off the record issue three - 'one year on

8/13/2019 Off the Record Issue Three - 'One Year On'

1/16

Off The Record F R E E ! Issue #3 Dec 2013Comment and Opinion | Politics | Arts & Culture | Northern Ireland

@O therecordnifacebook.com/o therecordni

Also: Larkin NI21 Conference Dog kennel productionsbandsni

One Year OnParades protests flags twaddell city hall leadership


2/16

Welcome to O The Record, Northern Irelands newest print mag dedicated to politics, arts and culture. Consisting of up to date andcutting edge comment and opinion, our writers and contributors will work day and night to bring you the best content available! Enjoy!

2

ContentDid you hear...

Haass proposal to fix the flag issue?

Another flag. After months of inter party talks and will-they- wont-they politics, Richard Haass has startedto oat the idea of a neutral Northern Irish ag. Which sounds nice, as it will give bothcommunities something to unite against inhatred. Actually, thats pretty smart.

MPS question alan rusbridger asking:

do you love your country? With politicians running around looking forsomeone to blame for the Snowden leaks, theGuardian editor was called in for questioning.Cue sanctimonious drivel about patriotism anda blatant attack on the notion of a free press. The Government should be ashamed.

Ulster bank goes down...

on all its customers

This will never happen again, the CEOof Ulster Bank said, before hitting CTRL- ALT-DEL, crying, jumping in his Lexus andmaintaining a solid 120mph to Mexico. One canonly assume the robotic systems that govern ourmoney are trying to go all Skynet . Beware.

Hopkins transforms into her true self...

reveals she likes taste of human blood*

Yes, revealed on The One Show - in betweenslagging o the Scottish after a national tragedyand picking ghts with the IRA - that she isactually a vampire-human hybrid that duringthe night takes ight looking for human souls tosustain harvest for her next 100 year cycle. *Not

in this issue

Page 6Twaddell Avenue

Page 12ni21 conference

Page 10dup conference

Jason A Murdock

In between coffee and pondering the biggest of lifes existential problems(why is my laptop battery so terrible/

wanting to read a book but the light isoff/crying that someone unfollowedme on Twitter) I have to nd the timeto edit this wonderful magazine. Notthat it is a hassle, quite the opposite.

This issue that you are now reading isour Christmas Special! Not that you would ever know it, as there is adistinct lack of tinsel, white beardsand commerical exploitation.

Yes, our team spent the better halfof November researching this issue.Talking to people on the ground aboutthe issues that have plagued NorthernIreland for the past year. Flags, egs,

whatever you wish. Travelling toTwaddell Avenue was an experience I

wont forget any time soon thats forsure. I hope you enjoy the read. Besure to give us some feedback! Youcan be sure to nd us lurking on socialmedia:

@Offtherecordnifacebook.com/offtherecordni

Merry Solstice!Jason.

@Jason_A_Murdock


3/16


4/16

Off The Record4Rise of the hardliners

Rise of the Hardlin& The Liberal

Reporting by: Jason Murdock & Jason Ashford

The decision to take down the Union Flag in order to bring Northern Ireland in line with the United Kingdoms designateddays policy was a democratic decision albeit one opposed by many unionist politicians. With Belfast City Council beingdelicately balanced with a Unionist majority and large Nationalist minority, the Alliance Party found itself in an unenviableposition of having to nd a compromise between ying the ag every day or not at all. The middle ground of ying the UnionJack on designated days was therefore a decision borne of political compromise. Before the vote, the DUP and the UUPdistributed a large number of lea ets featuring the slogan A shared future for who? and pictured was a City Hall with, andopposite without the Union Flag. Under the image was written in bold Brought to you by the Alliance Party. If you arelooking for the catalyst that caused the outrage and anger from the unionist community, you need to look no further than the 40,000 yellow lea ets posted through many a door with the thinly veiled request for protest. For a year that would includeNaomi Long on the receiving end of death threats, and the petrol bombing of Alliance o ces, this is one political tactic thatback red magni cently instead of simply tarnishing Alliances reputation among unionist voters, it created a genuinelypointed anger at fellow politicians who lets not forget, the DUP are supposed to be in Government with. It must be saidthat if as many unionists voted for Peter Robinson at the last election as were on the streets after the ag was taken down,Mrs Long would not have been sitting in his old seat at Westminster.

ne of the more depressing sights to come out of the entire years worth of news coverage has been the focus on a number of guresthat have been anointed leaders of this movement such as WillieFrazer (victims campaigner and member of the politically doomed andmorally ambiguous Protestant Coalition) and Jamie Bryson (audiencemember on the Nolan show and subsequent member of the generalpublic). For any unionist wanting their cause to seem just, it must havebeen with a sense of utter dismay that they watched these two walkdown the street dressed as Abu Hamza and a weird Cher lookalike. With every step, the Union Flag crawled further away, probably on its

own accord. Many of these leaders have much less support from thePUL community than the headlines would have you believe.

