Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

Started by Trevor Hill, January 18, 2010, 12:28:52 AM

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Maguire01

Quote from: glens abu on October 25, 2012, 10:36:12 PM
I know Magure you stoops and the dissos thinks the same but to the Shinners the GFA was always a work in progress not the end result.
I fully appreciate that things can develop, but that 'wish-list' is nothing more than hot air (and to keep SF's own support base convinced). On what basis does SF expect the British government to ignore the GFA and get rid of the SoS etc? Or call a border poll?

lawnseed

Quote from: AQMP on October 25, 2012, 01:19:24 PM
Quote from: Evil Genius on October 23, 2012, 01:07:36 AM
Quote from: lawnseed on October 22, 2012, 11:03:37 PMtime for a new leader. Gerry isn't doing the business
Can't see anyone moving against him - he knows where all the bodies are buried...*

Anyhow, with the "Armed Struggle" [sic] a thing of the past and no sign of a UI anywhere on the horizon, I predict that both he and McGuinness will make plans to step down not too long after they've got Easter 1916 out of the way.

Which will provide the opportunity for the new breed of younger, probably Republic-based successors to take over. Of course, without the kudos/stench (delete as preferred) of the IRA attached to them, the new guys will be free to lead the Party in a new direction, should they choose.

And this is something which someone like me should welcome, not just because it must take us all further away from the misery and evil inflicted upon everyone by the former leadership, but also because it will almost certainly mean SF will become just another political party, pretty much indistinguishable from all the others.

Meanwhile, Adams and McGuinness will have their retirement years to ponder whether it was all worth the 2,000+ deaths their activities caused, before they finally snuff it in a (still) partitioned Ireland...   

I hope I live long enough to see that day myself.

* - And just in case anyone should be in any doubt, I'm being literal, not humourous  >:(

They say a week is a long time in politics, EG and I rather think 3.5 years is an absolute age.  Whatever about McGuinness, I don't think Adams is a "peacetime" leader and while he may be well versed in the intricacies of revolutionary politics he doesn't possess the required nuanced grasp of the issues around the economy, health, foreign policy etc.  I think he needs to be replaced a lot sooner than post 2016 if SF are to make gains amongst the Southern electorate.  As you have said in other threads (and I agree) SF's vote in the North has peaked + or - 10,000 votes here or there.  So for them to make inroads in the South (amongst other things) they need (ironically for an anti partition party) a Southern leader with no "military" credentials.  If I were an SF strategist I'd be saying "What possible benefit is there to wait until 2016/2017?  Sure Gerry can turn up at 2016 celebrations portraying himself as the grey haired elder statesman of Northern Republicanism, if he wants..."
i'd go with that. he has to go quickly and take angus with him
A coward dies a thousand deaths a soldier only dies once

Ulick

Quote from: lawnseed on October 27, 2012, 05:34:44 PM
i'd go with that. he has to go quickly and take angus with him

Nonsense, no matter what the MSM would have you believe, Adams is SF's number one asset north and south. The whole Party in the south is in the process of being reorganised and put on a more professional footing the fruits of which are only being to pay off - Adams has and is overseeing that. Most people don't appreciate how much of a shambles the organisation was in the south, so much so that they weren't able to capitalise and build on the 2002 election. They stagnated and reverted somewhat over the following five years and have only recently started to make progress again. You may talk about Doherty and Tobin all you like but at the end of the day they are still extremely wet behind the ears. A strong leader is needed to make the necessary changes while keeping all the conflicting lobbies at bay (urban-rural, socialist-nationalist-republican etc...) - Adams is the only man in the Party with the authority to do that and there'll be no challenge against him. He'll step down eventually but only when the Party core is strong enough to ensure it doesn't pull itself apart a la the Workers Party, PDs and Clann na Poblachta.

orangeman

Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly has called for the immediate release of Padraic Wilson, claiming his arrest is politically motivated.Mr Wilson, a senior republican, is in custody after being charged with offences in relation to the murder of Robert McCartney in 2005.

Mr Kelly, said the arrest was political policing by some PSNI members and was undermining confidence in the police.

"This has gone through republicanism like a bush fire," he said.

"I can tell you frankly that many, many people have been in touch, from other colleagues, very angry about the idea that someone who was crucial to bringing people along in the peace process and political process is now behind bars where he should not be."

