Author of "Nearly ... Glentoran in the 21st Century" available to buy from ianclarkenearly.lovable.app/
Northern Ireland
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Its time the normal people in the DUP (and there are plenty) gave up, handed the badge to Jim Allister, left him and the old Paisleyites to it and linked up with the UUP to give us a party we can vote for. The DUP brand is still far too closely linked to a madman whose only (1)
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Every one of them in Stormont owes Jamie Bryson and the self servinmorons on the Parades Commission a debt of gratitude. Between them they've got them all off the hook in terms of governing NI and back to just poking each other in the eye. They're much more at home with that. 🥱
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Naomi's alarm clock must have gone off at last. 🥱
🚨 🗣UPDATE: We're expecting to hear from the DUP shortly as @allianceparty Leader @naomi_long brands the party's "internal wranglings" as "disgraceful."
👥A DUP meeting has been taking place this afternoon, with discussions focused on 'addressing next steps.'
It comes as First Minister Michelle O'Neill claims deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has "blocked" representation at a major political event in Scotland tomorrow.
It's understood they would have met political leaders, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 is at Stormont for us.
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Both St Andrews and the seat reduction - DUP's grand strategies- worked against unionists. Strategies from the same people who thought Brexit would be a good idea. SF is not a competent party but does it need to be with these guys doing their work for them?
Looking at Assembly results since 1998, very few seats have changed hands directly between a Nationalist and a Unionist recently (since 2011 a UUP gain from SF in E Antrim & a SDLP gain from UUP in LV, both 2017). The 2017 seat reduction was almost entirely at unionism's expense.
ALT A chart of movement between designations at NI Assembly elections since 1998
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Even grown ups are allowed heroes and we lost one of my very greatest 5 years ago today. A man who epitomised everything great about football.
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Them Stoke ones get everything and we get nothing. Bah!
A disappointingly sour recollection of Stoke and the people of Stoke from James McClean in his new autobiography.
"Stoke turned out to be as grim as Huddersfield. The people gave off that vibe that they’d been victimised and were owed something." stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/fo…
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The Protestant/Unionist middle class has a lot to be ashamed of. It stays out of politics then gets horrified when as a result someone like Carla Lockhart turns up on TV. To be fair the CNR middle class isn't that much better (hence Deirdre Hargey et al) but at least it votes.
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Ian Clarke retweeted
Doing some research at home and I found this ad in the Ireland's Saturday Night 6/12/69. Wonder how long Squire lasted. At the back end of 1969 Belfast men had a lot more than male pattern baldness to occupy their minds
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The Irish News definitely believe in taking the party line. Surely putting their "big hitters" up for the Assembly is clearly an acknowledgment that they have no one there now who has made any sort of impression in this mandate.
"By making these announcements, Sinn Féin look confident and ambitious about growth. Compared with a few weeks ago, when they looked deflated and directionless, this is a significant turnaround.
"This move could also marry good electoral politics with good policy in the longer term. Sinn Féin have a habit of winning elections well and then failing to deliver on the big mandate they receive at the ballot box."
Read David McCann: tinyurl.com/nhaw9yp2
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Seriously, how humiliating is this for John O'Dowd our Finance Minister? Its like his idiot cousin has called in on her way to a wedding over in the Stormont Hotel and pushed him to the side.
💥NEW: Mary Lou McDonald - Blame for any strike action in Northern Ireland 'lies at the feet of the British Government'
🎥@sinnfeinireland President @MaryLouMcDonald says the blame for any potential strike action in Northern Ireland lies with the British Government.
🎤She told Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 that the Government's "final offer can't be the final offer."
Her comments come as Secretary of State Sir Chris Bryant meets political party leaders today, with discussions continuing over Stormont's budget crisis.
Executive departments have been operating without an agreed budget since the beginning of the financial year in April and are currently restricted to spending up to 95% of last year's funding.
Ministers in the devolved power-sharing administration insist they cannot agree a budget for 2026/27 without additional financial support from Westminster.
The UK Government has offered an extra £1.5 billion over the next three years in an effort to help balance the books, but Stormont's leaders insist the funding falls short of what is needed.
In response, Sir Chris has criticised what he describes as "irresponsible" overspending by devolved ministers.
More on-air and online.
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Ian Clarke retweeted
You have to wonder what the world will be like in a decade or so when all the people left who aren't mental have retired or died.
🇮🇪 The Irish state has published an advert discouraging grandparents from hugging their grandchildren, as part of a campaign designed to promote "consent".
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I am not one of those "unionists" who spends their time apologising for it to people who don't like us. But this just proves how vile and unrepresentative of us the TUV is. Not a single positive suggestion of how to improve our position. Always the opposite of right.Detestable
A Belfast City councillor has raised the possibility of a “week of protests” being held at next year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann following the Drumcree dispute.
belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/…
belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/…
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