Tuesday 17 November 2009

UUP join the race to the right

The battle between the TUV and the DUP for the votes of unionist extremists is one of the constants of current Northern Irish politics. It is surprising, however, to see the UUP joining in the battle, rather than exploiting the opportunity to re-colonise the centre ground that the DUP is vacating.

One of the most obvious (and clearly sectarian) proxy battles that unionism fights against nationalism concerns the GAA. The GAA is enormously popular amongst cultural Catholics, and thus by extension amongst nationalists. GAA clubs are often the centres of social life in rural and small town life for cultural Catholics. Because of this, and because the GAA is a proudly Irish organisation, extreme unionists constantly criticise, demean, belittle and try to hinder the GAA – but entirely without success. The GAA for its part insists that it is an apolitical sporting organisation.

The GAA represents the Irish cultural community at play – nothing more and nothing less.

So it is both puzzling and disappointing to see the UUP joining in the petty criticisms of the GAA that are more normally the stock-in-trade of the DUP and its Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Nelson McCausland.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Tom Elliott (and UUP candidate for the UCUNF ticket next year) says that there should be 'more equality and balance when it comes to the distribution of funding to GAA and soccer clubs across Northern Ireland'. He goes on to quote the amounts of money that they two sports receive from the public purse: "since 2004 the Ulster Council of the GAA and GAA clubs have received £19,911,475. By comparison, the Irish Football Association and soccer clubs have received £17,150,044", but he fails to state either how many clubs there are, or even how many players.

Worse though, than his economy with the facts, is his parroting of DUP-style prejudice against the GAA:
"GAA is an organisation which has a strong Irish nationalist ethos and attracts very few players from outside the Roman Catholic community."

"Along with this we have the GAA clubs and grounds named after Republican rerrorists and sickening displays like we witnessed at Galbally."

"Soccer is a very community orientated sport which is played by people across Northern Ireland regardless of religious or political opinion. It is true to say that both organisations and their clubs help to promote some wonderful qualities including team work, keeping fit and community spirit. However, it is extremely difficult to see how higher levels of funding for the GAA are justifiable given its limited appeal when you compare the two sports."

"I would call upon the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure, Nelson McCausland, to look into this issue as soon as possible and work to ensure equality between the sport clubs and their governing bodies in terms of the money they receive."

Elliott's approach bears similarities with earlier calls (from John Laird, principally) for equality of funding to Irish and Ulster-Scots, despite the vast difference in the numbers of people, organisations, publications and so on. In this latter case the aim was clearly to vastly over-fund the Ulster-Scots sector, or more cynically, to try to starve the Irish language sector. In his similar calls for parity between the GAA and soccer, Elliott may well be attempting a similar exercise.

Elliott's call comes at a point in Northern Ireland's political development where his party, in conjunction with the English Tories, claim to be trying to de-sectarianise politics. This kind of call, though, with its clear call to Protestant tribal solidarity, seems to be at odds with the UCUNF project. This is, of course, not the first time that Elliott has acted against the spirit of the UCUNF project. But instead of merely being reported in the press, his current anti-GAA statements are now being featured on the UUP website – they represent, to all extents and purposes, UUP policy. This cannot therefore be seen as just another Elliott 'solo run' – it is a transposition of the dreary steeples of Mr Elliott's constituency to the wider UUP.

It seems that those who were cynical about the UCUNF non-merger when it was first announced are being proved correct. UCUNF claimed that it would offer a new type of politics, but it is now serving up more of the same old unionist tribalism.

