Posted by Jim on March 29, 2017
The European Union has confirmed that the Tory government in London has
triggered article 50, beginning a two-year process that will see
Britain, and possibly the north of Ireland, fall out of the European
Union.
A six-page letter signed by the prime minister was hand-delivered to the
president of the European council, Donald Tusk just before 12.30pm
today. The complex negotiations formalising the terms of Britain’s
departure are due to be concluded within two years.
May signed the letter yesterday before the cameras in Downing Street,
next to a union flag and beneath a portrait of Britain’s first prime
minister, Robert Walpole.
As the letter was being delivered today, she made a statement in
Westminster confirming the historic, and potentially irreversible move
had gone ahead.
May urged people to “come together” behind a decision which was strongly
opposed in Scotland and Ireland and viewed as a political and economic
disaster internationally. Yesterday, the Scottish parliament backed a
plan for a new independence referendum, while in Ireland support for a
poll on Irish reunification has vaulted higher.
“When I sit around the negotiating table in the months ahead, I will
represent every person in the whole United Kingdom – young and old, rich
and poor, city, town, country and all the villages and hamlets in
between,” May told MPs.
She confirmed that her government will not try to ‘cherry pick’ in
Brexit talks, but that the rights of EU nationals currently under
British jurisdiction will be a “priority”. She also accepted the EU’s
refusal to allow access to the single market without accepting free
movement of its citizens. “We respect that,” she says.
On Ireland, May says she wants to maintain the free travel arrangement
between Ireland and Britain and insisted “there shall be no return to
the borders of the past”.
Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader and longstanding
pro-Brexit campaigner, insisted that today “is the day the United
Kingdom becomes truly united because it has only one position: that we
are leaving the EU.”
It was also a day of triumph for former UKIP leader Nigel Farage,
marking the fruition of a campaign once considered to be right-wing
fringe politics. “After a quarter of a century spent campaigning for
this moment, it will be a big happy day,” he said.
But Michael Heseltine, the Conservative former cabinet minister, said
the move represented the “worst peacetime decision taken by any modern
postwar government”, with the power now all in the hands of European
leaders.
Speaking following the announcement, Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy said the
development had “grave implications” for the island of Ireland as the
British government “insists on dragging the North of Ireland out of the
EU also, against the will of the people there”.
“This scenario presents huge challenges, undermining the Good Friday
Agreement and threatening two decades of political progress,” he said.
“A return to border customs posts, border checkpoints is now a real
possibility and there is a major threat to the freedom of movement of
people and goods between the North and South of Ireland. This is not
acceptable and will be resisted.
He said Ireland was the EU member state most at risk as a result of
Brexit and Europe had a duty to protect and defend Irish interests.
“The EU must grant special designated status to the North of Ireland.
This would allow the island of Ireland to remain within the EU.
“The Irish Government bears a huge responsibility at this time to act in
defence of our citizens rights and welfare and the interests of the
island of Ireland as a whole.
“Undoubtedly the British governments moves today have hastened the
process of delivering a United Ireland as more and more people will come
to see, I believe, that unity is the best means of protecting Irish
interests north and south.
“In the short term and in all Brexit negotiations, the Taoiseach and the
Irish government must be guided by the Dail motion passed in February
calling for the North to be granted special designated status within the
EU.”
Posted by Jim on March 28, 2017
The British government has called for further talks to restore the
Stormont Executive after efforts so far fell well short of reaching
today’s ‘deadline’ for forming a power-sharing administration in the Six
Counties.
In a statement issued as the deadline passed, the British Direct Ruler
James Brokenshire called for an extra few weeks to reach a deal.
The deadline for appointing Ministers passed at 4pm on Monday with
little headway made on resolving a backlog of issues which have been
accumulating for years or decades.
Today, Brokenshire backed away from his legal requirement to rerun the
Assembly election. He also shied away from overtly reimposing Direct
Rule from London. Instead he said Stormont civil servants would take
control of the Six County departments from Wednesday.
