seachranaidhe-irishandproud

IT'S A DISGRACE THAT SHAME FÉIN ARE GOING TO ACCEPT THEIR SHAMROCK FROM GENOCIDE JOE CONDONING WHAT ISRE-HELL IS COMMITTING IN GAZA

2024-01-24T23:10:00.001+00:00

The 'fierce and gripping' Chronicles of Long Kesh returns to the Opera House

2023-12-22T10:03:00.005+00:00

THE hilarious, painful and shocking story of the North of Ireland's infamous prison - Long Kesh - is told through the eyes if prison officers, Republicans and Loyalists, a rich assortment of patriots, chancers, leaders, wives, escapers and hypochondriacs in Martin Lynch's 'Chronicles of Long Kesh'.

A huge crowd pleaser, full of 1960s mo-town songs and wild, irreverent humour, this is the inside story of The Troubles.

'Chronicles of Long Kesh' last played in Belfast in 2012 with a sold-out run and standing ovations every single night. The play has toured throughout the North of Ireland and was a smash-hit at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Described as "fierce and gripping" by the Times and "vibrant and provocative" by the British Theatre Guide, Choronicles of Long Kesh takes place at the Grand Opera House from June 3rd to June 8th 2024.

Tickets priced at £18.50 to £36.00.

With thanks to the: Irish News for the original posting.

Follox these links to find out more or book a seat at: Grand Opera House

And to find out more click on here: Chronicles of Long Kesh

Donaghadee Unionist Party (DUP)

2023-11-24T21:39:00.002+00:00

Hurt/Lyrics by Johnny Cash

2023-11-19T16:44:00.006+00:00

I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that"s real

The needle tears a hole

The old familiar sting

Try to kill it all away

But I remember everything

What have I becone?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know goes away

In the end

And you could have it all

My emipre of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns

Upon my liar's chair

Full of broken thoughts

I cannot repair

Beneath the stains of time

The feelings disappear

You are someone else

I'm still right here

What have I become?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know goes away

In the end

And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt

If I could start again

A million miles away

Link: Hurt Johnny Cash

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Roznor, mich

DUP split over £16k spent by council to retain membership of European city network

2023-08-26T13:26:00.001+01:00

"There have been excellent opportunities"

Councillor Sammy Douglas

A SPLIT has emerged within the DUP over £16,000 annual membership fee spent by Belfast City Council to retain membership of a European city network.

At a recent Belfast City Council committee meeting, newly elected and younger DUP representatives came up against opinion from the old guard over city hall"s annual subscription to the Eurocities network.

Eurocities is a network of more than 200 major cities, across 38 countries.

It is made up of the elected local and municipal governments.

Sixteen cities in the UK have maintained their membership since Brexit.

A council report said the network was "important in positioning the city and building strong networks to support shared leaning and collaboration".

With the North no longer being part of the EU, members were told, there was limited access to funding opportunities

Newly elected DUP r representative for Ormiston, Andrew McCormick, asked how the membership benefits the city economically.

He requested an economic analysis and a report on the findings to be returned to the committee.

Titanic councilor Sammy Douglas was more positive and said: "It has been there for decades now, and I remember being on one of these programs.

"One of the benefits I have seen counsellors who in those days didn't even talk to one another would go away and actually build relationships.

"Sometimes we can be a bit parochial in Belfast. "Let's be honest, this is quite a small city, and I think there have been excellent opportunities come from this.

"The more we can get out and see other cities are doing, and build up links and networks [ the better]."

Another newly elected DUP representative for Ormiston, Alderman James Lawlor, said: "I understood completely what councillor Douglas is saying, but as we don't have access to the funding now, which are the main reason to be involved with things like this, I am not really sure where the benefits are going to be."

The council City Growth and Regeneration Committee voted.

unanimously to renew the 30-year subscription to the network, this year for a fee of £16,300..

With thanks to the: Irish News.

https://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/opinion/columnists/2023/08/18/news/tom_collins_listowel_s_partitionist_attitude_is_knit_into_the_fabric_of_a_country_which_clings_to_united_ireland_rhetoric-3532952/content.htmlhttps://www.irishnews.com/paywall/tsb/irishnews/opinion/columnists/2023/08/18/news/tom_collins_listowel_s_partitionist_attitude_is_knit_into_the_fabric_of_a_country_which_clings_to_united_ireland_rhetoric-3532952/content.html

2023-08-18T12:20:00.001+01:00

Stamer wrong in on his support for the Union

2023-08-09T15:22:00.001+01:00

“The Good Friday Agreement: Lessons for Activism"

2023-05-22T13:53:00.005+01:00

On Mon, 22 May 2023, 12:15 Human Rights Consortium.

All photographs and logos publicised in this post are copyrighted © and not to be used for private or public use. Follow this link for ownership copyright conditions: Human Rights Consortium

The Social Change Initiative and The Detail would like to invite you to a half-day conference to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement referendum.

When: 9.30am, Tuesday 23 May 2023

Where: The MAC Belfast

The conference will reflect on the role of civic engagement in influencing the Agreement, successful post-Agreement campaigns, and the work that still needs to be done.

Moderated by BBC journalist and presenter Tara Mills

Speakers will include:

· James Orr, Northern Ireland director, Friends of the Earth

· Patricia McKeown, regional secretary at UNISON

· Jackie Redpath, Greater Shankill Partnership

· Clare Bailey, former Green Party leader

· Conchur Ó Muadaigh, Conradh na Gaeilge

· Twasul Mohammed, Anaka Women’s Collective

· Trevor Birney, The Detail editor

· Avila Kilmurray, founding member of Women’s Coalition

· Martin O’Brien, Social Change Initiative

· Dessie Donnelly, Rabble Co-operative

· Seán Brady, Participation and the Practice of Rights (PPR)

Event details:

9.00am – registration

9.30am – conference begins

11.05am – coffee break

1pm – event end followed by light lunch (see full details below)

To secure your place please contact Claire Simpson at csimpson@thedetail.tv or on 07986652788 by 8 May

With many thanks to: Social Change Initiative for the original publication.

PUP leader Billy Hutchinson has lost his seat on Belfast city council the people of east Belfast have overwhelminly rejected him and his policies and politics in east Belfast.

2023-05-20T14:42:00.006+01:00

"Where do we go from here"?

UVF spokesman Billy Hutchinson stands under the infamous mural in East Belfast

THE downfall of the PUP in east Belfast is sending a clear message to the PUP and who he represents in east Belfast i guess the message is very clear to him and his party now the 'Progressive' in the 'PUP' was not progressive enough for the people of the North of Ireland.

As we move forward it is also very clear that who he represents has also been rejected his bedpals in the East Belfast UVF have also overwhelminly rejected them too. They need to start asking themselves very serious questions "where do we go from here" that's one of the questions they need to discuss amongst their little gang members.

So will they now "go away you know" with their tails between their legs. Or stay to fight another day? My answer to them both is you's are finished no longer wanted in the communities you have been terrorising. The walls you stand beside should be repainted with more reflective images of a more "Progressive' nature of how the communities want to live in a reflective society. Your time has "come & gone".

