Anyone reading the Irish News today will notice a suspiciously small article detailing how three SDLP Councillors in Belfast, including their group leader, have been suspended from the party and are facing serious disciplinary action over their abstentions on a controversial vote. Now before we go on any further, it shows a rotten bias within that paper, for we all know how big the headline would have been if it had been three Sinn Fein Councillors in this dilemma – revealing what everyone already knows anyway, that the Irish News is and always has been the mouthpiece of the Social Democratic & Labour Party, just as it attacked republicans in favour of the Redmondites a century ago.
There are relatives of SDLP representatives working within that tabloid, who have a partisan agenda in how they present the “news”. But let’s explore the matter in more detail. A party which claims to be of the centre-left, a party who’s leader is desperately trying to get photo opportunities alongside Jeremy Corbyn at EU-related events (in the hope that Colum is either relevant or important), contains Councillors who abstained on a crucial vote opposing extremists who harass women over the abortion issue. A party which claims itself to be secular and in favour of a pluralist Irish republic, allows three individuals with such a regressive mindset, to serve in prominent Local Government positions, when they have expressed similar mindsets before.
I repeat, this isn’t the first time they have betrayed the progressive electorate they claim to represent. Belfast’s first Catholic Lord Mayor, Alban Magennis, who even the politest people locally find hard to stand, was a noted opponent (alongside the right wing of Unionism) of equal marriage at an Assembly-level. Patrick Convery (displaying his usual charisma of a funeral home) who has been suspended over this fiasco, also opposed the measure in the Local Government arena before.
This is ironic when a few noted individuals within the SDLP and the SDLP Youth (forever shrinking numerically) are either LGBT or claim to be feminists. For a party which loves to associate itself with John Hume and the Civil Rights Movement, their record on equality is rotten to the core. Do not be surprised if they stand a candidate against John Finucane in North Belfast out of sheer contempt for victims. For this and a litany of other betrayals confirm what I stated in my previous article, and which Paddy Devlin warned people of decades ago, that the SDLP are basically the Catholic Bishops in suits. They care nothing for the rights of women, victims or minorities. And in this General Election, any self-respecting woman should deal the knock-out blow to Mr Eastwood by depriving these intrigues of any Westminster representation forever more.
The electorate are looking to see some unity among the Pro-United Ireland – anti-brexit candidates. Our aim goes beyond narrow self-serving party politics. The politicians have to catch up. Sinn Féin cannot unite Ireland by themselves it will take a broad platform of pro-Unity canditates and pressure groups campaigning for the next 20 years to achieve what we want.
Tel that to the SDLP who have consistently cost Sinn
Fein electoral success by running candidates in seats which they have had no hope of winning , solely to deny the seat to SF resulting in Unionists winning the seat.
There claim to be ‘Constitutional Nationalists ‘ a term which makes no sense, is a cover for a middle class ‘don’t rock the boat mentality’ which delayed the peace process by ten or so years.
I would agree with you there Eoin. All of our politicians should have their eye on the prize. We really need the SDLP to nail their colours to the mast and to tell us once and for all what their plan for reuniting Ireland. Each party which claims to be Pro-Unity should outline a plan.
Ohh, the irony, the sheer Norn Irony.
Donal lambasts the SDLP as “Catholic Bishops in suits” on behalf of a Sinn Fein that today abstained on a motion opposing the obligatory Catholic prayer in the Dail that starts proceedings.
This is the same Sinn Fein that have repeatedly U-turned on Abortion Rights in Ireland, North and South.
The Sinn Fein that refuses to challenge the Catholic Church in their continuing provision of a separate Education system in the North.
The Sinn Fein that are silent on the National Maternity Hospital being transferred to an order of nuns that were responsible for the systematic horrors of the care-homes.
Surgeon, heal thyself.
Donal,any hints on the SDLP relatives in the Irish News?The Irish News must be the only paper totally at odds with the political views of it’s readership as it’s anti SF bias is overwhelming.
@ Michael.
The article (with) photos of the 3 suspended councillors in featured as one of 3 stories on page 4 of todays Irish News. It’s not perhaps the kangaroo court that Donal was hoping for, but a reasonable person would say its a fair article.
Donal fails to mention that on page 5 there are 3 stories, two of which are entirely positive about Sinn Feins candidates, Finucane and McElduff. The other story highlights an online troll that was abusing Finucane.
In all honesty, Donal has about as much credibility as Lord Haw-Haw. His constant attacks on political opponents are entirely self-defeating for Sinn Fein.
Its time to muzzle this particular attack-dog?
Kevin ,your “fake news” is becoming very tiresome.Yesterday the Dail passed a SF motion calling for “a new national materntiy hospital to be built as quickly as possible on the ST Vincents hospital campus and to be be kept entirely in public hands”
@ Michael
I’m happy to stand corrected on the National Maternity Hospital issue.
Any comment on any of my other “fake news” issues….?
Your “fake news” claim that pbp is not swp.
@ People Before Profit are NOT the Socialist Workers Party. It really doesn’t matter how many times you recite the mantra, it won’t make it true.
Ps. It’s somewhat ironic that you persist with this nonsense, bearing in mind that the Unionists have labelled your lot as Sinn Fein/IRA for a generation. A view confirmed by the Independent Monitoring Commission.
Using your warped logic, is Sinn Fein an IRA front?
We deserve to know…
Lol, all the people I knew in SWP are in PBP. The name became toxic so they rebranded. As soon as enough people hear from the likes of Kevin PBP will become toxic too.
“The Irish News is and always has been the mouthpiece of the Social Democratic & Labour Party.”
Which is why Gibney has a column in it and why Brian Feeney gives the SDLP a kicking almost every Wedensday. I have to admit, the bias is cunningly disguised.
Antain
Good point and perhaps we could add the name of former Spad Jarlath Kearney to the list of S F columnists in the Irish News.Even allowing for the fantasy world inhabited by Donal,maybe he could give us more “chapter and verse” on this sinister S D L P cabal within the Irish News!!
Indeed, and I see Daithí McKay writing the odd piece too.
I’m sure the SDLP would claim they’re very much standing up for people’s rights. They’re also perfectly entitled if they so wish to oppose gay marriage.
Many SF voters will look at their party south of the border committed to the repeal of the 8th and the abolition of Dail prayers and may be looking for something more conservative and traditional in their republicanism – basically what SF use to be before the cappuccino brigade took over.
Well said.
But the Shinners abstained on the Dail prayer issue. Hedging their bets?
Along with your bouts of fake news Kevin,you are also proficient at ommitting facts such as SF proposinga period of silence instead of prayer – a proposal supported by your PBP.
@ Michael
That SF proposal was knocked back.
They then abstained.on the obligatory.Catholic prayer.
Cal
What do right wing Catholics drink ? Wine ? Wine turned into blood?
Donal’s general thesis has been pretty comprehensively dismantled by the previous contributors but his single specific claim, that relatives of representatives of a political party impose a `partisan agenda’ on a daily newspaper, is clearly a serious one. Producing some factual evidence should be a straightforward process if Donal wishes to retain any credibility.