Category: politics

Belfast, DUP, LGBT, news, politics4 Comments

Marriage equality: DUP doesn’t understand devolution…

Michael McFarland Campbell

Last night, Belfast City Council became the first council in Northern Ireland to support marriage equality. The Council voted in favour of the motion [proposed by Sinn Féin, supported by SDLP councillors and one Alliance councillor1]: This Council supports the same rights and entitlements to civil marriages for all citizens of Belfast regardless of race, religion or sexuality. However, as my friend Stephen Glenn so rightly says, that the Council voted in favour “isn’t all the story”. For there were no votes against, not because all councillors were in favour of the motion but, rather, because the Unionist councillors left … Continue reading Marriage equality: DUP doesn’t understand devolution…

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Belfast, blood ban, DUP, HIV, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, politics, UUPLeave a comment

Continuing NI gay blood ban continues the prejudice

Michael McFarland Campbell

The Northern Ireland gay blood ban looks set to continue with the news from the DUP’s health minister, Edwin Poots MLA, that he has received some new research strengthening his position. As reported on the BBC, the minister says he … Continue reading Continuing NI gay blood ban continues the prejudice

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Blogging, Irish Politics, Sinn FéinLeave a comment

English education needed as @sinnfeinireland makes #typo on twitter

Michael McFarland Campbell

Okay everyone makes mistakes – but at least check the heading before posting to a website, especially when that appears to be directly linked to Twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/sinnfeinireland/status/189381399273414657 What is, of course, more amusing is that it is the Education spokesperson, Seán Crowe TD, making the comment. Perhaps Deputy Crowe could start ensuring the press team in Sinn Féin have improved their knowledge of the English language as well as the Irish. min·ster noun a church actually or originally connected with a monastic establishment. any large or important church, as a cathedral. (dictionary.com) I think we can safely say that those responsible meant Minister as is stated in the article itself. It really help to proofread something before sending – I know … Continue reading English education needed as @sinnfeinireland makes #typo on twitter

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APNI, Belfast, Conservatives, DUP, Labour, Lib Dems, news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, NUS, NUS-USI, politics, SDLP, Sinn Féin, SNP, Students, UUPLeave a comment

NUS-USI President calls for university admissions to be after results are published

Michael McFarland Campbell

When I applied to university the first time around, back when I was a pupil at Ballymena Academy, I couldn’t understand why we had to apply based on the results of our predicted grades. It seemed to me, and still does, that it would be fairer to have the university admissions process after real grades  had been awarded. The recent action [inaction?] by UCAS to put off a decision on having post-results admissions has been rightly condemned by the President of NUS-USI, Adrianne Peltz, who said that basing offers on predicted grades is an unreliable system and that going by predicted grades … Continue reading NUS-USI President calls for university admissions to be after results are published

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Lib DemsLeave a comment

It really would try the patience of a saint…

Michael McFarland Campbell

It’s has happened again. What? I hear you ask. Nothing simpler than another occasion in which those in Lib Dem HQ in London forget about us in Northern Ireland.

It is often said to me that the Lib Dems don’t make policy on issues affecting Northern Ireland only – that is on issues devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Last time I looked, taxation was not one of them. It may be in the future, but at present it is not.

So why, does Tim Gordon’s great new website asking us what we would do with £60 extra in every month, not allow people from Northern Ireland to answer? Continue reading “It really would try the patience of a saint…”

Blogging, catholic, christian, Law, LGBT, news, politics, Religion, Sacraments, United KingdomLeave a comment

The Cardinal should be thinking about Covenants not worrying about civil marriages

Michael McFarland Campbell

Same-sex marriage would eliminate entirely in law the basic idea of a mother and a father for every child. It would create a society which deliberately chooses to deprive a child of either a mother or a father.—His Eminence Keith Cardinal O’Brien in The Sunday Telegraph As a gay man, and a Christian, it really disheartens me to read what His Eminence has written it seems that he has not actually put much thought into what he is writing, and is reacting rather angrily to proposals that could see an end to discrimination. As I understand it, none of the … Continue reading The Cardinal should be thinking about Covenants not worrying about civil marriages

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news, Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland life, politics, Sinn Féin1 Comment

Interesting interests from Sinn Féin’s MLA for South Antrim

Michael McFarland Campbell

Martina Purdy of the BBC has produced some interesting registered activities for our MLAs up at Stormont. One that strikes me as a little strange is that Sinn Fein’s Mitchel McLaughlin declared his trip to Boston last November. He was part of a trade delegation from the north west and the cost was met by Golden Bridges (Boston-North West Ireland). Nothing altogether strange in that you say? Ah, well, now… Mr McLaughlin doesn’t represent a constituency in the North West despite being from there. Some wags have suggested that the times he spends most in his constituency of South Antrim … Continue reading Interesting interests from Sinn Féin’s MLA for South Antrim

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Lib Dems, news, Regional Development, Scotland, SNP1 Comment

Saving a Scottish Institution: what we all can do to save the Caledonian Sleeper

Michael McFarland Campbell

There was a time when travelling from Northern Ireland to London you could travel by sleeper from Stranraer Harbour to Euston – and indeed in the same manner in the opposite direction. Even as late as 1990 this was possible. However, sadly, this is now no longer possible, you have to take a train up to Glasgow to be able to connect with the sleeper. I know that I have enjoyed travelling using the services of the Caledonian Sleeper when I have needed to be in London fresh-faced for a meeting in the morning. But it seems that we may … Continue reading Saving a Scottish Institution: what we all can do to save the Caledonian Sleeper

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APNI, Belfast, DUP, HIV, news, Northern Ireland life, politics, poverty, SDLP, Sinn Féin, UUPLeave a comment

Is the Executive so tight that they cannot find £5000?

Michael McFarland Campbell

I was interested to notice that cancer patients in Northern Ireland are among those benefiting from a payment from the Northern Ireland Executive of a one-off winter fuel payment. Apparently this is because their immune systems are somewhat suppressed and they need to stay warm. £5000 is not much in the overall budget of the Northern Ireland Executive. At least you would not think that it is. Yet this relatively small amount of money is all that it would take to extend the payment of the winter fuel payment to one group of people who could really benefit from it. … Continue reading Is the Executive so tight that they cannot find £5000?

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