Ten seats at Stormont for our Jim?

Sunday Quote

"I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises."
Buzz Aldrin
Astronaut

Interesting day in store tomorrow as the count starts in the North today (we’re not allowed to count on the Sabbath along with our fellow-Christians in the South because the Electoral Office says there’d be objections. Intersting mind-readers down there…how come they aren’t similarly spurred to action about objections over nationalists being denied the vote).

For those of us who remember Sinn Féin being delirious about capturing 10 per cent of the vote back in 1982 (my first vote was for Bernadette McAliskey in the 1979 poll), it’s absolutely surreal (and delightful) to see the party predicted to come in top of the Euro poll and over the 25 per cent quota.

The talk is that the DUP is despondent, the working class vote having failed to come out — payback at last for the miserable conditions endured by the Shankill, Tiger’s Bay, lower Newtownards Road and other areas where the DUP dominance has not translated into jobs or prosperity.

Diane Dodds, a weak candidate, did herself no favours in the BBC debate from Queen’s University and the minute the party decided to out-red-white-and-blue Jim Allister, they were in trouble. As David Trimble found out when he tried the same thing against Ian Paisley, it’s the guy to your extreme who benefits.

Let’s look forward to Mr Allister changing the political landscape with over ten Assembly seats next time round.

And, finally, since more nationalists than unionists turned out, it’s not impossible that Alban Maginness could slip through.

And of course, Martin McGuinness would be First Minister. How do you like them apples?

Off to watch Meath-Dublin and Mary Lou's battle to hold onto Dublin. Gabh, a Mháire-Lou, gabh.

Remember the Alamo!

Before the Between the Bridges celebration in San Antonio, Texas, last night, are Connla Lawlor of the Irish Echo/Belfast Media Group, Martin Rouine, Consul General of Ireland in Chicago, honouree Mike Cheek of company KCI which has a plant in Athlone and Belfast ex-pat and event sponsor David Millar of Haisley Millar Consultants in Houston.

I know the photographer appears to be in California when he took the pic but you'll have to take my word for it that that's the Alamo and them's our guys.

DUP down in the dumps

The DUP is despondent this evening about the performance of their candidate in the EU election; turnout in working class Protestant areas was disastrous.

Was this the moment when Diane Dodds lost the election, from the BBC debate at Queen's University?



The Shinners will top the poll. Turnout in two sample West Belfast polling stations, 65 per cent and 61 per cent. Turnout in two sample East Belfast polling stations, 31 per cent and 29 per cent. Average turnout across the North is being estimated as down nine percentage points to 42 per cent.

Imagine how high the nationalist vote would be if there was actually a free franchise. For some people in the Electoral Office, that just doesn't bear thinking about.

Lone Star State of Mind

Go n-éirí go geal le Ray O'Hanlon agus Connla Lawlor i San Antonio, Texas, anocht áit a bhfuil ócáid ar leith á reachtáil ag an Irish Echo.

Beidh an ócáid taobh leis an Alamo...

Seo amhrán de chuid Lyle Lovett (amhránaí clúiteach Texas), San Antonio Girl, mar chomhartha tacaíochta don bheirt acu agus don 150 duine a bheas bailithe isteach ó gach cearn de Texas don ócáid bronnta gradam.

Tá píosa iontach anseo maidir le Texas - The Irish Connection ó Echo na seachtaine seo.

I believe Diane Dodds was boasting in the pre-election debates (in a bid to out-red-white-and-blue Jim Allister) that the Union flag flies on Belfast City Hall 365 days of the year. That's a fact and it's divisive and damaging to community relations so one hope's sensible voices will prevail and the Equality Commission will insist the flag comes down when City Hall reopens later this year.

In the meantime, while the unionists have their flag on the Dome, they don't have power beneath the Dome. For the second year in succession, the unionists lost out in the mayoral stakes to a SF-SDLP-Alliance coalition.

The very capable Naomi Long, a Belfast Media Group 40 Under 40 earlier this year is the city's new First Citizen. A very capable young woman — the first female to lead Belfast in a generation — she will undoubtedly provide progressive leadership in the year ahead.

