet? Yup. Once again Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall – this time at meeting of LGBT Labour at Labour Party Conference in Manchesteras reported in Pink News. So, quite what is the point of becoming a member? LGBT Labour have managed to have a meeting and vote in favour of gay marriage – so why can’t Stonewall manage to sort this out? It is good to see that some members of HM Loyal Opposition seem to be … Continue reading Quote of the Day – #moreBS

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DELGA, LGBT, Lib Dems, Liverpool, news, politics, Stonewall, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Stonewall’s key priorities – has Ben Summerskill read them?

Michael McFarland Campbell

Stonewall has made a major error in letting its Chief Executive Ben Summerskill loose at the recent Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool. His statements are now well known, but it has opened up a can of worms that Stonewall will want to shut. However, I hope that others will join me in looking at what they have said they will do Stonewall’s key priorities for 2010-2011 EDUCATION Challenging homophobia in schools and colleges and underachievement by lesbian, gay and bisexual pupils through development of the Education for All programme. Raising standards through local government, the teaching profession and young volunteers. … Continue reading Stonewall’s key priorities – has Ben Summerskill read them?

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news, Northern Ireland life, poverty, Royal FamilyLeave a comment

return the Crown Estate money to the Queen

Michael McFarland Campbell

The furore about the Royal Finances in recent days should be really quite easy to fix. Stop the Civil List system, and return the surplus from the Crown Estates to Her Majesty The Queen. After all, if it is Crown property then Her Majesty should be allowed to benefit from it. There is no prohibition on HRH The Prince of Wales in respect of his rights as Duke of Cornwall, so why does Her Majesty? Do we actually know what HM Treasury has done with this money in recent years? I don’t think so. No transparency there. For reference: The … Continue reading return the Crown Estate money to the Queen

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