Posts tagged ‘Public Affairs’
Public Affairs: Brussels to Belfast
Friday, April 15th, 2011Task force visits Belfast Members of the European Commission’s Northern Ireland Task Force have visited Belfast to discuss priorities for the future. The two-day mission was the second phase in the work of the task force, set up by José Manuel Barroso in 2007 and led by Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn. Speaking about the visit, Barroso commented: “I set up a task force to make sure that the people of Northern Ireland get the full benefit of European Union funds. We have seen good progress in the last four years. I want to see more.” Hahn stated that the support of the...[full story]
Public Affairs: Counting up the members
Friday, July 9th, 2010Local statistics are sketchy but political party membership appears to be holding up. Smaller parties, though, are more open about their figures than their larger counterparts. The size of an organisation’s membership is a sign of its health, whatever the sector, but politics is one area where figures really count. Rival parties and candidates fight for a limited number of seats at election time, backed up by the grassroots volunteers needed to put up posters and knock the doors. Leadership contests depend on candidates swaying supporters in one direction or another. House of Commons...[full story]
Public Affairs: Northern Ireland Office
Friday, July 9th, 2010Created in 1972 as Stormont’s powers were taken away, the Northern Ireland Office was the mainstay of provincial business in government for nearly 30 years. Now presided over by Conservative Owen Paterson, the NIO was tasked with running the Northern Ireland departments under direct rule. The criminal justice brief made the journey across the Irish Sea on 12 April to the newly established Department of Justice. In the absence of those powers, its stated mission is now two-fold: to support devolution and to make sure that UK-wide policy takes account of all circumstances in Northern...[full story]
Public Affairs: Devolution plus?
Friday, June 4th, 2010After the justice transfer, agendaNi sums up the parties’ hopes to give Stormont more authority. With criminal justice powers in the Assembly’s hands, several MLAs say it’s now time for Westminster to go further and hand over more power to Stormont. agendaNi has asked all the Assembly parties for any ‘shopping lists’ for extra powers or, if they were content with the status quo, why that was so. Current dividing lines between London and Belfast are outlined on page 93. The two top priorities were the level of our taxes and, rather surprisingly, control over the planes that...[full story]
Public Affairs: Hillsborough’s new tenant
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010The first Conservative Secretary of State since Sir Patrick Mayhew, Owen Paterson has said he will remain pro-union in the post but will work with all parties in the province. Always the likely choice to succeed Shaun Woodward, the former shadow Owen Paterson was selected as Northern Ireland Secretary as the full details of the Liberal- Conservative coalition were made public. Paterson faced down any speculation that the position would be one afforded to either the Lib Dems’ Alistair Carmichael or a consolation prize for senior Tories who had lost out on other cabinet posts. The Cambridge...[full story]
Public Affairs: Cameron on tour
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010The new Prime Minister moves from election rhetoric to decisions on the deficit between his two visits to the province. Two visits in as many weeks from David Cameron will likely not continue throughout his premiership but a interest in to the Northern Ireland cause cannot be in doubt. In spite of a bout of volcanic ash on 4 May, the then-Leader of the Opposition made the trip to La Mon House hotel to speak to gathered supporters. Cameron’s sights were still very much on forming a Conservative-only government. That, though, would not come to pass. agendaNi pressed him on his manifesto...[full story]
Public Affairs: A junior role?
Friday, February 5th, 2010Ryan Jennings looks at how junior ministers could be used more widely on the hill. Junior ministers play a bigger part in politics outside Northern Ireland. Up on the hill Gerry Kelly and Robin Newton fill the roles in OFMDFM, but no other departments utilise the position despite being allowed to do so. The position itself was established in the 1998 Northern Ireland Act. It said that the First Minister and deputy First Minister can at any time appoint “a number of members of the Assembly” as junior ministers. The responsibilities for junior ministers, in whatever department, would...[full story]