But I'm particularly pleased to see Danny Lavery of Sinn Féin become deputy Lord Mayor. I served on Belfast City Council with Danny's brother Bobby (now based in San Francisco) who, tragically, lost his son in a loyalist attack. In August 1993, in response to republicans holding their first-ever major rally in Belfast city centre, a UDA gang supported by the authorities, attacked Bobby's Antrim Road home. His son Sean (21) was wounded as he ran from the living room and died in his father's arms at the top of the stairs.

Danny and Bobby's brother Martin was shot dead in his home in December 1992 while wrapping Christmas presents. His killers were being part of the loyalist gang being facilitated by British agent Brian Nelson.

So, Danny has the right to look like the (cool) cat that got the cream as he enjoys his day in the sun (as captured by North Belfast News photographer Thomas McMullan).

Traditional Jim has DUP worried

Derry political leaders prepare to cast their votes on Thursday....in the process braving the new polling 'polis' put in Foyle and West Belfast to watch over the natives.

Disturbing reports reach me from West Belfas of one 'steward' accosting a lady representing SF in the polling station. More on that anon. And of course, there is now confusion about where authority resides in the polling station with the officer in charge or with this new force.

And as for the election, it's clear the overall vote was down and the only juicy titbit being thrown around for the pundits in both South Belfast and West Belfast was that the TUV leader Jim Allister was doing well. But surely not as well as the 70,000 votes some pundits were predicting for him.

I spent a little while with Alex Maskey outside Holy Rosary School Polling Station off Sunnyside Street — a transformed now mixed area of the city which was monocultural when I was at Queen's in the late seventies — and at St Teresa's Polling Station in West Belfast where the usual late-evening rush was noticably absent.

Of course, a part of that is due to the fact that it's more and more difficult to actually get on — and stay on — the electoral register. You can't deny people the franchise or make the business of casting your vote an ordeal and expect voter numbers to rise.

More light should be shed on those areas in coming week when we publish figures from the Electoral Office on:
The number of voters who applied up to the 19 May late registration deadline only to have their applications rejected.
The number of applications for postal and proxy votes rejected and where those applicants live.
The cost of the Electoral Office court defence of its rejection of the vote to two young West Belfast men.

Gabh, a Bhairbe, gabh!

Just bought house insurance from Tesco for £308 as opposed to £690 quoted by current insurer. Tell me this isn't going to be a case of, if something sounds like it's too good to be true, it usually is.

Here's some pics from the election in Belfast to cheer you up. I brought my sainted mum to vote in St Agnes' and had the first glimpse of the Pinkerton Agency guys sent in by the Electoral Office to police the wild west. Seemed to be tame enough and had got himself a seat well out of the action in a corner. Good for him because when the unwashed locals get the firewater and start filching those votes, it's more than a honest lawman can handle.

At any rate, my mother can't see so well these days but she managed to get her magnifying glass out and do the business. Good for her.

Consumer corner

Called Allianz NI (after all they do sponsor GAA and Arts Awards) for house insurance renewal quote.

Automated answering service informs you that they will send material (junk mail) to you unless you inform their customer representative that you don't want any. Therefore, opening gambit to 'Stephen' was "don't send me any junk mail". Not the ideal way for Allianz to get a sale off the ground, I would think.

Last question Stephen asked was "what's the lowest price you have received". To which I replied: "I'm not telling you". Either than can quote lower or they can't. They couldn't.

Doesn't anybody teach sales anymore?

Dromore drubbing

And I'm still taking stick for that unfortunately unkind description of Dromore.

But here's why I love the internet (even if it is putting newspapers out of business). I got this email last week from a Welsh TV company:

Máirtín

This is possibly the most random email you've received for a while but please read on.

I'm contacting you on behalf of Antena Productions and we produce a BAFTA award winning Welsh language magazine programme called Uned5 (Unit5). Uned5 is broadcasted live on S4C and S4C Digital every Wednesday and Friday night.

Recently I have been researching into New York City, with the intention of heading out to the states to shoot some inserts for our programme during the fall.

The reason I am contacting you is because I was looking for a Welsh speaking taxi driver in the city/state and your blog came quite high up on the google search.

Having read the explaination, I was fascinated and wondered if there's the slightest chance you might remember anything about the Bangladeshi driver who drove you to a restaurant in the city last year? Be it a name or anything which might give me a lead to trace this person (former occupation in Fishguard etc)

I know it's a long shot but any kind of reply would be appreciated.