But will they listen?

Hierarchy of perpetrators

2023-05-18T10:23:00.000+01:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

18 May, 2023.

Hierarchy of perpetrators

Kenny Donaldson (May 12) writes that “diminishing the effects of terrorism is not the preserve of one section of the community”. However, Mr Donaldson would seem to suggest that ‘poking (their neighbours) in the eye’ is the preserve of the nationalist community alone. The flying of Para flags on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the spectacle of unionist politicians hobnobbing with present and former spokesmen for loyalist terrorist organisations, acting as pallbearers at funerals of convicted murderers, or selecting candidates for election who have made inflammatory and grossly sectarian statements, apparently do not count.

Mr Donaldson refers to ‘up the Ra’. chants by a young FAI women’s team and by some Armagh supporters. The infamous Windsor Park hatefest during the 1993 Northern Ireland v Republic of Ireland match, the threats to Catholic Northern Ireland players and the Billy Boy-type chanting by Northern Ireland fans over the years merit not a mention. While all sides involved in the conflict committed atrocities, and all honour their dead regardless, there was stark difference in the treatment by the state and the judiciary of various categories of perpetrators and defendants. Thousands of republicans and nationalists were convicted of offences by non-jury courts, often on foot of confessions extracted under torture, sometimes on the word of supergrasses or double agents, or as in the case of the Birmingham Six, dodgy forensics. Those convicted served thousands of years in prison. Conversely only a handful of British troops were ever charged with murder; those convicted were handed over to BA ticket of leave ‘custody’ and on ‘completion’ of derisory sentences were re-instated with back pay, even promoted.

State agents and agents provocateur involved in murder and torture and who were responsible for many of the 2,000 deaths to which Mr Donaldson refers were given immunity, spirited away and given new identities.

Just as there was a perceived hierarchy of victims, there was and is a hierarchy of perpetrators.

BRIAN PATTERSON

Newry, Co Down

With many thanks to the: Irish News letters page for the original story.

Conveniently labelled

I have only one real and direct response to Kenny Donaldson – ‘Glorification of terrorism again to the fore’ (May 12) – the only ‘terrorists’ in Northern Ireland during the period of 1921, when its parliament was set up, were, initially, the infamous B Specials, followed by the members of the RUC, aided and abetted by the British army and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. The people who were very conveniently labelled as terrorists were ordinary citizens taking direct action to achieve their ordinary civil rights denied to them by the so-called democratic process. For 50-plus years they tried that ‘process’ but the gerrymandered state that was Northern Ireland ensured that they failed at every turn.

Incidentally, whose ‘land’ was Mr Donaldson referring to in his statement that “physical terrorism ravaged our land”?

PETER PALLAS

Bantry, Co Cork

With many thanks to the: Irish News and the letters page for the original story.

On This Day, 18 May 2001, Remembering Óglagh Seán Mac Stiofáin IRA chief of staff agus Óglagh Martin Meehan RIP.

2023-05-18T07:47:00.004+01:00

Remembering Our Patriot Dead Seán Mac Stiofáin IRA Chief of Staff

Seán Mac Stiofáin IRA chief of staff and my late father together pictured here 1972 at the funeral of Colm Keenan. PHOTO CREDIT/PACEMAKER

#OTD 18th May 2001, death of Irish Republican Seán Mac Stiofáin first chief of staff of the provisional IRA ,in later life he became an involved activist with Conradh na Gaeilge

#Irishrepublicianhistory 🇮🇪

Follow here to see more:

And here:

Ireland may not be perfect but it is on right path to be free and prosperous

2023-05-17T12:12:00.003+01:00

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

17 May, 2023.

“Ireland unfree shall never be at peace” were the climactic closing words of the graveside oration of Patrick Pearse at the funeral of Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa on August 1 1915. These seven words, however, have now very different connotations in the contexts of the north of Ireland today.

With the definitive end of the Troubles, of the peace process that came from the St Andrews Agreement in October 2006 and the assembly elections in March 2007, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin formed a government. These parties represent people who have been divided for generations, split by the religious and political lines that fuelled the decades-long conflict since partition. While basic everyday needs are common to both, what they can’t have is one section of the community having cultural supremacy over the other. The peace process is fragile and, like the Good Friday political agreement, must be protected. The Brexit negotiations have shown the United Kingdom political parties have miserably failed the north of Ireland. With the current protocol plans incorporating the Windsor Framework agreement, a solution will be found not on the basis of victory for either, but on the basis of agreement and a partnership between both for the betterment of Ireland.

Sinn Féin’s rise is shaking up Ireland’s politics. There are increasingly loud calls to prepare for a border poll under the terms of the GFA. One outcome of which might be the unification of Ireland, free from partition and free from UK sovereignty over the north of Ireland. Rooted in the military campaign for a united Ireland, Sinn Féin was long an outsider in politics due to its political association with the Irish Republican Army. With the conflict in the north largely over since the 1998 peace deal, the movement has reinvented itself to appeal to a new generation of voters. Now, in a historic shift, it has become the biggest party in the north and also leads opinion polls in the south. That makes its demand for a referendum on unification harder to ignore. Unionists could demand a border poll to show confidence in unionism. The UK and Irish government could actively, on the back of the Good Friday Agreement, encourage the DUP more forcefully, set out a vision for unity and call a border poll to put the issue to bed. A prerequisite to the referendum is for the Irish government to form a citizens’ assembly and then publish a White Paper informed by its recommendations, setting out plans for Irish unity which will form the basis of debate during the unity referendum. The aim would be to develop a range of options about the future structure of Irish unity and how it would operate. It would allow people to have a clear idea of what they are voting for. It would be an important preparatory work to ensure that reunification is a success and begins with certainty. Unionists must be challenged to do likewise. Ireland may not be perfect but it is on the right path, to be free and prosperous to build for an all-Ireland future anchored to the EU.

With many thanks to the: Irish News and James G Barry, Templeogue, Dublin for the original letter published in the Irish News today.

MORE IN LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Ireland may not be perfect but it is on right path to be free and prosperous

Local government structure needs overhauling

DUP to blame

Program for newly-elected Local Government launched by Retail NI

2023-05-16T20:18:00.006+01:00

Retail NI vice-president Helen Wall lunches Revive NI

With two days left until the Local Government elections, Retail NI has published a Programme for Local Government for the newly-elected 462 councillors.

Retail NI is urging the public to vote for candidates who have the right policy priorities to regenerate our local high streets.

The document, ‘Revive NI’ sets out key policy priorities to create green 21st century high streets, empower local councils and fix what Retail NI calls “our broken and antiquated business rating system”.

For an incoming Executive, ‘Revive NI’ also sets out new proposals for business rates relief to promote scale-up, investment in green technology and Foreign Direct Investment in disadvantaged areas.

Launching the document Retail NI Vice-President Helen Wall said: “Retail NI want to see refocused, reinvigorated and resourced local councils that will be the changemakers helping to create 21st century high streets and be key partners in making Northern Ireland the very best place in these islands to locate, start and scale up a business.