What is surprising is that the strategists of the UUP have not noticed the yawning gap in the centre. As the DUP chase the TUV over to the wilder fringes of unionism, a large space is opening up closer to the centre – a space that includes moderate unionists, Alliance Party supporters, even some Catholics – who might be attracted to a tolerant, non-sectarian party that genuinely sought to represent everyone in Northern Ireland. By promoting the old-fashioned bigotry of people like Elliott the UUP is repelling such people, and ensuring that the UUP and its UCUNF project will not succeed. Only be reaching out to people from the cultural Catholic tradition will UCUNF have any hope of success. If it prefers to stay within its tribal comfort zone it will fail, and as the Protestant tribe diminishes proportionately its failure will help to ensure the end of Northern Ireland as a separate entity. For non-unionists this is, of course, to be welcomed, but it is a puzzle nonetheless why unionists appear to be so blind to the danger such tribalism poses to the very existence of their state.

If the UUP join the other unionists in a race to the right, they leave the centre unexploited – let alone the areas on the light green side of the divide that they desperately need to approach – especially now that the SDLP appears less capable of holding its own. It is a curious feature of Northern Irish politics that as both sides increasingly need to poach support from the centre, both sides seem to be abandoning that very centre ground. And yet at the same time the archetypal 'centre party' – Alliance – also appears incapable of capitalising on the lack of competition.

26 comments:

Nordie Northsider said...

Twas always so. My memories of growing up in East Derry were that some of the most outrageous and incendiary statements came from UUPers. Our MP, William Ross, was hardly an MP for all sides and has since made the full extent of his fanaticism known to all. The TUV apologised for deeming Irish a leprechaun language, but the late Harold McCusker MP stood proudly by his 'dodo language' statement. The UUP in Coleraine didn't manage a single unqualified condemnation of the lynching of Kevin McDaid. Moderate? In comparison to what exactly?

bangordub said...

Nordie,
It was ever so.
In the absence of reason, we resort to abuse.
Please quote the last even mildly reconciliatory statement by a UUP representative.
Seige mentality is central to Unionist politics. Without it they have no "raison d'etre"
In the rapid move to the right (DUP, TUV) the UCUNFS have missed their opportunity. Instead of occupying the centre, they have, guess what, alligned themselves with an English right wing party.
If you doubt that look at whats happening in Norfolk.
Where next for the Garden Centre Unionists?

Watcher said...

ENGLISH right wing party? They've elected representatives in all parts of The UK including Ulster.

I guess with their stance in Norfolk they must be targeting the traditional Catholic vote, apparently they're not too keen on adultery (or abortion, or homosexuality). Should stand them well in Ulster...

bangordub said...

Scotland?

bangordub said...

Ulster?
You mean Sylvia?

bangordub said...

Wales?
I'm looking it up now...........

bangordub said...

Apologies, They've got, eh, 3MPs in Wales
My Mistake

AMERICAPHILE SIC SEPARABIT said...

...to try to starve the Irish language sector...

WHY DO YOU PHRASE THAT AS IF THAT'S A BAD THING?

bert said...

Why would you say that? Gimmie a valid rational reason as to why that would be a good thing please...

Would the English like it if we starved the English Culture???

Then why do the English assume its ok to do it to the Irish?

You Loyalists are strange people!!!...

Anonymous said...

The Conservatives are, de facto, an English party. Their representation outside England is a joke. If Labour loses the next election as badly as some expect then the SNP will be heading for a referendum and independence sooner rather than later.

The disunited kingdom will find hanging onto and subsidising N.I. more than a little tiresome and expensive.

Anonymous said...

Yet another survey in which Ireland comes out ahead of the UK

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2009/cpi_2009_table

Anonymous said...

I suppose their Tory partners would harbor no reservations about the UUP strategy.
It's a shame but there's probably no real downside from their perspective to partnering with a vision-less UUP - unlikely to be a significant target voting block in the UK who care about the NI situation one way or another.
Still - they should at least be forced to put up a link to the UUP website for their membership to judge for themselves.
I had a poke around the Conservative website and their new found partners are not exactly front and centre - can anyone find a reference to the UUP on the website?...

Watcher said...

Thick Paddy said:

"The Conservatives are, de facto, an English party. Their representation outside England is a joke."

Really?