Go raibh maith agat,
Llyr Huws
(Researcher)

Sorry guys, forget to get his name or registration number but New York is the sort of place where I reckon this guy can tracked down (I'm serious.)

Slán le Dave

Wonderful obituary here in the Boston Globe for Dave (right above in this Boston Globe pic).

I'm told he had a great send-off today in Lawrence with a letter from President McAleese being read out.

Paying to sit at front of the bus

I got a nice note of congratulations from my good friend in San Antonio, Joan Moody of the wonderful Harp and Shamrock Society, on the outcome of today's court case.

But I had to break it to her that I didn't get away costs-free. I will have to pay the costs of our side. Hopefully, they will be much less than the costs of the Electoral Office and I consider it a worthwhile investment in the fight for the franchise.

I also note from my Boston pal Sean Moynihan that in Boston, you can get a postal vote without clearing a lot of hurdles which simply prevent voters getting an absentee ballot.

In Boston, they ask for you name and address and your signature. No national insurance number, no stipulation that the name be exactly the same as the register, no counter-signature, no warning that your reason won't be accepted without documentary evidence, no date of birth. I could go on.

Question: Is Belfast less democratic than Boston? On the measure of the right to vote, absoutely.

Here's the rub: In Boston you can apply in English or Spanish. How many light years will pass before you can do the same with the Electoral Office in Belfast? (Though, of course, it's Irish we want not Spanish!)

Pyrrhic victory for Electoral Office

As expected, the court ruled in favour of the Electoral Office in their decision to deny the vote to Tiarnán Ó Muilleoir and Henry Toner but this landmark case should mark the beginning of the end of the current approach by the Office.

In his summing up, the judge made a number of important comments and decisions which should give the Electoral Office pause for thought over its current zeal to deny ordinary voters the franchise.

Firstly, he refused the request of the Electoral Office to have me carry their costs. Any decision to do so would have been punitive and served as a deterrent to the next challenge to the punitive rules governing the vote registration and proxy/postal vote systems. Instead, the Electoral Office must stand its own costs. Which means that they used the public purse to ensure that Tiarnán and Robert Toner are denied the right to vote for the candidate of their choice in tomorrow's EU election.

Even a bureaucrat can see that's not wise use of public funds.

Secondly, the judge declared Tiarnán's case "in the public interest" and said it had "served a useful purpose" in that it highlighted these issues for the public. He also suggested to the Electoral Office that they now make changes to their postal/proxy vote forms. The first change, undoubtedly, would be to remove the claim that the office "may contact" the applicant. In practice, they won't. Thus even the slightest mistake and the application is dead.

The Electoral Office is now seen as a body which is resolved not to defend and grant the vote but to deny the vote. It's the real loser from this case and where the Electoral Office is the loser, ironically, the voters are the winners.

Disturbing and dangerous

Now that it's emerging the PSNI instigated the murderous attacks in Coleraine by texting loyalists, the question is will this be even more of a stinker than Robert Hamill.

My feeling is that there's a one-in-fifty chance that a PSNI officer will be disciplined before this case is finished and a one-in-one-thousand chance that an officer will go to jail.

After all, this is a society where unionists encourage sectarian behaviour. Don't take my word for it. This is the view of Dr Peter Shirlow, the leading expert on sectarian attitudes in the North: "If you listen to unionist politicians during this European election campaign, all they talk about is more money for Protestant areas. They emphasise only one community instead of talking about a shared, united society."

Dr Shirlow was speaking after revealing that only 10 per cent of sectarian hate crimes in the North are solved.

In light of that, this comment from Duncan Morrow, CEO of the Community Relations Council is just pathetic: "Fifteen years into a peace process, we still think in terms of us and them, even in politics, and some people still think that acting out this hatred is heroic."

Why doesn't Mr Morrow direct his criticism where it should be directed: at the thugs behind the sectarian attacks and at the politicians who encourage that sectarianism. If he did, it would certainly be a case of us and them. 'Us' who support peace, reconciliation and anti-sectarianism and the DUP et al who encourage hatred and division wrapped in Rangers colours.

New poll just opened. Let's see if Bairbre, the runaway winner of our last poll does in fact top the poll.

