Category: Politics and Democracy
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No New Good Friday Agreement, but Hoping for an Easter Resurrection in Northern Ireland
As the talks to restore power-sharing break for Easter having failed to reach an agreement. Dr Peter McLoughlin looks at some of the sticking points that have led to this impasse almost 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement.
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Martin McGuinness – saint and sinner
Jonathan Powell, chief government negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 offers his own personal reflection on the late Martin McGuinness.
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Martin McGuinness: the IRA commander who walked down a political path
Following the death of former Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Dr Peter McLoughlin takes a look back over his path from IRA Commander to political negotiator and leader.
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Northern Ireland: how will the political stalemate end, and will there be a referendum to leave the UK?
Northern Ireland likely to have no government for the foreseeable future? Will direct rule from London be implemented? And are demands for a referendum on leaving the UK and uniting with the Republic of Ireland becoming harder to resist in the context of Brexit? Professor John Garry gives an overview of how events could unfold.
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Referendum in Ireland to Extend Voting Rights
In light of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s recent announcement to hold a referendum to allow Irish citizens resident outside the state the right to vote in Irish presidential elections, Professors John Garry and Colin Harvey look back at their input into the 2013 Constitutional Convention that made the recommendation for this right to be extended.
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Sinn Féin gains and the prospect of direct rule: the NI election fallout explained
Professor John Garry reviews the results of last week’s Northern Ireland elections and asks what’s next for the Assembly as negotiations begin.
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Scorpions in a bottle: the fight between Northern Ireland’s two main parties defines another election
Despite fresh elections tomorrow, stalemate and instability loom again with the likely result that Sinn Féin and the DUP will once more be elected the leading parties in their respective communities says Dr Peter McLoughlin.
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Northern Ireland after the election
The Northern Ireland Assembly election on 2 March is likely to be followed by a difficult political negotiation. Alan Whysall from UCL’s Constitution Unit argues that it must not be a mere political sticking plaster and that people in Northern Ireland outside politics need to get involved in setting the agenda.
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Setting the Context for the 2017 Assembly Elections
In light of the imminent elections, Dr Christopher Raymond looks at the changing size of the Northern Ireland Assembly and anticipates the potential impact of this reduction on parties’ seat shares.
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What can we learn from the democratic upsets of 2016?
With Trump in office and opening positions being articulated ahead of Brexit negotiations, the important question of how we got here remains the subject of debate and analysis. Dr John Moriarty reflects on these major democratic decisions and what they have taught us, or reminded us, about ourselves and our society.