Scotland:

1 Euro MP
1 Westminster MP
17 Scottish Parliament Members

Wales:

1 Euro MP
3 Westminster MPs
12 Welsh Assembly Members

Ulster:

1 Euro MP
1 Westminster MP
18 NI Assembly Members

+ Many councillors in Those UK regions.

Hardly a joke (not even an Irish one).

"If Labour loses the next election as badly as some expect then the SNP will be heading for a referendum and independence sooner rather than later."

How amusing! The SNP will need to secure a SP majority first. Do you not follow the news? In the recent Glasgow election Labour achieved 12000+ votes against The SNP's 8000+ votes. I think you'll be waiting some time for The Scots to deliver an independent Ulster.

"The disunited kingdom will find hanging onto and subsidising N.I. more than a little tiresome and expensive."

No they won't. Each mainland family only subsidises Ulster to the tune of £250/year - as opposed to ROI families having to find £4000/year in the event of Irish Unity.

Next!

AMERICAPHILE QUIS SEPARABIT said...

Gimmie a valid rational reason as to why that would be a good thing please...

GAELIC WASTES PUBLIC FUNDS.

Would the English like it if we starved the English Culture???

CULTURE IS LIVED, NOT TAKEN UP AS A HOBBY IN A NIGHT SCHOOL COURSE.

Then why do the English assume its ok to do it to the Irish?

THE IRISH, WISELY, DISCARDED GAELIC THEMSELVES.

Anonymous said...

Says who!

Anonymous said...

The tories lost ALL their seats in Scotland in 1997 and have not really recovered since (1!). As a proportion of the whole the numbers of Westminster MPs (to whom I was referring; I should have made that clear) outside England is indeed a joke.

The tories themselves acknowledge that they will have problems with Scotland if (when) they win

http://conservativehome.blogs.com/thetorydiary/2009/06/tory-mp-warns-that-tory-government-endangers-union-with-scotland.html

In short, the tories are not well positioned to forestall a breakup of the UK. They remain largely English.

Anonymous said...

> THE IRISH, WISELY, DISCARDED GAELIC THEMSELVES
Suggest you learn a little Irish history sunshine. The school system introduced by the British in 1831 suppressed the language by requiring instruction in English and PUNISHING children for speaking their own language. The famine and the diaspora to mostly English speaking countries created a requirement for the Irish to be fluent in English. From a globalisation point of view it was an advantage, culturally it was not so different at the time it happened from whatever words you would use to describe the Germans invading Denmark and compelling the Danes to speak German.

Had that happenend you wouldn't presume to tell the Danes it was unimportant, that they shouldn't try to hold on their culture.

As for your comment about culture being lived, there are many many people who earn their bread via Irish.

AMERICAPHILE QUIS SEPARABIT said...

The school system introduced by the British in 1831....

THE INDEPENDENT DUBLIN REGIME HAS BEEN IN EFFECT (AND PUSHING GAELIC) SINCE 1926.

YET, THE "GAELTACHTS" HAVE BEEN SHRINKING SINCE.


Had that happenend you wouldn't presume to tell the Danes.

THE DANES SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE NATURALLY. ITS NEITHER A PRISON CODE NOR A HOBBY PICKED IN IN A NIGHT SCHOOL COURSE WHICH THEY DEMAND OTHERS SUBSIDISE.

Anonymous said...

Munsterman says :

On a lighter note... something here for the whole country - north, south, east and west, Nationalist and Unionist, Babe-magnets all.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/03/irish_accent/

Nordie Northsider said...

Some people have suggested that Horseman censor the wilder loyalist comments on this site. Could I suggest that we simply refuse to rise to the bait. There really is no point in replying to the likes of 'Americaphile'. He doesn't want a debate. He's just using this site to offload some of his rage with the world.

Anonymous said...

It is entirely true that the Irish, so called "Dublin regime" has run Irish education for 80 odd years. That's less time than British made education in English mandatory (with the Irish govt. didn't undo) and by which time the Irish language was in danger of extirpation.

Had the Germans inflicted on the Danes what the British did to the Irish I am quite sure there would have been be a resistance movement associated with the Danish language.