Decision day tomorrow

Outside the courthouse before our hearing to defend the franchise.

I'm not sure if the flag will be flying tomorrow or not.

Our case has been made. Right is on our side. Regulation is most certainly on the side of Chief Electoral Officer Douglas Bain who attended the proceedings.

We're being called back tomorrow at 10am for the decision.

The Electoral Office case is that you fill in the form right or your vote is toast. Why then the form suggests, the office might call you for clarification is unclear.

If nothing else, this case should ensure that claim is removed from the application form.

Getting interesting

This is getting interesting. It's after 2:30 and we still haven't started but lawyers for Poleglass man Robert Toner have just arrived. Sorry that should be Robert Henry Toner. Apparently he was denied his vote because he didn't put down his middle name.

Those who protect the franchise can't be too careful.
(Posted by Blackberry from the High Court)

Best of British justice

I am in the High Court in Belfast, our electoral challenge case still hasn't been heard.

To welcome me outside they are flying one of the biggest union flags I have seen this side of Drumcree.

In its response, the Electoral Ofiice is saying, 'hard luck", a mistake was made and Tiarnán isn't getting his vote.

It's great that we are spending as much energy defending the franchise as the Electoral Office is denying it.

Here's an interesting point: Tiarnán's application was processed (and rejected) on 15 May; the letter rejecting the application was received on 29th. All that period in between and yet no one had the time to make a phonecall.

I will keep you posted, court sits in five minutes.

(Posted by Blackberry from the High Court.)

Day in court

At least, we'll get our day in court. The judge has asked our lawyer and representatives of the Electoral Office to appear before him at 10am tomorrow morning (Tuesday).

You can read about 'West Belfast's Election Chaos' on our website here, including how hundreds of West Belfast voters were given the wrong electoral voting cards by the Electoral Office. Also included this week is a report on how many other people were refused postal and proxy votes for inconsequential reasons.

Ball in play

I did my best impression of Hopalong Cassidy this morning to sign the affidavit enabling lawyer Michael Flanigan to seek the overturning of the disgraceful denial of his first vote to my son Tiarnán.

Obviously, we are asking the courts to move swiftly to right this wrong.

I will keep readers up to date as the case proceeds later today.

The Electoral Office knows a challenge is on the way. It also knows that Tiarnán's application is 100 per cent genuine. So it could do the decent thing and permit him his proxy vote.

But let's see.

UN blast for British and Gregory

The United Nations have told the British Government to live up to its responsibilities under the European Charter on Lesser Used Languages since Gregory Campbell and Peter Robinson obviously aren't. In fact, their election campaign literature includes the boast that they stopped the Irish Language Act. How sad is that!

Here's Janet Muller's press statement:

POBAL, the umbrella organisation for the Irish speaking community in the North has won unprecedented support from the United Nations for the Irish Language Act. The UN’s Economic and Social Council has said that it is concerned that there is still no protection for the Irish language in the North, especially in the light of legislation for Welsh and Scottish Gaelic.

Janet Muller, CEO with POBAL said, ‘POBAL has worked for over a year to bring this matter to the attention of the UN. This is the first time ever that the Economic and Social Council has referred specifically to language matters in this manner in its report on economic, social and cultural rights. The recommendation is also extremely important because it says very clearly that either the British government at Westminster or the devolved Assembly should adopt the Irish language Act. This means there is no get-out-clause for either of them - the British government cannot blame the Assembly and if the Assembly continues to refuse to bring in the legislation, Westminster must act.’

The recommendation has been made following several written submissions from POBAL highlighting the lack of legislative protection for the Irish language, the ban on the use of Irish in the courts, and the lack of Irish language broadcasting. Janet Muller said, ‘We also attended a meeting at Stormont with representatives of the British government and we were able to challenge the response that they had given to the European Union about protections for the Irish language. The support of the UN shows how important it is for the Irish language community in the north to have a strong voice on these issues.’

The Economic and Social Council’s recommendation comes less than a week after the British government was forced to submit a partial report to the Council of Europe on the implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages because the devolved Assembly was not willing to agree on what should be included.


Janet's pictured at the launch of the Department of Regional Development website with Lord Mayor Tom Hartley (who steps down tonight), Patrick Wu and Minister Conor Murphy.