‘With these Local Government Elections, we believe it is time to update our policy priorities and introduce some new ideas for our 11 councils’

“Alongside a dynamic retail and hospitality offering we also need to ensure our villages, towns and cities become multi-functional hubs with libraries, community services, police stations, healthcare, leisure, education, open spaces, housing, and sports facilities.

“The theme of this Revive NI is regeneration and how to create 21st century town and city centres. With these Local Government elections, we believe it is time to update our policy priorities and introduce some new ideas for our 11 councils, their 462 councillors, our 90 MLAs and 18 MPs.”

Retail NI Chief Executive Glyn Roberts said: “This election shouldn’t be about the Windsor Framework. Voters need to consider which candidates and parties have the right policy priorities to deliver economic regeneration and revived high streets.

“For an incoming NI Executive, we set our new proposals for additional rates relief to incentivise businesses to scale-up and create new jobs or invest in energy efficient technology.

“In addition, we are outlining proposals for an FDI Rate Relief scheme to encourage new companies to locate in disadvantaged areas to boost their local economies."

To advertise with us call: 028 9045 7457

With many thanks to: Retail NI and Helen Wall vice-president Retail NI for the original publication.

Follow this link to find out more on this story.

Coronation policing row journalist is mocked over pal Lyra

2023-05-14T10:26:00.018+01:00

A journalist caught up in a policing row during the coronation of King Charles has been trolled online over his friendship with murdered writer Lyra McKee.

City of Westminster safety volunteers patrol the streets around central London protecting women by handing out free rape alarms

English freelance reporter Mic Wright (38) revealed the Metropolitan Police had arrested members of a night-time women’s safety team as they handed out rape alarms ahead of Charlie’s big day.

The volunteers also gave out bottled water and flip-flops to vulnerable members of the public, but were scooped by officers in the early hours of coronation day.

Following his coverage of the arrests, Mr Wright posted on Twitter about his pal Lyra and how he was inspired by her, saying: “Reporting over this weekend, I was thinking of Lyra.

The Tweet released by the Metropolitan Police shortly after the safety volunteers had been detained

“I know what she would have told me: ‘Get them’. Lyra McKee — never forgotten, not for a day, an hour, or a minute'.

“I miss her every single day. I can end up in tears if I don’t think about what she’d have expected of me — get out there, help people, report it out. We needed her so much.

“If you don’t know Lyra McKee’s work look it up. And then expect of the journalists you trust that they work as hard as she did, that they care as much as she did, and that they elevate the voices of people whose voices are being ignored like she did. It’s what this should be.”

Mic Wright (Credit: Twitter/Mic Wright @brokenbottleboy)

Responding to Mr Wright, a user with the handle @T_om_s, who has over 1,700 followers, said: “Any other dead journalists going to give you a posthumous endorsement today or is that your lot do you reckon?”

The post was met with a number of angry responses on Twitter and caused upset to Mr Wright.

•Tributes paid to 'trailblazer' Lyra McKee on anniversary of her murder

•Memorial event takes place on forth anniversary of the murder of Journalist Lyra McKee

Reacting to the crude jibe, he said: “I slept quite fitfully because I made the mistake of reading someone mocking me for talking about Lyra on here. She was my friend, a really good friend. I don’t have to prove that to anyone. People know.

“But someone sneered at me talking about my dead friend. And claimed I was saying she would endorse me from beyond the grave.

“She would have wanted the best for me like she did in life. I miss her deeply. And the grief is still raw.

“I have unfollowed everyone who was following this guy who mocked me, f*** this guy.

“I can’t accept someone mocking Lyra’s death and me caring about it.”

Alison Miller has made a film about her friend Lyra McKee

In April 2019 Lyra McKee was gunned down during a dissident republican riot in the Creggan in Derry.

The crime shook the north and led to an outpouring of public grief from friends, family and politicians as well as fellow journalists.

A documentary about her life, directed by Alison Millar, was released last November to a warm reception.

Responding to Mr Wright on Twitter, Ms Millar said: “Mic you are amazing — giving a voice to those they have tried to silence. Just as Lyra always did. If anyone is interested in knowing more about the mighty Lyra, Faber Books published Lost, Found, Remembered. Our film Lyra is also on Channel 4.”

“Your film made me cry so much x,” he replied, adding: “I will never forget her and never stop doing what she believed I could do”.

Police officers made the arrests on Coronation day

Ms Millar responded: “I know. She is so alive in the film & then we lose her all over again. What an incredible inspiration she was, you are so right. As she said, ‘It’s better to go down fighting…’ Sending best wishes back to you xx.”

The Met claimed to have “received intelligence” people “were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession” during the coronation.

Two women (37) and (59) and a man (47) were arrested.

All three were released with no further action.

With many thanks to the: Sunday Life and John Toner for the original story.

Follow these links to find out more on this story:

•Safety volunteers arrested hours before Coronation

•Safety volunteers arrested in claim they planned to 'disrupt Coronation with rape alarms'

•Coronation policing row journalist is mocked over pal Lyra

Unionist dominated Ards and North Down Borough Council to spend another £38m trying to repair a movable swimming pool floor in Bangor after it cost £38m to build.

2023-05-13T09:02:00.009+01:00

The movable floor of a £38m swimming pool in Bangor, County Down, is to be replaced because it developed a defect less than a decade after it opened.

Bangor's Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex is home to an Olympic-sized 50m pool

The 50m pool at the Aurora Aquatics and Leisure Complex is the only swimming facility in Northern Ireland that was built to Olympic standards.

It opened in 2013 but last year the fault put half of the pool out of use.

Ards and North Down Council tried to repair it but has now said it has decided to replace the floor instead.

"This is a very complex issue in terms of delivery," a council spokesman told BBC News NI.

He explained that a process "has been under way for several months to appoint a team that will design the new [floor] and appoint the required contractors to install it".

"In the meantime, a cost-effective interim solution that uses the existing floor system was approved by the council and put in place to minimise the impact on users," he added.

The issue has affected the training of Northern Ireland's elite swimmers.

Last summer, coaches complained that the venue could not be used practice 50m lengths as only 25m of the pool was accessible.

•Pool issues 'hurting Commonwealth Games hopes'

At the time, Nelson Lindsay, coach of Paralympic champion Bethany Firth, said the defective floor was affecting swimming competitions.

"The system put in place in Aurora, the raised floors are so flimsy that they bow in the middle and officials are standing with water halfway up their chins."

In their response in June 2022, the council said it was "aware of the defect with the moveable swimming-pool floor".

It said it had appointed specialist contractors and was waiting for a repair date to be confirmed.

But almost a year on, it has been decided that the floor should be ripped out instead.

The Aurora leisure centre is owned by Ards and North Down Council but for the past 10 years it has outsourced the management of the centre to private operators.

Serco Leisure, in partnership with the Northern Community Leisure Trust, recently won a five-year contract extension to manage the venue until 2028.

The 50m pool was described as "flagship project" of the Sport Northern Ireland Elite Facilities Programme, which was aimed at creating Olympic-standard facilities as a legacy of the 2012 Games.

