As Others See Us - Great Northern Irish Television

Last night those of us in Northern Ireland were treated to a trip down memory lane. Now of course a lot of trips down memory lane here are full of darkness as where the starting points of last night trips.

The travellers were Kate Adie, Peter Taylor, Bill Neely and (newly announced Yes to Fairer Votes vice-Chair) Martin Bell. The starting point on their journey was when they were all sent (apart from Bill who was born here) to Northern Ireland to report on what was going on here from the 60s through the the start of this millennium.

They travelled back to the Shankhill, Falls, Bogside in Derry/Londonderry, Ballykelly and other locations showing what the place is like to day an talking to some of those from all sides about how things were then and how they have changed. Some of them admitted that things weren't perfect yet, but all agreed that things were better than they were when first they had come into contact with the reporters.

You can see it here on iPlayer and take a look yourself at the before and now shots of this land that I'm proud to call home.

What a Difference a Day Makes

Yesterday morning it was revealed that Gordon Brown had vetoed attempts to force Libya to make compensation to IRA victims of Libyan supplied Semtex. Yesterday evening in Berlin he said:

"I desperately care about the impact of all IRA atrocities on the victims, their families and communities.

"The Libyans have refused to accept a treaty or normal intergovernmental agreement on this issue.

"As a result, our judgement has been that the course more likely to bring results is to support the families and their lawyers in their legal representations to the Libyan authorities.

"We will appoint dedicated officers in the Foreign Office and our Embassy in Tripoli who will accompany the campaign group to meetings with the Libyan government to negotiate compensation, the first of which will be in the next few weeks."

It was greeted by opposition MPs as a U-Turn. William Hague the shadow Foreign Secretary said:

"The Prime Minister's announcement is a stunning admission that the Government has failed to support the families of the victims of IRA terrorism in their pursuit of compensation from Libya. This U-turn comes only after today’s reports that Gordon Brown was personally involved in a decision not to engage Libya on this issue. The British Government should have provided active support as a matter of course, not as a result of public pressure. But Gordon Brown and the Government he leads have long lost their moral compass."

Jeffrey Donaldson of the DUP added:

"We have forced a U-turn, it's not every day you can say that.

"We will work with his government to put the case to the Libyans.

"It is essential now that the government delivers what the Prime Minister has promised."

And the Lib Dem Foreign Affairs Spokesman Ed Davey said:

"We have got a prime minister who no longer appears to be in control. The government looks pretty weak."

Lawyers representing the victims of 138 families had already approached Mr Brown about the possibility of Government assistance in taking their claims forward to be told that it would have been "inappropriate". Yesterday after a fair bit of international* as well as national scrutiny the Prime Minister promised a "dedicated" team of officials at his press conference prior to meeting the German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In what would appear to be a volte-face brought about at the end of a hard two weeks of Libyan diplomacy stories leaking out to the press, the focus is slowly shifting unto just what has the British government been up to, if all this isn't about the oil deals already secured by BP and Shell, why is it only in reaction to being uncovered that the Prime Minister and his Ministers are prepared to come clean about the facts?

*This blog managed to attract worldwide attention and readers from 45 of the states in the US.

Extract From the Minutes

There was an article about De Loran sports cars in the motoring section in today's Scotsman. But clearly this was a car that was time travel complient as the following note from the future was just visible on the dashboard I have enlarged it for my readers benefit.

Minutes from 2007 AGM of the IRA Old Boys Assosiation

Hon. Life President Adams: (rose) Welcome to the 2007 AGM of the IRA Old Boys Association. I wish to express a vote of thanks to our speaker this evening and inspirational founder David.

Dave: Actually call me Dave.

Adams: Sorry Dave Cameron for agreeing to address us tonight for the Bobby Sand’s Memorial Lecture. I also would like to say how smart we all look in our new ties. Our crest of a Balaclava over crossed Kalasnikovs did cause a slight stir at the tie designers. But eventually the owner agreed providing we didn’t tell the Grand Master of the Orange Lodge Old Boys Association. I hand over to the Secretary for some announcements.

Secretary McGuinness: Thank you Gerry. Next Saturday we are having a Pimms and strawberry evening in Falls Park. We shall be gathering at the Divis Flats memorial end. A bouncy castle will be available to entertain your children on the slope overlooking the bowling green. Members who are supervising their children are asked to remember that the Old Boys Association condones throwing stones unto the green irrelevant of the opposition teams religious make up.

Member from the floor identity hidden by balaclava: (raises hand) But we’ve always done it.

McGuinness: As our speaker has shown in his words and actions in the last years, just because you’ve always done it doesn’t mean you keep on doing so. It’s all in the image, do whatever makes you popular. Now other events upcoming....