With the historic #section37 bill & the fantastic @intolgbt group tonight after its passing. pic.twitter.com/JTgD0YFg5L — Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (@AodhanORiordain) December 2, 2015 Last night, the final stage in the progress of An Bille um Chomhionannas (Forálacha Ilghnéitheacha), 2013—Equality (Miscellaneous … Continue reading Oireachtas passes law to make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT teachers
For many years when I worked in Parliament Buildings, Belfast, I attended the Act of Remembrance which was then held in the Senate Chamber. I used to get annoyed at the action (or rather inaction) of some Assembly Members by … Continue reading A first step towards respect at Remembrance in NI Assembly
The number of homophobic incidents recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland has jumped by 12% in the last year, according to figures released in August. Catríona Ruane MLA, of Sinn Féin, raised the issue of homophobic crime at … Continue reading Homophobic incidents in the North of Ireland up by 12%
The simple question for all members of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive is: Do I support the achievement of political ends by purely peaceful means or by terrorism and acts of violence? Continue reading Time for the politicians to decide: in or out of the Executive?
The UK Prime Minister is making extrapolations on future policy on the governance of the UK based on one vote on a different issue in one part of the UK. That is hardly democratic is it? Continue reading A vote for Better Together is not a vote for more devolution…
With today’s third reading in the House of Lords, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill passed its hurdles in their Lordships House to pass into law. The final hurdle is not quite here but should not be too long. All … Continue reading Equal Marriage Bill passes the Lords – society has matured and will do so again.
Following this afternoon’s vote in the debate on the third reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, Christopher Lovell has expressed his disappointment at Tim Farron’s “abstention” today. It seems that Mr Lovell who lives in Leeds, not in Tim’s constituency, feels that because there is no vote recorded by Tim Farron in today’s debate, Tim abstained. I counter that this is not true. Tim did in fact, quite clearly not vote. It has been suggested by Erskine May that there is a procedure in Parliament to register an abstention: voting in both lobbies (Erskine May, Parliamentary Practice, 23rd edition, 2004, p412).
A House of Commons Briefing Paper, Divisions in the House of Commons, SN/PC/06401 states
If fewer than 40 Members, including the Speaker and the tellers, participate in a division, it does not meet the quorum required. The House then moves on to the next business, and the subject of the division is postponed until the next sitting day. Members who wish to defeat a particular item of business may engineer a division and then stay out of the lobbies, as they can thus render the division inquorate. Continue reading “Disappointed with Tim Farron or Naomi Long? I’m not…”
This afternoon we have seen the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill pass its third reading in the House of Commons. Many people start claiming that Equal Marriage is home and dry. This is quite far from the case. The Bill … Continue reading We’re being left behind in Northern Ireland: why I am a proud Liberal Democrat
On Wednesday, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will see the funeral of one of the greatest Prime Ministers of our history unfold from the first movements at the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft in the Palace of Westminster along the streets of Whitehall in the city of Westminster into the City of London, pausing at St Clement Danes, the Central Church of the Royal Air Force where her coffin will be transferred to the gun carriage for the final procession to the Cathedral Church of St Paul, where the Funeral Service will take place. Birth date: … Continue reading A lion’s heart of gold: Baroness Thatcher LG OM FRS 1925 – 2013
With the number of local government district set to be cut from the current twenty-six to just eleven in the next couple of years there will be a drop in the number of councillors of about 120. The environment minister … Continue reading up to £35k as severance for NI councillors – DoE consults
Gyronny Herald 