Sport Northern Ireland and Stormont Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure contributed more than £14m in grants towards the £37.84m Aurora construction.

Ards and North Down Council's predecessor, Down Borough Council, was selected as the preferred bidder for the Olympic-standard pool facility at the time.

The pool had been due to open in 2010, but government funding and problems transporting the roof beams meant it was delayed and did not open until March 2013.

As a result, the Bangor project came second in the race to built biggest pool in Northern Ireland as the first 50m pool opened in Magherafelt in September 2012.

With many thanks to: BBC News NI and Eimear Flanagan for the original publication.

Follow this link to find out more on this story: Bangor: Floor of Aurora pool to be replaced due to defect.

NO BANQUET FOR YOU COMRADE, JUST A LONELY DEATH, IN A LONELY HELL.OGLACH BOBBY SANDS DIES AT I : 17 AM, 5TH MAY, 1981. LEST WE FORGET.

2023-05-12T18:41:00.005+01:00

A LETTER TO BOBBY. { APRIL 2006}.

Óglach Bobby Sands Fuair sé Bás ar son saoirse na hÉireann

Mo chara, i still think of you with love and affection after all these long years. In many ways i feel disconnected since you left in May 1981 , it's been and still is a strange feeling.

I still think alot about that day in February 1981 when we met for the last time , at Sunday mass in the canteen , when we shook hands and you , more or less , bade goodbye to each of us that morning - what a feeling ! If i could , mo chara , i would bring you back to life , so all of this pain and inner sorrow, which at times plights my life , could end.

I have to tell you that when you died { the Dark , Brendan Hughes , shouted the news down the wing that morning } , i didn't cry , but silently thought to myself that you had escaped Criminalisation and had left us to face the battle on our own. A selfish thought i suppose . But now , in the fullness of time , i realise that in death you and the boys broke our chains and forever set us free , and for that i am eternally grateful.

I have tried to live a good life , one which would make you proud. The values which we shared in the H Blocks - honour ,brotherhood , integrity , courage and grit determination , i still aspire to in civilian life . My reference point has always been the Blanket protest in the H Blocks and the lessons learnt then have guided me ever since.

Sometimes when i am in bed during the stillness of the night , i can hear you speak to my heart and there are times i feel your presence so close to me that i reach out to touch you . It's not so strange , i tell myself ,because wasn't it you who told us not to worry about death , for rebels like us never really die - we live on in the hearts and minds of those we have touched on this earth.

Growing tired again mo chara , it's late and another day dawns . Looking forward to the day when i will see your face again , so until then keep watching over me and give me the strength to carry on.

Love , Seamus. xxx

Left to right - Bobby Sands and Seamus Kearney

Special Operations Branch (SOB), PSNI officers, lose baton rounds during hostage rescue operation in Belfast hotel

2023-05-12T09:25:00.011+01:00

Police have lost two ‘less than lethal’ projectile rounds during a hostage rescue operation in Belfast city centre and are appealing for it to be handed back.

PSNI attend Clayton Hotel on Sunday evening. Pic by Kevin Scott.

Two Attenuating Energy Projectile (AEP) rounds have been missing since Sunday night when a man threatened staff and guests at Clayton Hotel.

PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Rowan Moore, Head of Special Operations Branch, said specially trained firearms officers responded to incident.

"Upon arrival of police, the suspect was holding a man hostage in the hotel and then attempted to make off from the scene,” he explained.

“As a result of their dynamic response to this very dangerous situation, the officers were able to detain the suspect and safely resolve the incident without any injury to those involved.

"A 31-year-old man has since appeared in court charged with a number of offences, including carrying an imitation firearm and false imprisonment.

“Immediately following the operation, it was discovered that two AEP rounds were missing.”

The AEP is a soft nosed impact projectile and a successor to the rubber or plastic baton rounds used in the past.

•Hostage drama as armed police swoop on Belfast hotel following reports of ‘man with gun’

•Man appears before court on charges linked to ‘hostage situation’ at Belfast hotel

Ryan John McElkerney was remanded into custody on charges connected to the events alleged to have unfolded inside the premises on Ormeau Avenue.

The 31-year-old, of Serpentine Gardens in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on charges of carrying an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence and criminal damage to the hotel.

DCS Moore said searches of the immediate area have been conducted without success.

“While any risk posed by these rounds is low, we are making the public aware that they have been lost and, despite the extensive efforts of police, have not been located,” he added.

“We are well aware of our responsibilities to safeguard equipment and the potential consequences that flow from that and are treating the loss of these rounds extremely seriously.”

A review of the operation has been set up and already commenced to prevent a similar mishap in the future.

Police are appealing to anyone who may have lifted the items to return them without delay, or for any member of the public who should come across these items not to touch them, but to contact police immediately on 101.

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Brett Campbell for the original story.

Follow this link to find out more on this story: Specially trained PSNI officers lose baton rounds during hostage rescue operation at Belfast hotel

UVF Convicted rapist one of two men arrested over "military-style" assault rifle and drugs find

2023-05-11T23:03:00.012+01:00

A UVF convicted rapist is one of two men who appeared in court accused of possessing an automatic "military-style" assault rifle and £50,000 worth of cocaine.

Gerry 'Vermin' Vernon, 33, served time with the British armed forces and is pictured here with an M4 carbine rifle

Appearing in court by video link were Andrew Morrow, 44, of North Road, Carrickfergus, and Gerald Verner, 33, of Fairview Terrace, Newtownabbey.

Both are charged with possessing an M4 carbine rifle and 5.56mm ammunition in suspicious circumstances.

THE M4 carbine rifle is used by British armed forces whilst on combat duty

They are also accused of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

Mr Verner is further charged with possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply, possessing Class C drugs and having criminal property, namely £4,325 in cash.

A detective constable told a judge at Belfast Magistrate's Court that police on patrol on Friday 5 May saw Mr Verner jumping over the front fence of Mr Morrow's North Road home and getting into his car.

M4 Carbine rifle

He was stopped and searched and a small quantity of "cannabis edibles" was found in his "man bag''.

"In the North Road property there was an M4 carbine, a quantity of ammunition and a large quantity of Class A cocaine with an estimated street value of £50,000," the detective said.

THE ammunition recovered is very significant 5.56x45mm (pictured here).

'Fully functioning'

He said police needed to test the suspected weapon to confirm that it was indeed a gun before they could forensically analyse it.

The assault weapon was found in Carrickfergus IMAGE SOURCE,PSNI

"But enquiries to date lead us to believe that this is a fully functioning rifle, which is quite significant," he added.

Mr Verner's defence solicitor said he was objecting to his client being connected to the "North Road charges" as "he is not seen exiting the property or the four walls of the building".

"A male was observed jumping over a fence. There is no connection to these charges. There is no forensics and no DNA evidence," he said.

However, the detective said that Mr Verner was seen leaving the "confines of the property, the back door was open and he had access to the four walls".

UVF convicted rapist Gerry 'Vermin' Vernon

She told the court that Mr Verner declined to answer questions about his presence at North Road.

In relation to the £4,325 cash found at his home, he stated that it was a loan from his cousin to get a private apartment but refused to give the name of his cousin.