The rise of the hardliners is not only in reference to talk of an increasein UVF/Paramilitary activities (indeed, as I write, Martin McGuinnesshas just released a statement that he believes the parades organisedfor the busiest trading Saturday of the year are backed by the UVF)but also to a rise in hardline attitudes overall. The two main politicalparties, DUP and Sinn Fein backed in to their respective corners and while some could claim that Sinn Fein have better representation onthe streets, the year still managed to include the postcard scene that wasGerry Kelly sur ng a police landrover.

Northern Ireland has been in the hangover period ever since, but thereremains hope; like an alcoholic that has reached their lowest point, theonly way is up. The rst indication of a change in the zeitgeist came inthree forms the increase (based on the census results) that a signi cantpercentage of the NI population would describe themselves as North-

ern Irish, the rise of the term silent majority in the local press and thepeace rally at City Hall on the 16th of December 2012. The rally was adirect result of the embryonic ag protests and called for a two minute no silence in which those gathered made as much noise as possiblebefore leaving abruptly at 12pm in time for the shops opening. Even inthis early, fairly middle class co ee scene gathering, the indicationexisted that people didnt want a return to violence and intimidation ofthe protesters atmosphere. Nevertheless, it represented the rstexample of a liberal backlash.

After Basil McCrea and John McCallister left the UUP afterdisagreements over the ag decision they decided that this silentmajority was signi cant enough in numbers to form the basis of a newpolitical party. Flying on the liberal ticket and choosing compassionand moderation over the tried and failed methods of politics by division,NI21 launched in June 2013.

The violent attacks on Alliance o ces and the attempted intimidationof party members throughout 2013 made a mockery of the idea that theissue of the ag being taken down would be quickly forgotten. Thepublic reaction and condemnation by moderates highlighted themassive gap between these two sides of the political spectrum. Where we have seen both Sinn Fein and the DUP react to the problems of thelast year by appealing more and more to their die-hard base, some of thesmaller parties have started to reach out with more moderate-friendlypolicies. For example, both the SDLP and the PUP have thrown theirsupport behind the idea of marriage equality in a year when EdwinPoots the DUP health minister has faced accusations of homophobia.

O


5/16

5The Liberal Backlash

You can visit our blog at: www.offtherecordni.wordpress.com

A recent poll in the Belfast Telegraphshowed signi cant support for moremoderate politics. NI21 polled at nearly 5% ofthe vote and the Alliance party, despite some very negative propaganda, were polled at10.2%. In a year in which somecommentators predicted the collapse of the Alliance party, their support base appears toremain solid, indicating they could match oreven better their share of 7.7% at the last

assembly elections should an election be heldtomorrow.

There is signi cant evidence mounting thata shift in attitude is well underway. The lastcensus was indicative of more of theelectorate de ning themselves as NorthernIrish (a fact NI21 will jump upon) and those with no religion is on the increase. This isto be expected of a post-con ict generationthat has grown up with much more exposureto di erent cultures. There is a clear lack ofcon dence in the current political system,re ecting the very nature of the Good Friday Agreement, a vehicle that has successfullydriven Northern Ireland out of a state of war, but is not t for purpose in a provinceat peace. There is an obvious desire amongst

the moderates in Northern Ireland to seenormalised politics but they face an uphillbattle against the vested interests of those who currently wield power and see nobene t for themselves of letting it go. Thechallenge will be in making this demandloud enough to be heard amidst the currentcacophony of the political dinosaurs stillrolling out the same old arguments. Since1998 the silent majority of Northern Ireland

have had very little reason to speak out. Withpeace and relative prosperity came a falsesense of security. The last year has shownthat the problems facing Northern Irelandfrom sectarian divisions were not signedaway 15 years ago. A responsibility now fallsupon this section of society to be the drivingforce for a positive change in NI politics. There remains the very real chance that in 20 years, we may look back upon 2013 as a cross-roads in our history, where the moderates inNorthern Ireland started to truly matter as apolitical force. It falls upon us to ensure thatour generation is praised for choosing theforward looking road of compromise ratherthan be damned for regressing back downthe path of con ict.