Mr Kelly said that the media should also be concerned at the arrest because under this legislation reporters could be charged for talking to illegal organisations.

He said a protest was being planned, and rejected suggestions his call as a member of the policing board was political interference in policing.

The SDLP's west Belfast MLA Alex Attwood said the party was trying to influence the justice system.

"In previous years, Sinn Fein complained of 'political influence' over the courts and of 'political policing'," he said.

"Today, in a brazen public way, Sinn Fein are at the same. People campaigned, worked and struggled to change 'the old order of things', for now Sinn Fein to recreate it, a modern version of the failed past, a renewed attempt to pressure politically the due process of law."

The DUP's Lord Morrow said: "Sinn Fein's stance on this serious matter does nothing to take Northern Ireland forward into a normal society despite their protestations that this is their aim and objective.

"They cannot expect to endear themselves to the Unionist community or portray a society of equals if they continue to practice a separatist agenda which applies only to their own ideals."

The Traditional Unionist Voice assembly member Jim Allister said plans for a protest were "unacceptable".

"It is hard to imagine a situation anywhere else in the western world where a party of government would take to the streets to demand the release of someone accused of serious terrorist offences," he said.

"Not only that but Wilson continues to hold a senior post within the party."

Padraic Wilson, 53, was a key negotiator in the Maze Prison in the late 1990s. He is Sinn Fein's director of international affairs.

He has been charged with IRA membership and addressing a meeting to encourage support for the IRA, which he denies.


glens abu

PRESS RELEASE: Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA have written a joint letter to senior US political leaders, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Congressman Peter King, who is Chair of the Congr
essional Friends of Ireland, and Richard Neal who is the ranking Democrat on the Friends of Ireland committee, and other senior figures, urging them to raise the case of Marian Price McGlinchey and to support her release.

Mr Adams, who will be in the US and Canada later this week, pointed out that: "Mrs Price McGlinchey has been held in virtual solitary confinement since her arrest in May 2011 and is very ill.

A recent report by a UN doctor has concluded that Mrs Price McGlinchey is 'unable to comprehend the allegations being made against her to a sufficient degree to inform her defence.'

"In a separate report earlier this year a consultant clinical
psychiatrist for the prison service concluded that it was 'highly
likely' that she 'will be unable to fully and effectively participate
in any upcoming legal proceedings due to the inherent level of stress
and demand of such proceedings.'"

The two Sinn Féin leaders have written to the senior political figures in the US seeking their support for her release and asking that they lobby the British and Irish governments.

In their letter Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness describe Marian Price
McGlinchey's imprisonment as "a serious case of injustice and denial of human rights and judicial rights in the North of Ireland.

"Marian Price McGlinchey has been held in virtual solitary confinement by the British Government since her arrest in May 2011. Sinn Féin is very concerned about the manner and conditions in which Mrs Price McGlinchey has been detained.

"We believe that her detention is unjust and runs contrary to the
principles of natural justice.

"She has been detained without trial on the basis of secret reports by British intelligence agencies. Everyone is entitled to due process and to a fair trial. Mrs Price
McGlinchey has been denied this, representing, in our view, a
serious breach of her human rights.

"For the most of this latest period of imprisonment Mrs Price Mc
Glinchey has been held in isolation, firstly at Maghaberry Male
Prison, in the hospital wing at Hydebank Women's Prison and
latterly, in a secure ward in a Belfast hospital.

"In all of these institutions her health has continued to deteriorate.
A number of doctors who have examined Mrs Price McGlinchey have confirmed that her mental health has suffered greatly and that she would be unable to participate meaningfully in a 'review' of her case...

"We believe very strongly that Marian Price McGlinchey should be
released. Her human rights have been breached. She has been denied justice and due process. She is seriously ill. Her detention
undermines the justice system and the political process. She clearly presents no threat to anyone. I am writing to ask that you use your considerable influence and raise this case and the release of Marian Price McGlinchey with the British and Irish governments.

Tony Baloney

I have to say Niall O Donnghaile came across as a decent citizen in that documentary last night. Couple of lapses in judgement re. cadets etc. but overall seemed about 100 times better than the DUP dinosaurs of the past. The narrator seemed to offer criticism re. removal of his Republican pictures etc, whereas I thought it was a decent touch and in line with his earlier talk about mutual respect.