“We remain resolved to see a positive outcome,” Brokenshire said in
relation to the talks, and that he would allow additional time of “a
short few weeks” for the negotiations to be extended.
Yesterday, Sinn Fein gave up on meeting today’s deadline after the DUP
failed to show for talks. The DUP leader, Arlene Foster, claimed that
there “wasn’t a spirit of compromise” within Sinn Fein to create a new
power-sharing executive.
Her Sinn Fein counterpart, Michelle O’Neill, countered that the DUP was
responsible for the failure of thee talks. She said: “We came at the
negotiations with the right attitude, wanting to make the institutions
work, wanting to deliver for all citizens.
“Unfortunately, the DUP maintained their position in relation to
blocking equality, delivery of equality for citizens – that was the
problem.”
The 26 County foreign minister, Charlie Flanagan, said the passing of
the deadline without a deal was “deeply regrettable”.
Flanagan said: “It is particularly concerning that a vacuum in devolved
government in Northern Ireland should now be occurring just as the
island of Ireland faces up to the many serious challenges represented by
the UK exit from the EU.
“In these circumstances, all concerned must redouble efforts to achieve
the re-establishment of power-sharing government in Northern Ireland,
which is so plainly in the interests of all its citizens.
“The Irish government will continue to advocate very strongly for
Northern Ireland’s interests to be protected. However, there is no
substitute for an Executive speaking with one voice on these critical
issues.”
Posted by Jim on March 27, 2017
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The full text of remarks made by former US President at the Requiem Mass
for former Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness
————————————————————————
Bernie, Grainne, Fionnuala, Fiachra, Emmett: members of the McGuinness
family, honoured clergy, President Higgins, Taoiseach, Gerry, former
Prime Minister Ahern, former President McAleese, First Minister Foster,
thank you for being here, to John Hume, Peter Robinson, and all who were
part of the amazing unfolding of Martin McGuinness’s life.
I was thinking about it: after all the breath he expended cursing the
British over the years, he worked with two Prime Ministers and shook
hands with the Queen, four Taoiseachs, navigating the complex politics
of the North.
As an American, I have to say a special word of appreciation to the
sitting Taoiseach for what he said in the United States on St Patrick
Day on behalf of the Irish immigrants.
As someone who spent sleepless nights in the beginning of the ceasefires
and dealing with the aftermath of them and the Good Friday accord, I
want to say a special word of appreciation to First Minister Foster for
being here, because I know, and most people in this church know, that
your life has been marked in painful ways by the Troubles. And I believe
the only way a lasting peace can take hold and endure is if those who
have legitimate griefs on both sides embrace the future together.
I learned this from Nelson Mandela who was a great friend of mine, who
called me one day complaining as the president of South Africa that he
was getting so much criticism. I said, “from the Afrikaners?”. He said
“no, from my people. They think I’ve sold them out.” After all, he won
63% of the vote, it’s inconceivable in a western democracy to do such a
thing now. And I said, “what did you tell them?” and he said “I spent 27
years in jail, and they took all my best years away and i didn’t see my
children grow up and it ruined my marriage, and a lot of my friends were
killed and if i can get over it, you can too. We’ve got to build a
future.”
Now, I want to say something about Martin McGuinness. I came to treasure
every encounter. I liked him. They asked me to speak for three minutes,
he could do this in 30 seconds. I can just hear him now: “Here’s my
eulogy: I fought, I made peace, I made politics, I had a fabulous family
that somehow stayed with me and endured it all. I had friends (I was
married to Gerry almost as long as I was married to Bernie). It turned
out I was pretty good at all this and we got a lot done – but we didn’t
finish, and if you really want to honour my legacy, go make your own,
and finish the work of peace so we can all have a future together.”