6/16

Off The Record6

An Outsiders Perspective Words: Jason Ashford

Twaddell Avenue:

he rain was extraordinarily heavy on the day O the Recordtravelled up to the civil rights camp at Twaddell Avenue. The agsdecorating the streets around Twaddell avenue may have been hanginglimply, but what they lacked in aesthetic appeal, they made up for innumbers. Draped from lampposts, from railings and seemingly fromany other stationary object, the Union Jack was not so much present asomnipresent. The only thing that seemed to outnumber the ags wasthe police.

Heavily armed and arrayed in intimidating numbers, these o cers arecharged with keeping the peace at one of the most tense ash points inrecent Northern Irish history. Since the traditional 12th of July parade was stopped from marching past the Ardoyne shops, loyalist protestershave maintained a seemingly 24 hour presence there. Police landroverscreated a formidable barrier to prevent the marchers from completingtheir route.

What is striking is how di erent this is to the rest of Belfast. Asoutsiders we were viewed with suspicion and distrust. There were veryfew people willing to talk to us, no one willing to be photographed orquoted and the idea of actually getting inside the camp was completelyout of the question.

Instead we walked down to see the point where the protesters met thelandrovers. It is di cult to describe the palpable anger amongst everyone of the would be marchers. They bristled during speeches fromOrange Lodge o cials every time they were reminded of what theyperceived as insults to their people and their culture. Joining themembers of the Orange Order on a specially constructed stage wasDUP heavyweight Nelson McCausland and cross-communitychampion Ruth Patterson. While we were there, the protest was peace-ful, but there was an aggression never far from the surface. It is notdi cult to imagine tempers aring and sts, at least, being thrown.

The loudest rounds of applause followed any statement that indicatedthat loyalist culture was being eroded. The most prevailing attitude was one of de ance. These men and women had gathered to form abarrier. This shield isnt designed just to protect their culture and way oflife, but to hold back anyone from outside. Inclusivity is not a key wordamongst the protesters at Twaddell. Slipping through the police lines with cameras at the ready and eager to hear the views of the protesters,O the Record journalists were met with sullen glares and distrustingattitudes. It is a strange thing indeed to feel yourself instantly disliked bya very large group of people.

T

What is striking is how different this is to the rest of Belfast. As outsiders we were viewed withsuspicion and distrust. There were very few people willing to talk to us, no one willing to be photographed or quoted

off the record visited

twaddell avenue. We

ecountered an atmospherelike no other. Leaving the

coffee culture of inner

city belfast for a part of

the province steeped in

police landrovers and

machine guns. The tension

was thick. This is our

account of that day.


7/16

7

TWADDELL AVENUE

The protesters rounded o their speeches by singing God Save theQueen in lusty voices, throwing into that rather dull anthem all theanger and de ance they could muster. At this point, with speechesmade and songs sung, the would-be marchers moved back around tothe civil rights camp itself. Though everything this magazine saw wasperfectly peaceful, it wasnt long before we caught the attention of someof the camps residents. One gentleman approached, taking care to studyour name badges closely while asking a number of quick re questionsregarding our purpose there. He did not introduce himself and walkedaway quickly once hed nished his interrogation. This was clearly ablatant attempt to dishearten any attempts at probing questions orany more appeals to be allowed to enter the camp. It was clear that theprotesters inherently distrusted any press because of the perceived biasagainst them in reporting on the camp to date. There is something of aconspirators atmosphere around the camp, immediately seeingoutsiders as enemies, as people to be turned away quickly. This struckus as strange (especially when contrasted with the lament of the agprotesters at City Hall) that they did not have a media stand with whichto more easily express their purpose to foreign visitors. It seems likelythat any such media at Twaddell Avenue civil rights camp would consistsolely of two words, the second one being o .

Not being particularly brave or stupid, O the Records reporters werehappy enough to take the hint and leave. Ten minutes later we weredriving down a leafy avenue in South Belfast with its lattes and itsdiverse population. Looking back it seemed strange that there wasnta bigger driving force from the people at Twaddell to talk to outsiders. Though the press have been less than kind to these protesters, it mustbe accepted that this is primarily because they have resorted to violence

in the past. For all their talk of a peaceful civil rights campaign, it isdi cult to swallow the implied allusions to Martin Luther King Jnr.and his ilk. You see, what the protesters at Twaddell really lack iscredibility. They talk about intimidation by the police, but forget thatthey all too often have resorted to violent means. They talk about beingtreated unfairly by the nationalist community, but do not o ernegotiation. They demand only that their wishes are met regardless ofthe wants and needs of other members of the community.

