What is James Brokenshire for? This is a question I’ve found myself asking more and more recently. He is of course the British Secretary of State, but given that we have our own Executive (‘’An ill-favoured thing, sir, but mine own’), is there anything Brokenshire does that enhances life and/or politics here?
Well, he’s the representative of the British government, and given that the British government ultimately exercise jurisdiction over this part of Ireland, and Mr Brokenshire is a part of Teresa May’s Cabinet, you could see him as a two-way conduit between here and Westminster. Except that it doesn’t quite work out that way.
For example, the British government has always been coy about telling us exactly the difference between the block grant they pass our way each year and the money in taxes that is diverted into the British Exchequer. You would think Mr Brokenshire might be able to help with a simple task like that. Alas, no.
Another equally important and even more pressing matter, particularly for the families involved, is the plight of those who lost a loved one during the Troubles at the hands of the British army. Now before anybody starts whatabouting and noting that the IRA haven’t been forthcoming about those they killed, there is a difference. The British army is part of the British Defence forces – their job is to protect the citizens of the UK. We pay them to do it and expect them to earn their money. The IRA, on the other hand, received no such funding and no expectation of law-enforcing was placed on them. So it is that the families of those killed by British forces want access to the documentation around the killing of their loved ones. They’re not getting it. And rather than fight on their behalf for the British state to reveal what it did to its own citizens, Mr Brokenshire sounds like a broken record, repeating the ‘national security’ mantra of his mistress (no, not that way, Virginia) Theresa May. In short, he’s useless, as the Ballymurphy families in particular have discovered.
But I have thought of one function Mr Brokenshire might discharge. Remember when Martin McGuinness was running for President of Ireland, and with the TV cameras on him he was ambushed by a man who claimed that Mr McGuinness knew who had killed his father, and declared loudly that Mr McGuinness was a liar to deny it? That event is seen as having considerably dented Mr McGuinness’s chances of a successful presidential bid.
Families like those from Ballymurphy might learn from that. A representative from them, or from the many victims listed in Ann Cadwallader’s book Lethal Allies, should arrange to be at an event where there are TV cameras trained on Mr Brokenshire. This could happen here in our own dear NE state, or better still in Mr Brokenshire’s own constituency of Old Bexley and Sidcup. The family member could lurk until the most promising moment and then declare loudly “Mr Brokenshire, in your role as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, you have access to information about who killed my loved one and why they did so. I want you to get that information for me”. If Mr Brokenshire says he hasn’t got the information, the family could either respond “But you know where it is” or, if they wished, “You’re a liar!”
A few such interactions would make for riveting viewing and could well sting Mr Brokenshire into action, to the benefit of that family and others whose loved one was killed by the British armed forces.
So you see, even the youthful Mr Brokenshire, with his squeaky-clean correctness and general uselessness, might serve a worthwhile purpose. It’d be good if he did, given that, as with the British armed forces, we help pay his wages.
Great story jude merry Christmas jude to you and your family and a happy New year also god bless you
Thank you Jim and the same to you and yours…
Happy Christmas Jude I am afraid action from Mr Brokenarse may take some time!!!
Agus Nollaig Shona Duitsa, Jim, and all your loved ones…
“Happy Christmas Jude I am afraid action from Mr Brokenarse may take some time!!!”
Jim, action must come from the families of those who lost loved ones to the British Army or their supporters, not from Mr Brokenarse.
I always remember what Irish Economist David McWilliams said/wrote: “To deal with an Economic crisis you must do 3 things: 1: Define your reality. Ask yourself what is actually going on, NOT what you would like it to be but what is reality. 2. Do something about it, don’t just talk, actually DO something about it. 3. Face into the Crisis, not delay it. Don’t kick the can on down the road”
That’s the approach I’ve taken to problems in my life ever since I read that line and it works. The families seeking Justice from the British State and their supporters (Which I’m one) need to do the same. They need to realize what the British State is up to (Define your reality). They need to DO something, not just talk or blog about it (confronting those defending British soldiers, etc). They need to deal with this quickly, not kick the can down the same road like the past lot of years (Face into the Crisis).
Brokenarse doesn’t want these families to get Truth or Justice, don’t expect him to help.