Maguire01

Quote from: Tony Baloney on November 06, 2012, 03:50:00 PM
I have to say Niall O Donnghaile came across as a decent citizen in that documentary last night. Couple of lapses in judgement re. cadets etc. but overall seemed about 100 times better than the DUP dinosaurs of the past. The narrator seemed to offer criticism re. removal of his Republican pictures etc, whereas I thought it was a decent touch and in line with his earlier talk about mutual respect.
Yep, credit where it's due, and it was good to have someone a bit (or a lot) younger in such a role, especially given the year that it was - although the lapses in judgement were disappointing.

In the context of the 'DUP dinosaurs of the past', it's worth noting that the current Mayor, Gavin Robinson, is himself a vast improvement on a lot of his party colleagues.

Evil Genius

#202
Quote from: glens abu on November 06, 2012, 01:13:34 PM
PRESS RELEASE: Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams TD and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness MP MLA have written a joint letter to senior US political leaders, including Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, Congressman Peter King, who is Chair of the Congr
essional Friends of Ireland, and Richard Neal who is the ranking Democrat on the Friends of Ireland committee, and other senior figures, urging them to raise the case of Marian Price McGlinchey and to support her release.

Mr Adams, who will be in the US and Canada later this week, pointed out that: "Mrs Price McGlinchey has been held in virtual solitary confinement since her arrest in May 2011 and is very ill.

A recent report by a UN doctor has concluded that Mrs Price McGlinchey is 'unable to comprehend the allegations being made against her to a sufficient degree to inform her defence.'

"In a separate report earlier this year a consultant clinical
psychiatrist for the prison service concluded that it was 'highly
likely' that she 'will be unable to fully and effectively participate
in any upcoming legal proceedings due to the inherent level of stress
and demand of such proceedings.'"

The two Sinn Féin leaders have written to the senior political figures in the US seeking their support for her release and asking that they lobby the British and Irish governments.

In their letter Mr Adams and Mr McGuinness describe Marian Price
McGlinchey's imprisonment as "a serious case of injustice and denial of human rights and judicial rights in the North of Ireland.

"Marian Price McGlinchey has been held in virtual solitary confinement by the British Government since her arrest in May 2011. Sinn Féin is very concerned about the manner and conditions in which Mrs Price McGlinchey has been detained.

"We believe that her detention is unjust and runs contrary to the
principles of natural justice.

"She has been detained without trial on the basis of secret reports by British intelligence agencies. Everyone is entitled to due process and to a fair trial. Mrs Price
McGlinchey has been denied this, representing, in our view, a
serious breach of her human rights.

"For the most of this latest period of imprisonment Mrs Price Mc
Glinchey has been held in isolation, firstly at Maghaberry Male
Prison, in the hospital wing at Hydebank Women's Prison and
latterly, in a secure ward in a Belfast hospital.

"In all of these institutions her health has continued to deteriorate.
A number of doctors who have examined Mrs Price McGlinchey have confirmed that her mental health has suffered greatly and that she would be unable to participate meaningfully in a 'review' of her case...

"We believe very strongly that Marian Price McGlinchey should be
released. Her human rights have been breached. She has been denied justice and due process. She is seriously ill. Her detention
undermines the justice system and the political process. She clearly presents no threat to anyone. I am writing to ask that you use your considerable influence and raise this case and the release of Marian Price McGlinchey with the British and Irish governments.
So let me see.

On the very same day as the McGuinness was asked to stay way from the funeral of a Prison Officer at Maghaberry who had been murdered by Dissident Republicans, SF issues a Press Release in support of, ahem, a Dissident Republican imprisoned at Maghaberry.

Were they not concerned by Price's plight a week before? Could they not, out of sensitivity, have delayed the Press Release for a few days?

If nothing else, that would have permitted them to assess the results of the US Presidential Election, in case it needed re-addressing from Mrs Clinton to a future Republican Secretary of State?

Callous, calculating, cynical b**tards  >:(


P.S. What exactly do they mean by "virtual solitary confinement"? Surely it is either solitary confinement or it is not. Unless, of course, it might be that Price is/was for a period the only female Dissident prisoner in Maghaberry/Hydebank, and it would hardly have been acceptable to have her (ahem) banged up with a man...
"If you come in here again, you'd better bring guns"
"We don't need guns"
"Yes you fuckin' do"

Gaaboardmod3

#203
Wrong thread!!!