Northern Irelands history is littered with people taking up entrenchedpositions. Progress has only ever been made when those with thecourage to do so have stepped over the parapet and engaged those onthe other side. For the protesters at Twaddell, they feel like they havebeen backed into this corner by circumstances beyond their control. A distrust of anyone from outside their community is understandable when there is such a strong feeling of injustice. Feeling their cultureattacked from all sides and abandoned by the politicians who wereelected to represent and ght for them, it is di cult to imagine asituation where these men and women are happy to disband theirprotest in a way that keeps both communities happy. However, on abrighter note, Northern Irish history is also littered with beautiful actsof compromise from both sides that have helped us end seeminglyunsolvable problems in the past. We must hold to hope that the menand women of Twaddell Avenue do not disregard the all too recentscars of con ict and hold to their intention of seeking a peaceful anddemocratic resolution. We must also insist from all of our politicians andcommunity leaders that when they do reach out, they are met with goodfaith and a willingness to compromise.



8/16

Off The Record8

We arrived at City Hall early enough to grab a quick co ee before having to go andmingle in the crowds of protesters starting to gather around the gates as is now

customary on Saturdays. Long gone are the days of the goths, hipsters and otheralternative fashion niches hanging out here, this - at least as long as the ags are out -is de nitely no longer their scene. The weather was being especially Northern Irish

and we werent even sure our contact was going to show, but sure enough, as thecrowds got settled in for a few hours of protest, we seen our interviewee

approaching and made ourselves known.

A Declaration of War: The City Hall protests one year on


There is always a strange atmosphere at gatherings such as

this, and even though it is not necessarily a threatening one, it is to adegree a feeling of uncertainty that overcomes you as you standsurrounded by those with a genuine anger, a ghting spirit for theircause. It is the reason that we walked away from Twaddell Avenueslightly short of breath, but with plenty of adrenaline to spare. It is alsofor this reason that you have to not only be careful who you talk to, but who you take photos of. As with Twaddell, one of the feelings you senseis a genuine suspicion of the press. Even so, those at City Hall were con- versational and willing to talk, even if you have to ignore the underlyingsense that it could turn weary without warning.

Our contact on the ground was an older gent who quickly made usaware that he was no spokesman for the group gathered. We had rightlyassumed that the structure of the protests was loose, and this was quicklya rmed as he brought two other men over as a testament that he wastelling us as such. He was not a spokesman, just another individual onthe ground standing up for an individual right, with a will to be there andnot a forced attendance. A regular attendee at the Saturday gatherings,our contact a rmed that the peaceful weekly events were completelyseparate from the goings on at the aforementioned Twaddell Avenue. The human rights angle didnt take precedent here, instead it was only adesire to see the reinstatement of the Union Flag to City Hall. There areno machine guns, no police riot gear, no camera crews and de nitely noRussell Brand.

The desire wasnt to quiz our source on the legitimacy of his protest,but to gain insight into the actual thoughts and feelings of those on the

ground, away from the media headlines and sensationalist stories. Step

behind the curtain, and you nd the protests to be - all at the same time- genuine, surreal, reactionary and over zealous. Over co ee before theinterview we had outlined a brief idea of what we should ask what thefeelings were one year on, how he felt about the DUP leadership and what it would take for the protest to end but as it happened our source was very talkative, and before long, we were surrounded by others want-ing to voice their opinions. Amid the increasing stares and questions fromothers, we turned our attention back to our contact and powered on.

One of the topics we wanted to get out the way was who was actuallybehind the protests at City Hall. Rumours where of paramilitary involve-ment, but was this media sensationalism or truth? Our contact informedus the gathering was a peoples protest not backed by one organisation, which he claimed would have been easier to attack with legal loopholes.Instead, the individual basis of the protest meant that no single person was deemed in charge, meaning that the snake could live on even if thehead was cut o .

The lack of hierarchy is hardly surprising. Whereas Twaddell seemsto be a far more regulated a air - with political backing - the City Hallgatherings have a di erent atmosphere completely. But one thing thatthe attendees have in common is the use of aggressive rhetoric. It mustbe noted that our source was a very nice man approachable, talkativeand good natured. But even this didnt stop the rhetoric from spilling out. When we inquired about the Sinn Fein/Alliance decision to take downthe Union Flag from City Hall, it was less than a minute before theaction was called a Declaration of War.

With plans to continue the ght over Christmas if necessary - braving cold,rain and snow - we pondered what it would take for it all to reach a peaceful

conclusion. The response was simple: " When the ag goes back up " .