Every time I see James Brokenshire, I immediately think of Ronnie Corbett in one of his politically correct monologues, entirely predictable but without the humour. As for the ambushing, an interesting idea… I wouild love to see politicians and media representatives ambushed in the 26 counties regarding the Dublin-monaghan bombings, and their stewardship of nationalist-republican grievances here over british atrocoities and cover ups, and also their partisan, selective hypocritical focus on sinn feinn and republican activities.. Nollaig Shona, Jude.
Despite the Stormont arrangements,this is an illusion of democracy.The real seat of power over the north of Ireland is the NI Office.It is stuffed full of MI6 suits.Do you ever notice when State papers are released that there is a preponderence of English “civil servants” with an amazing number of initials before their Anglo surnames.Many of these MI6 go on to promoted positions in their Colonial remnants in the wider world.
suppose hes sort of a magician on the english side,he creates the illusion everything has changed and all the shooting booting and looting by the british in ireland is in the past.our own clowns employed by the magicians bosses help him out in the illusion pishing down peoples backs and telling them its raining.so a magician or a ring master trained in the old english art of ruling by fooling.
I’ve been saying for years something like that needs to happen, I’m surprised the Ballymurphy Families and many others haven’t done such a thing yet, they need to openly confront those who are denying them Justice, such as the MP’s who spoke out against prosecutions against British soldiers this week. Constant pressure needs to be put on the British Government because even the dogs in the street know they are delaying and delaying investigations, inquests and the release of files because they are guilty. This talk of “lack of resources” is absolute nonsense. Even UN representatives said the British State can not use “national security” as a veto.
I’m just after reading an article from a British soldier who murdered Joe McCann. The soldier is unnamed but he says he feels “betrayed” for being brought to court for murder, and that he was “only doing his job”. The last time I looked murdering people wasn’t what the British Army was here for…..or was it?….
To cast up the IRA exposes the mind set of many people who side with the British Government on this. Are they drawing an equivalence between the IRA and British Army? What has the IRA got to do with 300 Catholic civilians, many of them children, directly murdered by the British State? The British Army was meant to defend both communities here but yet over 95% of their killings (one source has it at over 300) were of Catholic civilians. They were very far from neutral. They were also taking orders from the British Government itself, numerous politicians like Margaret Thatcher have allegedly given orders to murder. Of course this is all without even touching on collusion.
If a person supports the British Government, opposes Justice for the like of the Ballymurphy families, etc then they should come out and openly say why. It wasn’t a soldiers “job” to murder anyone, and if it was then that raises even bigger questions. Personally I think many people back the British Government and British soldiers because their victims were Catholics. Every year when the Bloody Sunday commemoration march is held some communities in Derry deliberately fly parachute regiment flags as an endorsement of the murder that occurred that day. Why? because it was the taigs, the fenians, the Catholics being murdered. This doesn’t just apply to Bloody Sunday, it applies to all cases where Catholics were murdered by British soldiers or their allies in the UVF/UDA.
As Susan McKay, a Derry Protestant herself, witnessed: “The children in our school were cheering when Bloody Sunday occurred, our teachers sat by and did nothing. Most was of the opinion that the marchers in the anti-internment parade didn’t get it for nothing. They fully backed what they seen as THEIR soldiers”….
If they supported the murder, don’t expect them to support Justice for those murdered.
PS: I tweeted Jack Lopresti MP who has been most vocal in Westminster against prosecuting British soldiers. I told him that his “NI veterans” murdered many people here and are protected by the British State and that he ought to be ashamed of himself. He didn’t reply. I would urge many people to RESPECTFULLY contact MP’s who speak out against Justice. These people need confronted, either online or in person but please do NOT abuse because they would want that so they can play the victim.
THE TUSH-PUSH AMBUSH
On the hard Boulevard of Brokenshire
Where gigolo ‘n gigolette do conspire
To ambush Jim
To compel him
Retire from the home of the pneumatic tyre.
This is in reference to Blackman?
Now that you give it a mench from the bench, Your Honor.
Perkin for certain ain’t one for shirkin’. Or jerkin’ the gherkin while workin’.