ALLIANCE Assembly member Seamus Close has accused the Security Minister of cowardice by refusing to take action against the Army’s decision to reinstate the killers of Peter McBride following a damning report by the military watchdog yesterday. In the House of Commons this morning, Minister Ian Pearson said that the decision to allow Scots Guardsmen […]
ALLIANCE Leader and South Antrim Assembly member David Ford has backed calls for an independent environmental watchdog in the wake of the Waste Management Advisory Board for Northern Ireland’s (WMABNI) latest report. Mr Ford said: “It is a sad reflection on the Department of the Environment that it is one of the biggest threats to […]
Speaking after the political talks at Lancaster House today, Alliance Party Leader David Ford MLA stated: “The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach highlighted four areas that must be resolved in the September talks. Alliance also emphasised the need to build a united community, improving community relations and dealing with the concerns of victims. “While the […]
Following the publication of a Queen’s University report for the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Ministers (OFMDFM) on how sectarianism affects children, Alliance Deputy Leader Eileen Bell said: “While we already knew that sectarian tensions have an impact on children in Northern Ireland, very little has been done to give them the […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Michael Long (Castlereagh) has said he is dismayed to learn that elected representatives were not informed of the Queen’s visit to the Braniel estate. Cllr Long said that the hoisting of a Royal Standard in the estate (at the junction of the Glen Road and Knock dual carriageway) could only signify that the […]
Alliance Councillor Geraldine Rice has accused the UUP of being more interested in securing council positions than fairness or equality after Castlereagh Borough Council’s Annual General Meeting. Cllr Rice expressed her anger at the decision at the Council’s AGM to yet again exclude Alliance Party councillors from the top posts. A DUP member was elected […]
ALLIANCE Assembly member for East Antrim Sean Neeson has written to the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the Director of Public Prosecutions to call for an appeal into the minimum jail term of Conor Doyle for the murder of Angela Snoddy recently. Mr Doyle was given a 10-year minimum term – the lowest […]
ALLIANCE Leader David Ford has accused the British and Irish Governments’ talks strategy of being comparable to one of Baldrick’s ‘cunning plans’. The character from the ‘Blackadder’ comedy TV series was famous for his plans, which were so half-baked that they inevitably ended in disaster. Mr Ford said: “The Governments are trying to breathe new […]
Alliance Party Victims Spokesperson, Eileen Bell MLA, has welcomed the decision by the Criminal Justice Minister that Hate Crime legislation will be extended to include attacks upon persons with disabilities. Eileen Bell said: “This is an important addition to the forthcoming Hate Crime legislation. The Government has listened to the representations that have been made […]
ALLIANCE Councillor and Belfast Lord Mayor Tom Ekin has said he welcomes moves by loyalists in north Belfast’s Westland estate to clean up their area for the Twelfth. Cllr Ekin said: “Everyone has a right to celebrate their culture, but how it is done is equally important. With rights come responsibilities, and it is very […]