Where Ulster Covenant fails the LGBT community

These are the words of the Ulster Covenant whose centenary people in Northern Ireland are celebrating this week.

BEING CONVINCED in our consciences that Home Rule would be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious freedom, destructive of our citizenship, and perilous to the unity of the Empire, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of His Gracious Majesty King George V., humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened calamity, to stand by one another in defending, for ourselves and our children, our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament being forced upon us, we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognize its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto subscribe our names.

And further, we individually declare that we have not already signed this Covenant.

Now for me a key line of that is our cherished position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom. I admit it had different ramifications one hundred years ago. But let us not forget that the Unionist politicians are all joyously celebrating the retention of that equal citizenship on the one had while denying it to many whose forebears also signed those words.

I'm talking of course about the LGBT citizens in Northern Ireland.

If we had leaders who truly cherished a position of equal citizenship in the United Kingdom, we would allow gay and lesbian couples to adopt. We would allow men who have had sex with men to donate blood after one year and we would already have all the parties clamouring to get a consultation on equal marriage out to the public.

Of course sadly that is not the case, and rather ironically the Northern Irish health Minister is actually co-joined with the authority of that other Parliament in Dublin rather than the rest of the UK on the issue of blood donations.

So while members of the DUP, UUP and TUV seek to honour the covenant this weekend let us not forget that one of the things that those they celebrate did 100 years ago was cherish equal citizenship with the rest of the UK, something that for some sections of Ulster life is missing today.

So maybe in Stormont today's Unionists would rewrite the Covenant like this:

BEING CONVINCED in our consciences that Home Rule Devolution would should not be disastrous to the material well-being of Ulster as well as of the whole of Ireland, subversive of our civil and religious take on civil freedom, destructive of our citizenship, and perilous to the unity of the Empire United Kingdom, we, whose names are underwritten, men of Ulster, loyal subjects of His Her Gracious Majesty King George V Queen Elizabeth II, humbly relying on the God whom our fathers in days of stress and trial confidently trusted, do hereby pledge ourselves in solemn Covenant, throughout this our time of threatened calamity, to stand by one another in defending, for ourselves and our straight children, our cherished position of equal citizenship unless you are LGBT in the United Kingdom, and in using all means which may be found necessary to defeat the present conspiracy to set up a Home Rule Parliament in Ireland comply with LGBT equality legislation from the rest of the Union which digresses from the rest of Ireland. And in the event of such a Parliament legislation being forced upon us, we further solemnly and mutually pledge ourselves to refuse to recognize its authority. In sure confidence that God will defend the right, we hereto subscribe our names.

You think I am being harsh. Well the first test comes after the weekend when on Monday there will be a debate in Stormont on marriage equality.

Mike Nesbitt and his bigot question

Yesterday there was a rather bizarre tweet by the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

Especially when you consider that Mike Nesbitt is a media professional in his former life and this tweet came  over 5 hours after Nick Clegg's office sent a correction to it's earlier press release.

That earlier release said:

"Continued trouble in the economy gives the bigots a stick to beat us with, as they demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'. As if pursuing greater equality and fixing the economy simply cannot happen at once."

Corrected to:

 "Continued trouble in the economy leads some people to demand we 'postpone' the equalities agenda in order to deal with 'the things people really care about'. As if pursuing greater equality and fixing the economy simply cannot happen at once."

So what of the word in question:

big·ot  (bgt)

n.

One who is strongly partial to one's own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.

Definition from The Free Dictionary

From the way the question is phrased you expect that Mike wants to hear @allianceparty, who recently passed a policy in favour of equal marriage, come out and say yes, or give some indication that they lean that way. Even though the Lib Dem and Alliance Party's policies are both tolerant of those that disagree with equal marriage in not forcing anything on anyone.

But the headline grabbing word, even if later rescinded, itself is nothing without the full context.



Even if the first form of the words were used the caveat is there that pursuing greater equal and fixing the economy are what the 'bigots' that Mike is asking about think is impossible. There is never the intention that all who opposed equal marriage are in that category, if someone opposes marriage equality on religious grounds for example and sticks to that line that is not hiding behind economic turbulence.

Opposition to the idea appears to not be a issue, finding excuses to not face the argument would appear to have been the issue, that is from people who do not believe their argument is strong enough to face the debate and therefore want postponement probably to the end of time.

Now Mike Nesbitt himself has said that marriage equality is not in his opinion 'necessary', he went on to say there was no 'realistic prospect' of it coming to be in Northern Ireland and in fact called those in favour dancers to a Republican tune. Is he one of those advocating no debate on this until the end of time. Is that why the sentiement of the idea is cutting him close to the quick and why he decided to come unto twitter to ask such a question?