A Public Prosecution Service lawyer said: "Mr Verner is a known associate of Mr Morrow. He is seen leaping out of the North Road property and it is a reasonable proposition to say that he was in the house.

Ammunition was also seized IMAGE SOURCE,PSNI

"In that house of a known associate of his, a weapon, ammunition and a significant amount of drugs were found. At his [Mr Verner's] home there were no weapons but there were drugs and a significant amount of money.

Granted bail

"He told police at the scene that 'you won't find my prints' on the weapon, ammunition and drugs. We say there is a significant amount of circumstantial evidence to connect him to the North Road charges."

The judge said "there is just enough in the round to take it over the threshold of connection".

Mr Morrow did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody.

Police objected to Mr Verner being released on bail.

Citing his criminal record, the detective constable said Mr Verner had convictions for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, rape and threats to kill.

"He is currently on court bail for quite a serious assault in October 2022. He has breached that bail on several occasions,'' she said.

Gerry 'Vermin' Vernon

She added the £50,000 cocaine haul would lead police to believe that he is "involved in a substantial organised drug supply network involving the possession and moving of wholesale quantities of Class A and Class B drugs to unknown entities".

The judge said he was agreeing to release Mr Verner on his own bail of £500 along with two sureties totalling £1,500 along with strict conditions.

The case will be mentioned again on 5 June.

With many thanks to: BBC News NI for the original publication

Head of cyber body linked to 'IRA' black taxi row is from Belfast

2023-04-19T22:11:00.002+01:00

Law firms instigate action on behalf of cabbies angered by leaked ‘defamatory’ memo

CEO National Cyber Security Center Lindy Cameron

The head of the cyber organisation at the centre of a row over 'IRA' slurs directed at 'Belfast's Black taxis' is from NI.

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) chief executive Lindy Cameron was born and raised in Belfast.

Her parents helped set up the Corrymeela Community peace group based in Ballycastle.

NCSC is the government branch responsible for the UK's cyber security, and is organizer of the CyberUK conference in Belfast this week.

But the event has been embroiled in controversy after a leaked security 📝 memo aimed at delegates was found to contain several inaccuracies and false claims.

NCSC later said the document was not official and was sent in error by security contractors.

However, some cabbies are planning legal action over the 📝 memo, first reported by Radio Ulster's Nolan Show.

Ms Cameron was previously director general director in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). She is listed as a speaker at the conference and even took out a three-quater-page advertisement (pictured below) in the Belfast Telegraph. However, it is unclear if she would have received the 📝 memo advertising her to take precautions in her home city.

NCSC did not respond to a request for comment about Ms Cameron's background.

Black taxi tours have been a staple of the city's offer to visitors for more than two decades, with drivers operating cross-community mural tours taking in the falls and Shankill areas.

The document advised those thinking of travelling in a black taxi to avoid them, as they are "run by the IRA".

Belfast legal firm Ó Muirigh Solicitors said it was issuing proceedings on behalf of directors of Belfast Taxis CIC, formerly West Belfast Taxis.

Solicitor Pádraig Ó Muirigh said: "The accusations 😡 made against Belfast Taxis CIC directors and its drivers are false, unfounded and defamatory. We will take whatever steps are necessary to vindicate our clients' position in relation to any defamatory comments made against them and will not hesitate to issue legal proceedings where necessary."

Belfast legal firm KRW Law said: "Black taxi operatives in Belfast were immediately put at risk because of the toxic content of the 📝 memo.

"We can confirm we have now received instruction from a number of black taxi drivers after complaints over abusive comments 😡 made to them. In one of the cases, a driver said that within one or two hours of this being made known, he was accused of being in the IRA.

"He had been doing his job for a number of years now. "He told us he's left with little choice but to seriously think about resigning from a job he's loved doing. He doesn't want to be accosted like this again. "Bluntly, he fears his life is now at risk. The ramifications of this are far-reaching.

"Not only have a clearly identifiable class of people been famed, but they are badly exposed here to ridicule and worse. "We have no hesitation in issuing proceedings against the offending parties."

The 📝 memo also stated those with "English" accents would not be welcome in certain parts of the city, and warned that security may be compromised if delegates were to "eat outside the city centre".

It is understood potential attendees were advised to say they were "under a non-disclosure agreement" if asked why they were in Belfast, and to not use the term "CyberUK" outside of the conference venue.

One driver, who is not taking legal action and asked to remain anonymous,

'The taxis and tours are straight down the middle... to brand us sectarian is nonsense'

criticized the document. He said: "It's really all a load of absolute rubbish. We don't want to be branded with IRA or UVF or anything like that.

"The taxis and the tours are straight down the middle. "We have been established for 30-odd years, have over 1,000 reviews, and you'll not find one mention of sectarianism in them.

"We are Catholics and Protestants who work together. To brand us as sectarian or IRA is a load of nonsense. If you have a Catholic background and you're going into a Protestant area, you're invited as a guest, and vice versa."

NCSC commented last week: "This is not an NCSC document. It was sent in error by a contractor and contains significant factual inaccuracies. The document has been withdrawn."

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Kurtis Reid for the original story.

'Hacked off' but still fighting for equality Belfast's famous black taxis Taxi association campaigns

Loyalist UVF mouthpiece Jamie Bryson receives death threat from the 'bad UDA' who go-by-the-name ‘Real UFF'.

2023-04-11T10:16:00.001+01:00

LOYALIST UVF mouthpiece Jamie Bryson has received a death threat from the 'bad UDA' a criminal gang calling itself the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters 'Real UFF'.

DEATH THREATS: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ('Real UFF')

The group is made up of members who were expelled from the 'Good UDA' during a bitter feud in north Down.

Mr Bryson said he has notified the PSNI which is working to identify the individual who issued the menacing messages.

"Tonight both I, and my family, have received death threats from a criminal gang who call themselves the 'Real UFF', he tweeted.

"This threat is being traced by the PSNI/RUC.

"I will never be intimidated by a ragtag bunch of drug dealing, house breaking criminals who are not loyalists."

The previous flag-protester and anti-Protocol activist added: "Mainstream loyalism has, and will continue to, peacefully oppose these thugs who are a cancer on the community."

Mr Bryson said that mainstream loyalism would not be intimidated.

"Making threats to people aand their families in their modus operandi," Mr Bryson (I was never in the UVF) continued.

"They are cowards and gangsters and they won't be bullying me or any genuine loyalist.

"I am engaging with the PSNI/RUC who are as we speak working to trace the threat, and given how it was made it will be traced, I look forward to the criminal thug facing court very soon."

TUV leader Jim Allister called for tougher action against paramilitary gangs in light of the threat.

"Continuing threats and posturing by gangsters of proclaimed Real UFF' must be faced down by PSNI," he tweeted.

"Paramilitaries pandered to for years under phoney 'transition aegis' think they are untouchable.

"Are they? That is the question government and PSNI must answer."

A PSNI spokesperson said: "We do not discuss the security of individuals and no inference should be drawn from this.

"However, we want to reassure the public that we will take the appropriate action when made aware of anything that may put an individual at risk."