Maguire01

Councillor Mickey Coogan quits Sinn Fein

By Martina Purdy
BBC NI Political Correspondent

The chairman of Down Council, Mickey Coogan, has dramatically quit Sinn Fein to become an independent councillor.

Mickey Coogan quit Sinn Fein because of "irreconcilable differences"
He will remain as council chairman as he is legally entitled to do. Sources say this has infuriated Sinn Fein.

In a statement, Sinn Fein's South Down chairperson, Ryan Morgan, said he was sad and disappointed that the Ballynahinch man had resigned.

Cllr Coogan told the BBC that he quit because of "irreconcilable differences" with individual members of Sinn Fein.

The 45 year old said that he felt undermined by some people when it came to projects he was working on in the Ballynahinch area.

Anti-social behaviour

"I have been working on projects - Sinn Fein encouraged my projects - but individuals tried to undermine them."

Mr Coogan has been working on various projects including the tackling of anti-social behaviour and fear of crime.

He has been involved in republican politics since he was a teenager and helped to form the first Sinn Fein branch in Ballynahinch in 1999.

He said Sinn Fein councillor Sean McPeake, council co-ordinator, and Chris Hazzard, MLA for South Down, met him yesterday in a bid to dissuade him.

He added he had no problem with any of his council colleagues and "great respect" for Mr Hazzard but he had made up his mind.

Mr Coogan said he had some issues in the past but had persevered. "This could have happened a few years ago," he said.

He also admitted being unhappy with the strategy employed by Sinn Fein in 2011 when Naomi Bailie was brought onto the ticket for the assembly election - although he added he has no personal issue with her.

'Unforgiving'

Mr Coogan said he intends to remain as an independent for the duration of his council term and then decide his future.

Asked if he would rejoin Sinn Fein, he said: "I don't think so - politics is unforgiving."

Mr Morgan said: "Mickey Coogan has served Sinn Fein since 2005 on council so I am disappointed he has decided to resign from the party.

"Despite offers from myself and other senior party colleagues to meet with Mr Coogan to discuss any difficulties, he has yet to give a substantial reason why he decided to resign."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-20310706

Applesisapples

Seriously worried about the lack of a strong nationalist/republican party, shinners and the stoops are Peter's lapdogs. Not one inch of parity of esteem has followed from the GFA and no sign of a UI in the next 100 years...well done guys.

Ulick

Quote from: Applesisapples on November 16, 2012, 12:29:11 PM
Seriously worried about the lack of a strong nationalist/republican party, shinners and the stoops are Peter's lapdogs. Not one inch of parity of esteem has followed from the GFA and no sign of a UI in the next 100 years...well done guys.

What exactly are you doing to gain "parity of esteem" or advance the cause of UI?

charlieTully

#207
Quote from: Ulick on November 16, 2012, 01:36:51 PM
Quote from: Applesisapples on November 16, 2012, 12:29:11 PM
Seriously worried about the lack of a strong nationalist/republican party, shinners and the stoops are Peter's lapdogs. Not one inch of parity of esteem has followed from the GFA and no sign of a UI in the next 100 years...well done guys.

What exactly are you doing to gain "parity of esteem" or advance the cause of UI?

thats what we vote sf for. they need to keep at it. good to hear them call for the release of Marian Price though. thought they should have been a lot more vocal during the summer around parades and bonfires etc.

Applesisapples

Quote from: charlieTully on November 16, 2012, 01:49:16 PM
Quote from: Ulick on November 16, 2012, 01:36:51 PM
Quote from: Applesisapples on November 16, 2012, 12:29:11 PM
Seriously worried about the lack of a strong nationalist/republican party, shinners and the stoops are Peter's lapdogs. Not one inch of parity of esteem has followed from the GFA and no sign of a UI in the next 100 years...well done guys.

What exactly are you doing to gain "parity of esteem" or advance the cause of UI?

thats what we vote sf for. they need to keep at it. good to hear them call for the release of Marian Price though. thought they should have been a lot more vocal during the summer around parades and bonfires etc.
Fc*K Marian Price she is a dissident. What about proper representation .

Ulick