ALLIANCE’S Strangford representative, Alderman Kieran McCarthy, has told PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde that elderly people are living in fear of being robbed. After a meeting with the Chief Constable, Mr McCarthy said: “While Mr Orde assured me the PSNI are doing what they can and that robberies of the elderly are not as common […]
Continuing unionist infighting could lead to Joint Authority, removing the possibility of the people of Northern Ireland governing themselves, Alliance Deputy Leader Eileen Bell has warned. Mrs Bell said: “This really is a case of Northern Ireland burning while the UUP fiddles with its own party political interests. “A large majority wish to see devolved […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Seamus Close has slammed councillors on Lisburn City Council for failing to support his call for illegal flags to be removed. Last night, Cllr Close proposed a motion calling on the authorities to remove illegal flags from the City’s roads. Only six councillors – from Alliance, the SDLP and one Ulster Unionist – […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has today put pressure on the Chief Constable to ensure that UDA violence and gangsterism is brought to an end. Speaking after the meeting at PSNI headquarters, Mr Ford stated: “For an organisation supposedly on ‘ceasefire’ UDA violence has continued unabated and led to genuine fear in all sections of the […]
Alliance Higher Education spokesperson Councillor Michael Long has said the Government has been given a stern lesson about its plans to introduce top-up fees in universities. While MPs voted by 267 to 193 on Monday against a motion to abandon the plans, the Government’s majority was slashed to just 74. Cllr Long stated: “The introduction […]
ALLIANCE Sports Spokesperson Councillor Michael Long has said that lessons can be learned after Glasgow City Council took action over the sale of sectarian material at football grounds. Last Tuesday, the Council’s Licensing Committee decided to ban licensed football memorabilia street traders outside the city’s four football stadia from trading in goods with sectarian, racial, […]
Alliance Leader David Ford has said South Antrim MP David Burnside’s inability to stand by the manifesto he was elected on has led to many voters regretting they supported him. Speaking after Mr Burnside resigned the UUP whip on Monday, Mr Ford stated: “The people who voted for David Burnside to defeat Willie McCrea did […]
Deputy Alliance Leader Eileen Bell has said there must be ‘positive regime change’ for asylum seekers in Northern Ireland, from prison facilities to more humane accommodation. Mrs Bell, who is Alliance’s Victims Spokesperson, was speaking after a visit to Maghaberry Prison at the invitation of Amnesty International to coincide with Refugee Week. Mrs Bell said […]
ALLIANCE Councillor Tom Ekin has said the Government should speed up the introduction of Hate Crimes legislation for Northern Ireland after the second attack on homes of people from ethnic minorities in two days. Condemning the violent robbery of a Chinese family in Finaghy, Cllr Ekin said: “It is crucial that the whole community displays […]
ALLIANCE has branded the Government’s ‘Reform of Water and Sewerage Services in Northern Ireland’ consultation process, which ends today (Friday), a farce. Finance Spokesperson Seamus Close said Alliance had written to new DRD Minister John Spellar MP to say that the Party would not be giving the Government’s consultation process any credibility by responding to […]