T

Off The Record talks with a contact on theground at the Belfast City Hall protests, oneyear on from the decision to fly the UnionFlag on designated days. We talk politicalleadership, motivations, Twaddell Avenueand economic impact.

Off The Record Interview:


9/16

9

City Hall ProtestsYou can see a video from the Belfast Peace Rally on our blog: [email protected]

The humanitymust not beignored

VS

When analysing those that brave the cold in search of their own notion of justice, the line blurs when oneto ponder if everyone is indeed against the protesters, or perhaps they just like it that way. Everyone love

martyr, everyone loves to fight for the just cause.

The context of this entire scenario goes back to September 2012,according to our source, when the Parades Commission ruledrestrictions on the parade to celebrate the Ulster Covenant. Seen as akey event in the timeline of unionism, those at the City Hall protest feltthat the ruling was a step too far, meaning they couldnt celebrate theUlster Covenant fully. The ruling itself, at least on paper, didnt appear

too contentious. Conditions included that only sacred songs (hymns) were to be played in areas mainly junctions that separate the two com-munities that no music was to be played in areas where church worship was taking place, and that no paramilitary style clothing was worn atany time during the parade including that of symbols and ags.

This, from the perspective of those on the ground, was the latest in whatthey called the slow build up of catalogued insults. The slow cooker ofanger, pent up feelings of disillusionment with the political leadershipand a sense that their British culture was being taken away fromNorthern Ireland. Where a liberal minded man or woman seesprogression when Catholics and Protestants can work and live together,some see only that the other side is winning, and as long as this thoughtprocess exists, it will be impossible to bring the country forward andescape the, now over-used term, of tribal barriers. When we asked thegroup about the twelfth of July violence and rioting, they stated in thegrand scheme of things, and taking the entire year into account they were surprised at the lack of violence. When questioned on the role ofthe PSNI in the violence (often an emotive topic) they claimed that thepolice service where conducting political policing. With one law forthe ag protesters and one law for everyone else. In part, it seems that when analysing those that brave the cold in search of their own notionof justice, the line blurs when one starts to ponder if everyone is indeedagainst the protesters, or perhaps they just like it that way. Everyoneloves a martyr, everyone loves to ght for the just cause.

From a business perspective large and small the e ects of the protestson pro t have been disastrous. It took a country wide Backing Belfastcampaign to try to tempt people out of their homes and back into the

pubs, clubs and retail centres. Even Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol was wheeled out, as he often is in times of crisis. O cial gures state thatover the period of December 2012 to June 2013, the loss in business over-all was 50 million. Not exactly pocket change. O The Record felt that we had to ask those still at the gates of City Hall if they personally feltresponsible for the loss in trading within their own city centre. This was

met with denial. Our source, and those now in a closer proximity, wereadamant that their protests didnt have any impact on surroundingbusiness. Even when our reporter asked about the invasion andsubsequent closure of the Christmas Market the answer remaineda rm no. The feeling was that there had been an overstated impacton trade gures and that if they did indeed disrupt anyone, the public would simply go elsewhere, such as Lisburn, Abbey Centre or Amazon.co.uk.

So one year on from the decision to y the Union Flag on designateddays, we wanted to ask the question: what now? Not only that but wehad to ask if they seen a resolution to their protests. With plans tocontinue the ght over Christmas if necessary braving cold, rain andsnow we pondered what it would take for it all to reach a peacefulconclusion. The response was simple: When the ag goes back up.

We left our source and started the journey back to nd more co ee, it was after all, still morning. We didnt look back, but if we did the picture would have told a thousand stories. Our contact was by now standingin the rain, surrounded by a modest but dedicated group. It was damncold, but the resolve was as strong as it was a year previous. With thenews vans all but gone and the only camera shutters those of passingtourists, the dedication if not the motivation of the protesters mustnot be dismissed as worthless. There remains an odd paradox at play were the men and women gathered are so welcoming and conversationaluntil the talk turns to politics. It is then that handshakes turn to pointed

ngers and declarations of war. The key is in realising that there isgenuine anger, genuine disillusionment at play; if we are to reach aresolution the humanity must not be ignored.


10/16

Off The Record10

Few surprises at Peter Robinsons

DUP Party Conference Speech 2013Reporting by: Jason Murdock & Jason Ashford

t has been an interesting and somewhat challenging year for the DUP, at least from the perspective of thoseon the outside looking in. Not that you would have known from the reception at this years conference.Perhaps this is no surprise, given the party still have the monopoly on the unionist vote.