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Brett Campbell for the original publication.

Related topics

Newtownards residents evacuated over 'suspicious object' able to return home.

Loyalist feud: Over 30 families flee Newtownards – some from development branded as ‘great place to live’

Loyalist activist Jamie Bryson has received a death threat from a criminal gang calling itself the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters.

Newtownards residents evacuated over 'suspicious object' able to return home.

2023-04-11T10:12:00.001+01:00

Police and ATO have attended the scene of a security alert in Newtownards, sparked by a suspicious object in the Circular Road and Weavers Grange area of the Co Down town.

The security alert was sparked shortly before 9.15pm on Easter Monday.

Police at the scene of a security alert in the Weavers Grange area of Newtownards on April 10th 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) - © Kevin Scott

A number of cordons were put in place following the discovery shortly before 9.15pm on Easter Monday.

A number of residents had to be evacuated from their homes.

Police at the scene of a security alert in the Weavers Grange area of Newtownards on April 10the 2023 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) - © Kevin Scott

They have, however, since been allowed to return home – with police confirming on Tuesday morning that the alert has now ended and road closures have been lifted.

Nothing untoward was found.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “We would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding during this time.

“Our enquiries are ongoing, and we are appealing to anyone who may have any information which could assist us, or who may be able to help with the investigation, to contact police at on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1837 of 10/04/23, or to submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via

“You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Kevin Scott for the original publication.

Related topics

Loyalist UVF mouthpiece Jamie Bryson receives death threat from the 'bad UDA' who go-by-the-name ‘Real UFF'.

Newtownards residents evacuated over 'suspicious object' able to return home:

Thanks to the DUP the government's new travel authorisation scheme will 'put a quarter of tourism spend in the north at risk'

2023-03-10T21:33:00.000+00:00

Changes by British government to the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme have been criticised by leading tourism body.

Changes to the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme have been announced

9th March, 2023.

The NI Tourism Alliance (NITA) is "dismayed" that the government "refused to adapt the ETA scheme to reflect the North of Ireland's unique position as the only part of the UK with a land border". Legislation on how the scheme would work was laid down in the House of Parliament yesterday. It will require overseas visitors/tourists passing from the South of Ireland into the North of Ireland to have additional (which the visitors/tourists must pay-for-themselves) paid-for authorisation.

But a previous requirement stipulated a requirement for non-Irish EU citizens living in the South that they had to apply for the ETA if they wished to cross into the North of Ireland has been dropped. Irish citizens are exempt from the ETA.

There will be no exemption for tourists from overseas wanting to visit the North of Ireland, which the NITA said puts 25 per cent of annual tourism revenue at risk (thanks to the 8 DUP ministers who voted for it).

"Despite extensive discussions between NITA and the Home Office, including (apparently) cross-community support from NI MPs, we are dismayed that the government has refused to adapt the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to reflect NI's unique position as the only part of the UK with a land border," Dr Joanne Stuart of the NITA said.

" With over 70 per cent of our visitors arriving via Dublin it is clear that the bureaucracy and potential costs involved in obtaining an ETA will lead to overseas visitors dropping NI from their travel plans. This puts 25 per cent of all tourism spend in NI at risk."

These are the eight DUP ministers who voted along with the Tory Party on implementation of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, knowing the damage to tourism it will cause

"We will need time to scrutinise the detail of the legislation, but we are incredibly disappointed that the government has discounted the evidence provided by the industry and has shown no flexibility to protect seemless travel across the Island of Ireland for most visitors.

"We believe that a short-term exemption for overseas visitors travelling from Dublin to NI could have been delivered in line with the government's wider policy objectives."

Stephen Farry of Alliance said while the new guidance "now facilitates the tens of thousands of people who cross into the north on a regular basis",

there is "still an outstanding issue in relation to tourist movements".

"The majority of international visitors to NI enter via Dublin," he said.

"Indeed, the Island of Ireland is marketed internationally as a single entity.

"Any additional bureaucracy could be an impediment or disincentive for tourists to travel up north."

With many thanks to the Irish News and Suzanne McGonagle for the original publication.

Follow these links to find out more on this story: Government's new travel authorisation scheme will 'puts quarter of tourism spend in north at risk'

BREAKING | Off-duty police officer shot in Omagh

2023-02-23T06:03:00.000+00:00

A senior police officer has been seriously injured after being shot while off duty in Omagh.

The LCC represents loyalist paramilitaries the UDA, UVF and Red Hand Commando who recently rejected the GFA and have been threatening violence over the NI Protocol. The PSNI/RUC have done nothing to queal the loyalist actions

Today at 21:20

The officer was approached by two gunmen who opened fire near a sports complex on the Killyclogher Road at around 8pm.

Initial reports suggested the shooting happened in front of young people at football coaching session.

The scene of the shooting in Omagh (Pic: Kevin Scott)

He was given first aid at the scene and rushed to hospital where he is understood to be in a critical condition. Initial reports suggest the officer was hit multiple times.

It happened close to the Youth Sports Omagh complex.

There is significant police activity at the scene tonight.

PSNI/RUC vehicles at the scene of the shooting in Omagh (Pic: Kevin Scott)

A large number of PSNI vehicles and officers are visible in the vicinity of the shooting with an area around the sports complex sealed off by forensic tape.

There were also reports of a car found burning a short distance from the scene.

The Police Federation of NI, which represents rank-and-file officers, said: “We totally condemn this appalling and barbaric act of violence on an off-duty officer in Omagh. Our thoughts are with our colleague and his family.

"These gunmen offer nothing to society.”

Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said it was a “shocking incident”.

"My immediate thoughts are with the PSNI officer and his family. Those responsible for such horror must be brought to justice,” he said.

Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott indicated the police officer attacked in Omagh was shot in front of young people at a football coaching session.

"Despicable, cowardly action. No place in society for this," he tweeted.

While dissident republicans from the New IRA would have a small base in Co Tyrone, the detective targeted would also have been involved in investigating organised crime gangs.

Read more

▪️THREAD🧵👇🏼 I interviewed LCC chair David Campbell earlier this month. I asked him what an EU/UK agreement has to look like to win LCC backing.

The NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) said it received a 999 call at 8.02pm following reports of an incident in the Slievard area of Killyclogher.

“NIAS despatched a Rapid Response Paramedic, an emergency crew and an ambulance officer to the incident,” a spokesman said.

"Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken by ambulance to Altnagelvin Area Hospital.”

There was a significant police presence in and around the area of the shooting (Pic: Kevin Scott)

He is the first police officer to be shot in a gun attack in Northern Ireland since 2017 when a uniform officer was injured coming out of a garage on the Crumlin Road in north Belfast.

On that occasion dissident republican gunmen opened fire with an AK 47 causing serious hand injuries to the officer.

Sinn Féin deputy leader Michelle O’Neill posted on Facebook: “Terrible news this evening of an off-duty police officer being shot in Kilyclogher, Omagh. This is an outrageous and shameful attack.

"My immediate thoughts are with the officer and his family.

"I unreservedly condemn this reprehensible attempt to murder a police officer.”

Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly said he is shocked and concerned at the news of the attack.

The party’s policing spokesperson said: “I unreservedly condemn this murderous attack on an off-duty police officer.

"My immediate thoughts are with the officer injured in the shooting and his family who will be traumatised by this attack.”

He added: “I have spoken to senior police officers on a number of occasions tonight to put on record my concern and my absolute disgust at this attack.

“I am also calling on the public to co-operate with the ongoing police investigation in the area and anyone with any information on this attack should bring it forward to the police.”

DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson MP tweeted: “Terrible news from Omagh tonight. Our heart goes out to the family of this courageous police officer and to his colleagues.

"We condemn outright the cowards responsible for this. These terrorists have nothing to offer and they must be brought to justice. We stand with the PSNI.”

Alliance leader Naomi Long tweeted: “Disturbing news of unfolding events in Omagh this evening. My thoughts and those of my Alliance Party colleagues are with the officer, his family, colleagues, and all those affected by this evil act of cowardice.”

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood MP said the attack on the officer in Omagh is “a chilling attack on an individual serving his community and must be treated as an attack on the people of Ireland who have long rejected this kind of senseless violence”.

The Foyle MP added: “The brutal attack on a police officer in Omagh this evening is a chilling reminder of the horrifying violence that criminal gangs are willing to visit on the people of the North of Ireland.

“My thoughts and the thoughts of my SDLP colleagues are with the man and with the paramedics, doctors, nurses and police colleagues looking after him at this time.

"In the face of appalling violence that has no place in modern Ireland, their bravery and selfless dedication to service is an enduring reminder that for every individual determined to tear us apart, there are hundreds more committed to defending our peace and all those who live under it.

“Those behind this attack are committed to the fallacy that they are at war with the British establishment. Let me say very clearly to them that they are not. As I have said before, their fight is not with the British Government or the PSNI. Their fight is with the people of Ireland who have chosen peace. And it is a fight that they will never, never win.”

Forensic officers at the scene of the shooting on the Killyclougher Road in Omagh (Pic: Kevin Scott)

The PSNI have confirmed that they are currently at the scene of a shooting in the Killyclogher Road area of Omagh.

A spokesperson said “One man, a serving police officer, has been taken to hospital for treatment after being injured in a shooting incident at a sports complex just before 8pm this evening.”

FOLLOW the link below for an update on the latest.....

With many thanks to the: Belfast Telegraph and Allison Morris and Emma Montgomery for the original story.

Follow these links to find out more on this story: UVF Godfathers threatening sick Nazi-style Kristallnacht.

ECHR is major key element of the Good Friday Agreement/Belfast Agreement and cannot be renegotiated. The majority of citizens in Ireland North and South signed up and agreed to the GFA. The majority of the electorate in the North voted against #Brexit

LATEST | Off-duty PSNI officer ‘critical but stable' after Omagh shooting

No 10 defends handling of NI Protocol talks.

2023-02-22T16:16:00.001+00:00

No 10 has insisted it is engaging with DUP and Conservative MPs as the prime minister seeks agreement with the EU on post-Brexit rules in the North of Ireland.

Rishi Sunak is trying to resolve issues with the NI Protocol, introduced after the UK left the EU. IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said further EU concessions were needed before a new deal could be agreed.

Ex-minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said agreement was doomed without approval from unionist parties and Brexit MPs.

Sir Jeffrey said a new deal "is possible" within the "next few days".

But the EU would need to accept that goods traded within the North of Ireland were subject to UK laws and standards for the unDemocratic Unionist Party (DUP) to agree, he added.

▪️Johnson warns Sunak not to drop NI Protocol Bill

▪️What is going on with getting a new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland?

▪️A simple guide to the Northern Ireland Protocol

Hopes that changes can be made this week have faded somewhat, although Downing Street suggest a deal could still happen soon.

Earlier, the prime minister told his cabinet ministers that attempts to reach a deal were focused on safeguarding Northern Ireland's place in the UK, protecting the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement and ensuring the free flow of trade in the UK internal market.

The current rules, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, were negotiated by Boris Johnson and came into force in 2021.

They introduced checks on goods sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, to get round the need for checks at the UK's border with the Republic of Ireland.

The rules have proved highly unpopular among unionists in Northern Ireland, and soured relations between the UK and EU.

In protest at the rules, the DUP boycotted power-sharing in Northern Ireland, meaning it has been without a functioning devolved government since February of last year.

A majority of members of the Stormont assembly are in favour of the protocol in some form remaining in place.

Sinn Féin, the Alliance Party and the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party) have said improvements to the protocol are needed to ease its implementation.

British and European negotiators have been locked in talks for over a year to secure changes that will satisfy business groups and politicians.

On his Conservative Home podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg argued there was "no point" agreeing a deal which does not have the support of the DUP.

"I don't know why so much political capital has been spent on something without getting the DUP and the ERG (European Research Group of Conservative MPs) onside first," he said.

He likened Mr Sunak's approach to that of former-Prime Minister Theresa May who, he said, had presented a policy in the hope that people would "conveniently fall in behind" it, he said.

"Life doesn't work like that. It's important to get support for it first before you finalise the details and that doesn't seem to have been done here."

Both the DUP and some Conservative MPs think Mr Sunak made a mistake to travel to Belfast at the end of last week, unannounced, to try, as some saw it, to "bounce" the Democratic Unionists into agreement, the BBC's Chris Mason and Jess Parker report.

"He jumped the gun," said one Tory MP, privately.

"There isn't a deal to be done. It is back to the drawing board," said another Conservative backbencher.

In his podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg urged Mr Sunak to pass the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would give the UK government the power to rip up parts of the current arrangement with the EU.

His comments echo those of former-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who over the weekend urged his successor not to ditch the proposed law.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman also appeared to indicate her support, describing the legislation as one of the "biggest tools" to solving issues over trade in the Irish Sea.

But former Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland has argued that the since the bill was introduced in 2022, the situation had changed.

Writing in the House magazine, he said: "The [bill] has outlived its political usefulness and no longer has any legal justification. It is the proverbial dead letter."

A deal which the prime minister said was within touching distance could yet slip through his fingers.

Rishi Sunak has been feeling the heat on two front - the DUP and his own backbench Tory MPs.

It is a formidable force for a prime minister desperate to avoid confrontation within a deeply divided Tory party.

But he doesn't need DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to say yes to a deal - he just needs him not to say no.

That would allow the UK and EU to publish their protocol deal and begin the job of selling it beyond the DUP to businesses in Northern Ireland.

But as every day passes without a deal being struck Rishi Sunak will start feeling the heat from Brussels.

On Tuesday, the prime minister's spokesman told reporters "intensive negotiations continue" between the UK and EU but added that unresolved issues and "long-lasting challenges" needed to be addressed.

READ MORE:

▪️ECHR is major key element of the Good Friday Agreement/Belfast Agreement and cannot be renegotiated. The majority of citizens in Ireland North and South signed up and agreed to the GFA. The majority of the electorate in the North voted against #Brexit

He rejected suggestions the DUP and Conservative Brexiter MPs had not been sufficiently involved.