So maybe Mike should ask himself is he one of those who says that the equality agenda on this isn't one issue that should be pursued or is he prepared to back up his own objection to it in realistic terms that takes into account the views of everyone here in Northern Ireland. In other words is he prepared to look for a solution over this or is he prepared to take the side of the vocal objectors who may well contain bigots?

Reading and hearing some of the comments in Northern Irish media against marriage equality the opposition does show a lack of tolerance of people in same sex loving relationships even without marriage being an issue. Some DUP elected representative are even on record that they'd want to do away with civil partnerships if they had the chance. So there certainly is a lack of tolerance to people with opposing views. Therefore there probably is an element of bigotry.

Eventually Tom says sorry, to some, for his "scum" remarks

The art of leadership is not just knowing that you are right, but also knowing when you are wrong. On Monday the Ulster Unionist leader Tom Elliot certainly didn't realise the second was the case, as I blogged, and tried to maintain strangely that he still was the former. All of this despite the furore over the weekend since he let the word scum slip from his mouth about political opponents.

It has taken him another 2 days and another round of disgust for his to finally say sorry. Although it sorry only to those he offendede not for being 'provocated' to say it in the first place. The apology is still somewhat half-hearted and still in my opinion not one you'd expect to find of someone that is leading the first Unionist party to really accept that we need a shared future that acknowledges but does not dwell on our past.

Here's what he actually told the BBC Northern Ireland Politics Show:

"I will certainly apologise to all those good nationalists, republicans, even Sinn Fein voters who felt offended by it.

"It was certainly not directed at them so if they took offence at it, yes I regret that to them.

"For those people who do not regret the murders that they may have carried out in the past, I have to say that if they come to regret what they have done, then I think we could move forward much quicker."

Listening to the clip on the link  it seems almost like a forced apology even by Tom Elliot's standards. While Tom himself is not talking of resigning I still think he days are numbered.

Putting the Yes! detracters straight - initial thoughts from Northern Ireland

Well okay only 43.87% did

There is nothing more frustrating while spending 15 hours on your feet than seeing friends throwing complaints about the campaign you have given up the last six months of your life for. Well maybe knowing that before one of the three constituencies that you were the agent on site for had declared that the national result was already a disaster.

Some of it was justified and some it ignored the fact that many of us involved in the campaign were fighting for some of the things and failings they mentioned. The eyes and ears on the ground my fellow regional/organisers were pointing stuff out since our first meeting together in November and on every conference call weekly meeting we had since then. There were even times in our monthly meetings in London that we did speak as one against the way things were done. But too often we were astounded about things that weren't happening or going to be happening or were happening too late.

Personally I'd like to give a big round applause to all the Regional and National Organisers Iestyn in Wales, Neil in Scotland, John, Jamie and Jane in NW and NE England, Yorkshire and Humberside, Richard and Michael in West and East Midlands, the other Stephen in East of England, Deborah, Becky, Jack, Tariq and Jon in London Tim, Ollie and James in the South West, Central and East. Together we knew what we were pressing for to happen, we may have heard the Yes! campaign say no too many times, yet we carried on pushing and sometimes got the answer changed and action taken. I'm sure all of them will carry on leading sucessful campaigns in the future, that group certainly knew what they needed to get done, just was frustrating that many times all those years of experience and knowledge was overlooked.

I'd also like to thank the excellent team that we did have in Northern Ireland, too numerous to mention but especially to Laura and Michael who were with me from the first meeting of the Northern Ireland team and stayed there to the end. Also to the many excellent interns who came through the door at Carnegie Buildings and many of them ended up going unto good jobs in fields they wanted. We may not have turned around years of Ulster saying No, but 43.87% of Northern Ireland did say yes.

To all my new friends in the Alliance, SDLP, Labour Party NI, Greens Party, UKIP, Ulster Unionist Party, Sinn Féin, Socialist Party, Dawn Purvis (sadly no longer and MLA), David McClarty MLA, plus my fellow Lib Dem NI members and many from no party background who said Yes! it has been a pleasure. I look forward to working with many of you on continuing to build a better future for Northern Ireland.

I may take on the specific points raised on a number of blogs over the last few days, but I'm going to calm down from my initial reading of most of them to give them due consideration in a balanced way in the cold light of day.

Pity Meeting with LGBT Groups Counts as News, but Welcome Step

Tom Elliott MLA Picture Belfast Telegraph

In 2011 it is a pity that the leader of the UUP saying he will meet with a Northern Ireland's gay community counts as a headline, but as Tom Elliot has said he will this is welcome. Depending how wide the group that he ends up meeting is he may find it interesting how many of the LGBT community leaders he has already met in other capacities rather than merely LGBT advocacy.