Provided to the press but under embargo until 12pm when Robinson took to the stage, the speech wastriumphant and topically wide ranging, even if there were no major policy announcements and no surprisesin the support of the chosen election candidates. In fact the speech was instead focused on backing up theideal of leadership, ensuring that the attendees knew that the foundations of the party were secure andthat the DUP are still standing rm. Small pokes at the TUV (a few feeble and faint hearted folk ed ourranks) and Sinn Fein (Does anyone believe that Sinn Fein adds to its support base by its glori cation andcommemoration of terrorism?) aside, the speech and the conference in general, was a safe a air.

Mrs Dodds has recently been selected to stand for electionas an MEP for the party. Arlene Foster and Peter Robin-son both took plenty of time highlighting her work in theEuropean Parliament, the latter stating that her record inEurope is outstanding. The entire conference wassaturated with images of Mrs Dodds and with glowingreferences to her service and character. The party iscon dent that Mrs Dodds will win her seat in the nextround of European elections while taking nothing for

granted. To give her the best possible chance, the party isclearly rallying round her and promoting her campaign tothe hilt. She appeals speci cally to businesses, consumers,farmers and shermen, cleverly walking the line betweenEurosceptic and clever manipulator of the so called EUmachine. While Mrs Dodds lambasts the EU for wasteful-ness and the erosion of British sovereignty, she was alsoincredibly keen to highlight the bene ts brought to theprovince, so long as she can claim credit for them.

This magazines views on Mr Poots are not ambiguous. We have previously written about how his homophobic andbigoted policies have been insulting to the very idea of a21st century western democracy. However this is not a viewshared by his party. Mr Robinson spoke in glowing terms when paying tribute to the Health Minister for accepting a most di cult and thankless job. He went on to dedicate asizeable portion of his speech to the successes of Mr Pootsas minister, mentioning the building of a new 250mchildrens hospital at RVH. It was not just Mr Robinson who seemed so enamoured with Mr Poots. The conference room exploded into agenuinely enthusiastic round of applause at the mention ofthe health ministers success. It is perhaps surprising from an

outsiders perspective to see just how popular Mr Poots isamongst his party colleagues. It is easy to forget how muchhe is loved by the core demographic of the DUP members for example his principled and unmoving stances on gaymarriage, adoption or the trade unions may not sit well withthe folk in the cities that are becoming more liberal eachpassing year, but these views are lapped up by the targetaudience.His creationist views and agricultural background make theman an ace in the deck of the DUP line-up impassioned,consistently outspoken and never limp wristed. It backs upthe notion that once you move away from the urbanenvironment, those in the elds of green are still extremelyconservative in their views, and this will do Poots no harm,instead it will only back his resolve.

1 Diane Dodds can do no wrong

2 And apparently neither can Edwin Poots

I Let us not simply enter or embrace the future. Let us leave here today go backto your constituencies to shape and create that better future knowing thatunited, together, the DUP will never be defeated - First Minister Peter Robinson

>

>


11/16

11

DUP conference 2013

The issue of the ag riots has been a prickly one for the DUP.Caught between appeasing the loyalistswho have taken part in theprotests and condemning the violence that followed some of these,the leadership of the party has been performing something of abalancing act. In his speech Mr Robinson managed to condemn the violence of the protesters without condemning the protesters. TheFirst Minister stated that support drained away from a genuinelygood cause and that those who orchestrated the violence sabotageda sound and just cause. The party line has been clear all year andPeter Robinson yet again walked it. The party cannot lose this vote

(even if those on the ground dont feel they have su cient leader-ship from the largest unionist party) it is still a vital group of people who cannot be dismissed. It is yet to be seen what the December ofthis year will bring in term of protests and violence, at the minute itis all potential unrest. But if Robinsons provocative acts type oflanguage starts to surface again, this Christmas trading period es-pecially a ecting city hall located shops, bars and markets will onceagain be under threat economically. The money will not roll in andbusiness will not thrive, no matter what the DUP party broadcasttells us.

It was all smiles from Nigel Dodds, Peter Robinson, ArleneFoster, Diane Dodds and Simon Hamilton. Make no mistake thatthey were emitting the radiance of togetherness. This year there hasbeen a lot of chatter about Peter Robinson not retaining hisposition for much longer, but again judging from this crowd (admit-tedly aged as they were) the love was certainly still in the

relationship. Instead of a focus on policy or mandates or futureplans, Robinson dedicated a lot of his speech to thanking his fellowparty members especially Nigel Dodds, Diane Dodds, ArleneFoster and as an extension Invest NI. This was no mistake, and asthey move forward into the new year, they clearly want to show thefoundations of the party are holding strong.