My first language was Irish. I personally resented its appropriation by men of violence and I disliked the positive discrimination by the state in favour of the language. The language has revived further without that.

It isn't going away, any more than Irish music is. It's rather common for cultural activities to be subsidised in general -- as in the case of the lottery in the UK funding the arts. It's less common for a colonial power to subsidise a colony to the tune of a measureable share of its national debt--so that the colonists can carry on oppressing an artifically created minority community. Suggest you review the history of Catalonia and the connections between language, identity, autonomy etc.

Some time in London might also help you get over your monoglot bile. Every NHS document for the public I've ever seen has text in punjabi, bangla, hindi, turkish and a dozen other languages, and interpreters are available as needed, at presumably considerable expense.

In connection with governments the word "regime" ordinarily has connotations of illegitimacy, as in the case of a military dictatorship. I think you'll find that the Irish govt has international recognition and that it was democratically elected from the moment of its inception.

Why not just call it the Irish government, or if you have hangups about the word Irish, the Dublin government?

Seymour Major said...

"...but he fails to state either how many clubs there are, or even how many players"

So do you fail to state the figures Horseman. Until the figures are so stated, I would not jump on Tom Elliot for complaining about unfairness.

You have quoted some of his criticisms of the GAA. Perhaps if Tom Elliot makes a criticism of the GAA, it looks bigoted to many because he is an Orange man. OK, it is not so easy to reach out to Catholics if you are a member of the Orange Order.

I am a Catholic and I do attend Gaelic Football matches at County Level and more occasionally my local club in an important match. Whether you like it or not, Tom Elliot has raised an issue, which you have ignored.

It would be wrong to call Gaelic Football a sectarian sport in 2009 but it certainly is a nationalist sport. Sports, if they are to attract universal interest, should keep nationality out of it, unless the match itself is an international or the final of a national competition. I dont have a problem with the Irish language booming over the loud speakers but the GAA should think seriously about removing the Republican tricolour and the Republic of Ireland National Anthem from matches (unless it is an international or a cup final at Dublin). If they were able to do that, they would command my respect and appreciation.

UCUNF do certainly want to get away completely from sectarianism. There are obstacles still and they have been and are being addressed but sometimes political statements are wrongly identified as being sectarian.

I agree that Ulster Scots is not comparable to Irish but unfortunately, we are stuck with what was agreed at St Andrews between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

In the case of Tom Elliot's remarks, there is not enough information there to justify such a judgment.

What I am sure about is that the UUP is not trying to occupy the ground being fought over by the TUV and the DUP.

Horseman said...

Seymour

There is so much I disagree with in your comment that I’m afraid this reply is too long to be posted dso i'll do it in two parts. Bear with me.

So do you fail to state the figures Horseman. Until the figures are so stated, I would not jump on Tom Elliot for complaining about unfairness.

But I was not the one making an unprovoked call for ‘equality’ without any basis. He did, and thus the onus is on him to justify his call. Neither body (GAA or IFA) publish figures for players, and supporter figures are not really comparable, but anecdotal evidence tends to show greater participation in the GAA.

Also, there are simply more young male Catholics (GAA fodder) than young male Protestants.

You have quoted some of his criticisms of the GAA. Perhaps if Tom Elliot makes a criticism of the GAA, it looks bigoted to many because he is an Orange man. OK, it is not so easy to reach out to Catholics if you are a member of the Orange Order.

Why on earth would membership of the OO mean opposition to the GAA? I thought the OO was all about religion. Are you implying that it is simply a blanket anti-Irish organisation? And if so, what re UCUNF MLAs doing in it?

I am a Catholic and I do attend Gaelic Football matches at County Level and more occasionally my local club in an important match. Whether you like it or not, Tom Elliot has raised an issue, which you have ignored.

Your religion is irrelevant. I don’t know why you feel the need to mention it. Also, AFAIK, you are English, so your religion is doubly irrelevant.