He was only four years younger than me. He grew up at a time of rage and
resentment; not only in Ireland, but across the world. And it was
pronounced here: one of seven children in a Bogside family without an
indoor toilet. (That’s a great political story, I’m the last American
president to ever live in a house without an indoor toilet and it’s very
much overrated except for its political value.) He was part of the rage
of his time, he hated the discrimination and he decided to oppose it by
whatever means available to the passionate young, including violence.
Somewhere along the way, for whatever reason, he decided to give peace a
chance. Some of the reasons were principled, some were practical, but he
decided. He was good about sticking at something he decided to do, and
he succeeded because his word was good, his listening skills were good,
he was not afraid to make a compromise, and he was strong enough to keep
it if he made it.
And finally, he realised that he could have an Ireland that was free,
independent and self governing, and still inclusive. That the dreams of
little children were no more or less legitimate, just because of their
faith background, or their families’ history, or the sins of their
parents. In American law, there is a phrase that comes from the 18th
century, called “corruption of the blood”, that the sins of the parents
used to be visited on their children, and their grandchildren, and their
great grandchildren, and we specifically prohibited that; easy to say,
hard to do. He was trying to do it.
Most of the publicity Martin got as a politician was the very absurd
notion that he actually got along with Ian Paisley. I thought it great
that he got a word in edgeways, I never could! But the thing I think he
was proudest of that I loved to listen to him talk about, and we talked
about it again three years ago this month when we walked across the
bridge here with John Hume, was when he became education minister in the
transitional government. His first budget recommended a more than
generous allocation in aid to the poorest schools in the protestant
neighbourhoods, because he thought those children would be just as a
crippled by ignorance as catholic children would, and that the only way
out of poverty, and the only way to give people the emotional space to
live together, work together, and share the future together, is if they
could have the dignity of a decent job, and the empowerment of knowing
they can take care of their families and give something more to their
children. I could tell he was proud as punch with himself. Normally it’s
not a good thing to be proud of yourself but I think if there’s a secret
category of things you can be proud of, taking care of the children of
people with whom you had been at odds is surely on that small list.”
So that’s what he did, he persevered, and he prevailed. He risked the
rejection of his comrades and the wrath of his adversaries. He made
honourable compromises and was strong enough to keep them, and came to
be trusted because his word was good. And he never stopped being who he
was; a good husband, a good father, a faithful follower of the faith of
his father and mother, and a passionate believer in a free, secure,
self-governing Ireland. The only thing that happened was: he expanded
the definition of “us” and shrank the definition of “them”.
The world in every period of insecurity faces a new wave of tribalism.
If you really came here to celebrate his life, and to honour the
contribution of the last chapter of it, you have to finish his work, a
great son of Derry. Our friend Seamus Heaney in his Nobel prize speech,
said that the secret of his success was “deciding to walk on air against
your better judgement”. Believe me; when the people who made this peace
did it, every single one of them decided to take a flying leap into the
unknown against their better judgement. It’s about the only thing aside
from your faith and your love which makes life worth living.
Our friend earned this vast crowd today. Even more; he earned the right
to ask us to honour his legacy by our living. To finish the work that is
there to be done.
God bless you.
Posted by Jim on March 24, 2017
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has been urged to do more to help those coming to
Ireland to escape global conflicts following his comments on immigration
in the US last week, which received unprecedented international media
attention.
Mr Kenny’s speech about the value of immigration in front of US
president Donald Trump at a St Patrick’s Day event on Capitol Hill last
Thursday made no reference to Mr Trump’s policies. However, it was
interpreted by the US and European media as a veiled criticism of Mr
Trump’s plans to ban immigration from certain Muslim countries and to
build a wall along the Mexican border.
“Irish PM trolls Donald Trump on immigration right in front of him,” was
how the Metro publication in London reported the speech.
However, under Ireland’s own system for refugees, immigrants coming to
the country are kept in crowded hostels which are operated in the manner
of open prisons. Food and shelter are provided, but rights such as the
right to privacy, the right to prepare and cook food and the right to
earn a wage are denied.