The following is Off The Records four picks taken from Peter Robinsons main

speech, and two topics that were surprisingly omitted.

3 The ags were mentionedcarefully

4 The DUP is united

Like the mysterious lack of Sammy Wilson on the bill, there was alsosome ghostly topics that failed to make the speech. This may have beendue to the BBC feed only running for an hour and the speech simplyhaving to t, or perhaps that the nature of the topics are not particularlysuited to the applause-fest atmosphere of a conference. The rst was therecent U-Turn not U-turn of the Maze site redevelopment into a PeaceCentre. For an issue that grabbed so many headlines (and even turnedinto a major policy ploy by Mike Nesbitt and his trauma centre initiative)it was not mentioned at all during the conference. Admittedly this is not inthe spirit of the new working hard for Northern Ireland, but the past isusually something the DUP as a collective love to talk about. The Haass Talks are another issue that is an ongoing attempt to x thedivisions that have arisen on the parades, ags and dealing with the past.

As the talks fast approach their last phase, with inter party discussionsintended to usher in a resolution to the ag issue, the American was oddlyabsent from Robinsons speech. It could be that rallying the troops for thecoming election cycle is currently more important than referencing talksthat may or may not yield results. The fact we were sitting in La Mon hotel, far away from any chance of a

ag protest, that the lack of reference seemed odd. In comparison to theNI21 conference the week before where you could almost see the CityHall protesters from the window of the Europa hotel the focus was lesson the damage done by a year in the shadow of protest and more on thecelebration of the DUP as a party, its members and its ability to thrive inthe face of adversity.

What was missing?

Turn to the back page to see Brian John Spencers DUP caricatures!

>

>


12/16

The Centre Must Hold

Off The Record12

the NI21 conference2013:


Pic (Lef to Right) - John McCallister/Basil McCrea/Tina McKenzie

The inaugural party conference from NI21 was an important step in thisnew political movement. By now you will know the origins of the partyand their appeal to the majority of the Northern Ireland that are

disillusioned with the current political systems and the focus on tribalbarriers. This magazine has been following NI21 from the rst of their Talks Back events, and it has been very interesting to note the smallchanges that have (necessarily) transformed the group of like mindedpeople into a grassroots movement, and then rmly into the arena of realpolitics. Of course, this was always the plan. Basil McCrea and JohnMcCallister are no rookie politicos, and they have amassed an impres-sive amount of talent from both the business world, the youth elementsof the electorate and even from other political parties. The appeal of freshpolitics would then go towards explaining the groups latest speaker David Rose (ex PUP). A new face in the NI21 line-up, not many knew thepast of Rose, but he seemed to impress well on those in attendance. This would lend credence to the notion that even in parties with a less liberalreputation there remain politicians that share the moderate view, and areperhaps only constrained by the current limitations of their membership.It is only time that will tell if others will be tempted to jump ship.

The conference did a decent job of transferring the energy and passion ofa grassroots movement into a conference atmosphere. Up to this point,the party had been running on a fuel of ambitions and potential policy butat the conference the focus was clearly on cementing the foundations ofthe party. This included the o cial election processes and splitting up theaudience into their own constituencies. The aim set forth by Rose wasto set up 18 constituency o ces by January 2014. It is unclear if this isfeasible, but if the momentum can be sustained and the right people (andtheir individual skills) are utilised it is not an unreasonable proposition.

There was a number of key policy initiatives that came out the conferencefrom both Basil and Johns speeches. McCrea stated the parties intention

was to appeal for Northern Ireland to have more devolved tax powers. Hestated:

The use of appropriate tax regimes is a governments primary means ofproviding strategic direction. We desperately need access to those means.

So I pledge today that NI21 will pursue the devolution of more powers tothe Northern Ireland Assembly including, but not restricted to, incometax and stamp duty. It will provide a transparent link between the pound

in your pocket and political decisions. This is normal politics.John McCallister (on a rather misjudged late-in-the-day speech) laid outplans to scrap the titles of First and Deputy First from those in high of-

ce. Calling the traditional model a sectarian facade he stated It is timeto sweep away the ction and rename the o ce as that of the joint rstministers. It must be said at the still embryonic stage of the party thatthis is a relatively safe but promising policy showing that NI21 arecommitted to breaking tradition, something that must be done toapproach a normalised Northern Ireland, where much meaning is placedon symbolism and titles.