(to be continued)

Horseman said...

(part 2)

It would be wrong to call Gaelic Football a sectarian sport in 2009 but it certainly is a nationalist sport.

And? Do the Tories in Wales spurn anything ‘welsh’? In Scotland the same? I think not. You are falling into the nasty side of unionism here – the bigoted anti-Irish side. I thought you were better than that.

Sports, if they are to attract universal interest, should keep nationality out of it, unless the match itself is an international or the final of a national competition.

Then I guess you ‘oppose’ the IFA? They are most certainly constrained by ‘nationality’. The difference is that theirs is a British nationalism – is that OK in sport?

Also, what do you mean by “an international” – have you any understanding of the GAA at all? Or are you one of these silly unionists who calls a match between Fermanagh and Cavan an ‘international’?

I dont have a problem with the Irish language booming over the loud speakers

That’s big of you.

… but the GAA should think seriously about removing the Republican tricolour and the Republic of Ireland National Anthem from matches (unless it is an international or a cup final at Dublin). If they were able to do that, they would command my respect and appreciation.

The GAA is an Irish organisation, and the flag and the anthem are the flag and anthem of the nation, not just the 26 county state. The GFA “recognise[s] the birthright of all the people of Northern Ireland to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British, or both, as they may so choose”. The GAA is part of that identification, as are the flag and anthem. I presume you are not opposed to this birthright?

UCUNF do certainly want to get away completely from sectarianism. There are obstacles still and they have been and are being addressed but sometimes political statements are wrongly identified as being sectarian.

You know, I know, and the whole world knows, that that statement was sectarian in spirit. You do UCUNF no favours by trying to deny it. You’d be better off getting rid of the backward types like Elliott.

I agree that Ulster Scots is not comparable to Irish but unfortunately, we are stuck with what was agreed at St Andrews between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

In the case of Tom Elliot's remarks, there is not enough information there to justify such a judgment.


His remarks are the evidence. Their appearance on the UUP (99% of UCUNF) website make them UCUNF policy. That is what you should be dealing with.

What I am sure about is that the UUP is not trying to occupy the ground being fought over by the TUV and the DUP.

It looks to me as if some of your members are not fully on message, then. You’ve only 6 more months, so you’d better start proving your ‘non-sectarianism’. So far you look no different at all to the bad old UUP. You (Seymour) keep promising things, but they never appear. Where, for instance, is the movement on the Irish language that you hinted at a few months ago? The voter is not a patient person, so I’d make more effort if I was you to influence the course of UCUNF. So far you’ve had no visible effect – but if your comments represent your thinking then you are pretty close to UUP thinking anyway.

I’ll be happy to see UCUNF fail, of course, but I’m just amazed at how you are all so locked into your narrow thinking that you cannot take advantage of the openings in the centre. Knocking the GAA will win you no centre votes – and yet you defend it!

Seymour Major said...

"The GAA is an Irish organisation, and the flag and the anthem are the flag and anthem of the nation, not just the 26 county state."

I understand where you are coming from. The GAA's Irish identity is a selfish one. It does not need to hold on to it in the way it does in order to keep the sport popular.

Is there a case for changing its identity from a Nationalist one to just purely an Irish one (without a nationalist element)? There is - big time - it would be of great benefit to better community relations. On the other hand, so long as it holds on to it, the longer it will continue to be perceived as a sectarian and isolationist sport.

I dont expect you or anybody from the GAA to agree with me in the short term.

Anonymous said...

Seymour Major said...

Is there a case for changing its identity from a Nationalist one to just purely an Irish one (without a nationalist element)? There is - big time - it would be of great benefit to better community relations.

I have to agree with Seymour here, and I'm a republican myself. The GAA needs to be seen to be making a real effort to get it's more political members to tone down their republicanism.

The fact that it has republicans among it's members doesn't mean there is something inherently republican about the sport, obviously, any more than the links of some Italian clubs with Fascism makes all soccer supporters Fascist either.