There are two interesting things about this, first that Tom did say he wouldn't attend Gay Pride parades during his leadership contest, but it was his comments about reading of support on gay websites that had sparked the invite. So well done to P A Mag Lochlainn of NIGRA for following through with an invite.

The second is that obviously we are now 12 years on from the Belfast Agreement, in which the LGBT community were established as one of the minority groups within Northern Ireland that the Assembly were meant to look out for an include in the future of Northern Ireland. It would appear that it has been easier for some politicians in Northern Ireland to sit down with former terrorists long before they are prepared to sit down and talk to people who are happy and proud in their sexuality which is non-heterosexual. Not that I'm saying that is the case here, but it could be assumed that some of the supporters that Tom wanted to reach out to win the leadership thought that was the case.

I look forward to the LGBT community being able to share their concerns with the leader of the UUP in open and frank dialogue, as already with other party leaders. I hope soon this headline sort of thing won't be so newsworthy for any of the party leaders involvement in Northern Ireland.

Parsley Goes Blue

News from back home is that Alliance Euro Candidate and North Down* Councillor has joined the Conservatives (not quite merged with the Ulster Unionists yet).

I'd been following the news on the Northern Irish blogs when I could during the day, held out a little hope when one story pointed to substantial inaccuracies in a report in the Mirror that he had defected to the Ulster Unionists. Something he refuted on his blog. The only inaccuracy appears to be that it's not the UUs he has joined but their soon to be bride Cameron's Tories. The move comes with speculation that Lady Silvia Hermon upset with the UU and Tory wedding will not be seeking re-selection under that ticket.

Announcing his reasons for the shift to the press Parsley said he saw it as:

"the best means of delivering a shared future and a genuinely new type of politics would be through David Cameron’s Conservative Party."

Personally I don't see Conservative politics as being a new type of politics, especially not one I'd want to see take over in the land, or constituency of my birth. Speaking later on his blog he said:

"With a heavy heart, today I left the Alliance Party. I was, however, delighted to join David Cameron’s Conservative Party, and to become involved in politics at a UK level."

He goes on to say:

"Far from negating my commitment to the causes the Alliance Party believes, my move should be seen as an attempt to drive forward those values. Without the party’s work, in which I have played a small part, on the promotion of issues such as integrated education, costs of division and shared neighbourhoods, it is unlikely the prospective next UK Government would be making any of these issues a priority. I understand that many in the Alliance Party will not share my preference for a Conservative Government after the next General Election, but I trust they will recognise the value of having many core Alliance issues placed high on its agenda for Northern Ireland after it."

It is not just members of the Alliance Party that would look at such a statement with bemusement. I've lived in an council that had Alliance as the largest party (North Down) and in two one by majority one largest party being Conservative (Kingston and again North Down). You know something I don't see how anyone could put core Alliance issues into the heart of a Conservative Government. My views are shared by Alliance leader David Ford:

"There are huge contradictions between the delusions of some Conservatives that think they are anti-sectarian, and the 1950s-style bigotry still coming from Ulster Unionist elements.

"I fear Ian will find this contradiction more and more difficult to live with as time goes on."

As I speculated earlier this year is the time right for the Northern Irish branch of the Liberal Democrats and the Alliance to officially become one. Bring UK-wide Lib Dem politics to Northern Ireland. The Tories are doing it, Labour are considering it. You know if that does happen I'd be tempted to seek selection as the Lib Dem candidate for North Down and show Mr Parsley just what new politics on an United Kingdom wide level really does entail.

*So literally back home.

Have UCU Outdone the Scottish Tories?

I've been asked by Mick Fealty who runs the Northern Irish blog Slugger O'Toole whether the Scottish Tories are getting the same deal as my former Minister* Reg Empey has managed for Northern Ireland as part of the Ulster Unionists dowry. Basically Cameron has promised the earth to Northern Ireland:

"What we have agreed is that all of Northern Ireland will be designated as an
enterprise zone," the UUP leader said. "It allows us to start to work on tax
issues." Asked if that would allow Northern Ireland to set a lower corporation
tax, Empey said: "I would harbour that ambition to achieve special tax status."

Judging my Annabel and Co's comments on the Lib Dems trying to get changes to taxation in Scotland. It would seem that Annabel's time around the shadow cabinet table haven't been as productive as Reg has used his time in discussions. I am of course happy to hear from any of my Scottish Conservative friends who wish to prove otherwise.

BTW I've started to write a little column for Slugger as well.

*From my time working in the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment.

Is it Time For Northern Irish Liberal Democracy?

Following the new that Labour are to organise in Northern Ireland, and seeing as the Ulster Unionists and Conservatives are treading carefully towards their allegiance, is is time to awake the electorally dormant but keen Northern Irish Liberal Democrats? And what does this mean for our sister party there the Alliance Party?