The ‘direct provision’ system has been labeled “inhuman and degrading”
in a court case being taken against Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald.
Human rights lawyers have asserted that the system is illegal under both
the Irish Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, and
other international rights conventions that the 26 County state has
subscribed to.
The Dublin government’s own Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, Dr
Geoffrey Shannon, described it as “institutionalised poverty”. The Irish
Refugee Council has reported that young people living in direct
provision centres are more prone to depression and suicide.
Tuesday was International Day Against Racism, and a number of groups
marked the occasion by gathering at the gates of the Dublin parliament
to back a Dail motion to bring about an end to the system.
The motion, initiated by People Before Profit TD Brid Smith in
association with United Against Racism, has been signed by 36 TDs.
A statement from United Against Racism read: “Speaking with Donald
Trump, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said that ‘St Patrick is the patron saint of
immigrants’.
“We remind the Taoiseach that the asylum seekers in Direct Provision are
immigrants too and Ireland has been keeping them in extreme poverty and
inhumane conditions for many years. It’s time for it to end.”
Posted by Jim on
British Prime Minister Theresa May will receive a very clear message
that the north of Ireland wants to stay in the European Union before she
triggers Brexit on Wednesday, Sinn Fein has said.
Mrs May is expected in Ireland later this week ahead of formally
starting the process of taking Britain — as well as the north of
Ireland and Gibraltar — out of the EU.
Sinn Fein’s leader in the Six Counties, Michelle O’Neill, said she
intends to meet the British Prime Minister to directly voice her strong
opposition. The visit will coincide with the expected round of talks to
form a new powersharing executive for the north of Ireland.
The Six Counties and Scotland voted to remain in the EU in last year’s
referendum, but will be taken out by against their will by the process
to be initiated by May on Wednesday.
A Sinn Fein call for the region to retain special EU-designated status
has so far been rejected by the British government, which says it is
aiming for new controls at the border between north and south to be
‘frictionless’. Border controls have traditionally served as targets
for bomb and rocket attack by the IRA, and the issue will complicate
ongoing discussions in the political process.
“The British government are acting against the interest and the
expressed wishes of a cross-community group of people here that want to
stay in Europe,” said Ms O’Neill.
Sinn Fein deputy president Mary Lou McDonald said there was an
obligation on the 26 County Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to represent the
interests of the entire island and to make clear to May that the wishes
of the electorate north of the border had to be respected.
“This business of dividing Ireland north and south is over,” she said.
“We now all hang together or we will surely hang separately. All of our
interests are absolutely intertwined, we will be relying on each other
to stand up for each other and to protect each other and, in a very
special and particular way, that places a big, big obligation on the
Taoiseach.”
Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams called on the Dublin government to act
vigorously to secure special status for the north.
“That is the consensus of the majority of parties north and south,” he
said. “If the British government succeeds in its plans, it will drive
part of Ireland out of the European Union – that is not acceptable.”
The 27 other European Union countries will meet in coming months to
draft its position on “setting out the arrangements” for Britain’s
withdrawal. Negotiations will then begin between London and the EU, who
have said any deal must be finalised by October 2018.
The rights of Irish citizens living in Britain or north of the border
are expected to be resolved in the negotiations. Despite commitments by
both London and Dublin to maintaining the Common Travel Area between
Ireland and Britain, free movement of people and goods across the border
and/or between the islands could be affected.
One of the main issues is that the EU is seeking a 60 billion euro “exit
bill” from Britain, some of which could also be demanded in turn by the
London exchequer from the devolved administrations in Belfast and
Edinburgh.
The leader of the moderate unionist Alliance party in the North, Naomi
Long, believes a “botched Brexit” will increase support for a united
Ireland.
“Our needs are very different from the south-east of England yet what I
think what we are having is a Brexit tailored around the demands and
needs of the conservative south-east, which is not paying heed to the
needs and demands of Northern Ireland,” she said.