"We have been speaking to relative parties at the appropriate times throughout this process," he said adding that "engagement will continue as we continue to negotiate".

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris held fresh talks with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking ahead of that meeting, Mr Sefcovic told reporters that the "finishing line" on the talks could "clearly" be seen but added "being close doesn't mean being done".

Last week, Mr Sunak went to Belfast to meet politicians in Northern Ireland and then Germany, where he met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, raising speculation that an agreement was imminent.

With many thanks to: BBC News (London) and Kate Whannel (Political reporter) for the original story.

Follow these links to find out more on this story: THREAD🧵👇🏼 I interviewed LCC chair David Campbell earlier this month.

If you want to understand mainstream unionism, have a listen to Jim Allister, the DUP & loyalist paramilitary groups’ ally in the war on reality.

The Times veiw on agreeing a Brexit deal for Northern Ireland: Wise Up

Suella Braverman urges Sunak not to ditch NI Protocol Bill

👎Shocking analysis from ERG

No 10 defends handling of Northern Ireland Protocol talks.

Suella Braverman urges Sunak not to ditch NI Protocol Bill

2023-02-21T10:20:00.001+00:00

First sign of cabinet tensions emerges as Downing Street plays down hopes that deal with EU will be clinched on Tuesday.

Monday 20th February, 2023.

Rishi Sunak has been urged not to drop potential powers to unilaterally override the NI Protocol, as the first sign of cabinet tensions emerged over the prime minister’s proposed deal with the EU.

Imagine a high-ranking British Govt. politician liking this no surrender bluster?! @pritipatel @SuellaBraverman

@LeoVaradkar @MichealMartinTD

#NIProtocol #EU #Ireland #BrexitSeaBorder

The call from Suella Braverman not to abandon the bill echoes the same message from Boris Johnson. Sources close to the former prime minister over the weekend urged Sunak to keep the legislation as leverage.

The home secretary’s intervention came as Downing Street insiders played down hopes of a deal being struck by Tuesday, despite heightened expectations prompted by Sunak’s discussions with the NI political parties last week.

I wonder if Priti Patel would agree with this Tweet seeing she liked his last one?

@pritipatel @SuellaBraverman

#Racism #Sectarian #Sectarianism

Senior Conservatives have questioned whether any deal that does not have the backing of the Democratic Unionist party would secure its ultimate objective, but government sources have stressed that the DUP will not be shown the text of the agreement before it is struck or granted a veto on the contents.

Secretary of State for Bullshit James Cleverly

The foreign secretary, James Cleverly, who held talks by video link with Maroš Šefčovič on Monday, said "intensive work" continued between the two sides and he would hold a further 7with the Brussels official later this week, again underlying that a deal was not imminent.

Braverman, a former chair of the European Research Group (ERG) of hard Brexiters in the Conservatives, struck a note of caution about plans to drop the bill, understood to be part of the deal package. One senior member of the ERG said her intervention was “heartening”.

Stressing the importance of the bill, she told the BBC: “We’ve been aware for some time now of challenges relating to trade, customs and sovereignty when it comes to North of Ireland and the NI protocol.

“The legislation that the government introduced is one of the biggest tools we have in solving the problem on the Irish Sea. It’s clear and it’s right that the PM is committed to finding a pragmatic solution to resolve these issues which are affecting the people of North of Ireland, and that we find a solution that’s pragmatic and workable both for the EU and the UK.”

Downing Street insiders said Sunak would continue conversations with the ERG and the DUP but hope they will be able to move quickly once the final negotiations have concluded. Sunak has been meeting restive MPs in the Commons throughout Monday and Cleverly is expected to address the backbench 1922 Committee this week.

The 1922 Committee: 'men in gray suits' behind 100 years of Conservative leaders

The 1922 Committee is the parliamentary group that sets the rules for how Conservative Party leaders are be chosen. David Thackeray, Associate Professor of History at the University of Exeter, explains how this influential group has shaped British politics over the last century…

The NI minister Steve Baker attended an ERG meeting on Monday. Sources say there was “a lot of fear of a sell out” but that there was also discussion of the damage a potential reopening of divisions would do to the future of the Tory party at the polls.

There is mounting concern that the longer the two sides leave it to strike a deal, the greater the risk of unravelling, with the knottier issues often left to the end of such negotiations.

Once a deal is agreed on the NI Protocol, the government is expected to announce it swiftly, with hopes that the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, could come to London to shake on it.

Ministers still hope to put the deal to a vote in the House of Commons, as it would bind in MPs politically, but No 10 has so far refused to commit to a vote.

The DUP MP Sammy Wilson reiterated his party’s pledge that Sunak agreeing a deal with the EU without the consent of the party would mean a continued boycott of NI’s devolved assembly. Asked if he expected a consensus to emerge this week, Wilson told Sky News: “No, I don’t.”

There were, he said, “barriers and hills to climb” for Sunak. The government had “gone into these negotiations with an attitude of defeat, almost”, Wilson added.

Senior Conservatives, including those supportive of Sunak, suggested there was little point in progressing without the support of the unionists. “The purpose of the negotiations was to get a deal that would allow DUP to go back into government in Stormont,” one former cabinet minister said. “So DUP support for a deal is the key. Without DUP support, it is pointless.”

David Jones, the deputy chair of the ERG, said: “The problem is that DUP has told No 10 that whatever they agree needs to meet the ‘seven tests’.

“One of those is that the people of the North of Ireland have to have a say in the laws that govern them, but it is hard to see how they do that without an entirely new agreement. What they are talking about now is some sort of new interpretation of the existing agreement, not a completely new one.”

Jones said he understood the DUP had asked to see the text of the full agreement – rather than the political framework – in order to move forward. That request is unlikely to be accepted.

Braverman’s intervention on the protocol bill took a similar tone to that of Johnson, as well as other former Brexit-backing cabinet ministers such as Simon Clarke and Jacob Rees-Mogg. Johnson warned at the weekend it would be a “great mistake” to ditch the bill rather than retain it as a backup option.

READ MORE:

What stage are Brexit negotiations at between Rishi Sunak and the EU

The protocol bill, the brainchild of Liz Truss when she was foreign secretary, would allow the UK to unilaterally override parts of the Brexit treaty, and discarding the bill is seen as a gesture of goodwill when agreement is reached on application of the protocol.

The bill is awaiting report stage in the House of Lords, but its progress has been frozen. Senior sources have also indicated there are now doubts about whether the bill is legally sound because of progress on the negotiations.

Clarke said it was vital to retain the bill as an option for the government. “We need to make sure that if a deal is struck here, this is genuinely a better one than that which we can achieve through our own legislation to fix the protocol,” he said.

“And I think that is quite a high bar because it is going to involve the EU accepting that the North of Ireland cannot be subjected either to EU law or in the single market and that would be a big move on their part.”

With many thanks to: The Guardian and Jessica Elgot (Deputy political editor), Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey for the original publication.

Additional reporting by Peter Walker and Lisa O’Carroll.

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What stage are Brexit negotiations at between Rishi Sunak and the EU

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