The Lib Dems in Northern Ireland have long taken the stance that they would not contest elections but lend support to the most prominent centrist party, which is the Alliance Party with their 7 Assembly Members and 32 councillors. David Ford and his group of elected representatives have long been fighting an uphill struggle where when facing oppression people tend to flock to the political extremes rather than to the centre. The consolidators and consensus viewpoint tends to get drowned out by clarion calls of "No!", "Never!" or whatever.

With the Good Friday agreement the mood at least for a while lifted and there was real hope for many of a change. But with the repetitive start stop start of devolution in Northern Ireland the old party divides became more entrenched to the extent that the DUP and Sinn Fein overtook the Ulster Unionists and SDLP respectively further polarising Northern Irish politics. Against such movement to the flanks the fact that the Alliance retained its group size in Stormont was a notable achievement. But other centrist groupings like the Northern Ireland Women's coalition lost out in both their MLAs.

But if the Tories and Labour are both serious about fighting future elections in Northern Ireland is it time for NI Lib Dems and the Alliance Party to formalise our bounds and stop merely living together?

What could the Lib Dems give to Northern Ireland? While the Tories will be ending up with a protestant party in Northern Ireland through its marriage with the Ulster Unionist the Alliance as with the working classes who may come to the Labour movement are spread across the divides. Indeed the temporary realignment of a couple of Alliance MLA's to get the qualified majority of a key piece of legislation during the first Assembly caused rather a stir. So the Lib Dems wouldn't enhance that message of reconciliation as both parties already abide by the liberty and freedoms of all. Indeed the Alliance peers do take the Lib Dem whip in the House of Lords already so there is already some quasi-formality in the arrangement.

What it would do would provide assistance, structure and experiences that would greatly enhance the ability of the centrist voice in Northern Ireland. From campaigning strategy to policy formation and following through to Government level in Scotland and Wales. Look (and listen) around you. Lembit Opik and Michael Moore are two MPs who both hail from Northern Ireland. Then there are activists, workers, councillors etc around the country who hail from there myself included. Many of us still have links with people 'back home' and take a keen interest in goings on in 'Norn Iron'. However, even if we return for a short spell we may have been put off from too active an involvement due to the underlying sectarianism of politics back home. But if the Northern Irish seats were to be contested by the three main UK parties plus of course Sinn Fein as the equivalent of the SNP in Scotland and Plaid Cymru in Wales the Lib Dems rather than the Alliance should be the name on the ballot papers alongside that of Labour and the Conservative and whatever Party.

One final thing on this issue as discussed with Lembit Opik outside the Glee Club at the spring 2005 Conference in Harrogate. If we do want to fight elections seriously there is Lembit going to stand in our home constituency of North Down and does he still want me to assist as an organiser or something?

Is This a Northern Irish Breakthrough?

My former Minister, from when I worked at the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment, Sir Reg Empey and Conservative leader David Cameron have today issued what may be an historic statement. The will set up a "joint working group to explore the possibilities of closer cooperation leading to the creation of a new political and electoral force in Northern Ireland. That working group will report to us in the autumn." Possibly
paving the way for full involvement in the mainland parties in Northern Ireland.

While there is the Northern Ireland Branch of the Liberal Democrats and Labour has allowed Northern Irish members full rights since 2003 none of the main UK Parties have made much of an impact in Northern Politics against the sectarian nature of the recent past. One exception may be the one term that the Conservatives were the largest group on North Down Borough Council but then my home area has always been a little bit maverick. Labour and the Conservatives both had representation, through the top up system, at the talks that led to the Good Friday Agreement but failed to gain representation at the first Assembly Elections that followed. The Lib Dem NI Branch has not been actively seeking election while the Alliance Party has been seen as a more credible Liberal voice in the province.

Of course in typical Tory parlance they have set up another exploratory so like most of their policy aims nothing is firmed up yet. But is it the time? Is Northern Ireland ready to throw off the sectarian politics that have existed for decades?

When Northern Ireland first gained devolved power as an insider on the civil service side I was impressed at how the local politicians actually really relished the change to start talking about and dealing with the real bread and butter issues. They no longer had to posture for the sake of posturing, they had power to make changes and they wanted to use it wisely. In that respect the politicians I'm sure are still ready. It is the voters that have often inherited their voting patterns based not so much on policy but on religious affiliation where the issues may lie.

Again there was a willingness when the Assembly first gathered to give this a go, however the last elections did show a move towards the extremes yet again, which at the time I saw as a worrying sign. Personally I'd be glad to see the end of being a side show at Westminster but being able for Northern Irish people to fully engage as every other part of the UK can.

I will however, as with so much, wait and see what comes out of the Cameron started working group, nothing is really set in stone just yet.