McCallister also focused on the need to stay within the EU stating It is inIrelands national interest that Britain should remain a full member of theEuropean Union and that Northern Irelands voice has been noticeablyabsent in the British debate on EU membership. I think it is time for that voice to be heard.

It may have been the free wine afterwards, but we did notice on that nightthe dualism between the inner city and those braving the cold in protest.It wasnt mentioned much during the day but the elephant in every roomcontinued to be the ongoing ag protests. From the top oor of theEuropa looking out, it was possible to see the gates of city hall, and thisrealisation laid bare the long and di cult road that this new party nowfaced. Interacting with those on the ground, sustaining the passion of thenew members, forming constituency o ces, formalising policy, debating,

irting with the electorate, marketing, funding and long term planning.It was from here that the wine, whiskey and beer started to take hold, andthe night quickly descended into anarchy, politically charged banter and

topics that, mirroring the name of this publication, will remain forever othe record.

Saturday 16th November

Europa Hotel

Off The record attended the inaugural ni21 conference to witness the

transformation from grassroots movement into political party. We talk

policy, constituency plans, and normalising politics in Northern Ireland.

www.ni21.com @ni21_official


13/16

13

Dealing with the aftermath of con ict: Larkin, NI21 and the Politics of Grief

NI21 CONFERENCE

Words: Jason Ashford

The newest political party on the block, NI21,however went another way. In a move that hasbeen described as bold (the friendliest adjectiveone can nd online) leader Basil McCrea anddeputy leader, John McCallister, both a rmedtheir support for the Attorney Generals pro-posal in statements posted online.

In an interview with O the Record at NI21s Talkback event in Newcastle, Mr McCrea hadtold us If you were involved in the Troubles, if you have lost a loved one, Im sorry but nothingreally is going to change your mind, whatever way it is. But the one thing that in uences soci-ety for the better is people being worried abouttheir children. So at the rst hurdle, whereNI21s ideals have rst been called into question, we can at least say this: they have held. Expectthe party to su er for it, the right of victims ofthe troubles is, obviously, a massively emotiveissue. Politics can easily be perceived as a bunchof old guys in warm, comfortable rooms arguingabout abstract ideas, but this argument is liter-ally about life and death. There will be anger. These are people who have lost their loved ones,demanding truth and justice and being asked toaccept that achieving this will never happen.

NI21 have indeed taken a brave step, but it maybe one that comes back to haunt them. Coming just after a very successful conference, whentheir media pro le is at an all time high, thisstance may be particularly damaging for the

edgling party. However their members can atleast take heart from the fact that their ideologyis not built to match the public mood. In thesame interview in Newcastle, Mr McCrea wasclear, and Head of Policy Peter Hutchinsonrea rmed at the conference, that NI21 werefocused on putting their message out there andhoping people bought into it. They were not

into focus groups or polls, and if they didnt ndsupport they would go away. Its also quiteclear that NI21 is pushing hard for the youth vote that hasnt been directly a ected by the Troubles. The gamble that NI21 seem to be tak-ing is two fold. First that if youre 18-33 and you

havent been directly a ected by the Troubles, would you really care about these changes? If you cant really remember the con ict andhavent lost anyone to it, would you be botheredby someone going to jail for a murder commit-ted in the 1970s? Secondly, if youre 18-33 andhavent lost anyone to the troubles wouldnt itbe refreshing to see a party that is drawing a lineunder the past? Remember, every time North-ern Irish politicians end up on screen togetherthey end up debating issues about the Troubles.It can, in truth, become frustrating when majorpolicy issues are sidelined so one grown man or woman can attack someone for something thathappened 30 years ago, especially if you werenta ected (or perhaps cant even remember) theincident in question.

Mr Larkin has been very clear that he is noto ering an amnesty. Of course he is o ering ade facto amnesty, but the word is so loaded thathe just cant use it. Yet thats exactly what theSpanish did. In 1977, two years after the deathof Franco, the Spanish passed a law that gaveeveryone who had committed crimes duringhis fascist reign (1939-1975) an amnesty. Theslate was wiped clean in an attempt to give thecountry a fresh start. Its been as controversialas you would imagine. Amnesty Internationalcalled the law a slap in the face, the UN hasdemanded that the Spanish repeal the law andthe man who secured the arrest of AugustoPinochet, Judge Baltasar Garzon (a Spaniard),opened investigations into crimes committedunder Franco ignoring the amnesty law. Hisargument was that no government can pass alaw providing an amnesty for crimes againsthumanity.

Though Mr Larkin is calling for a de facto

amnesty, it wont be in the form of a law thatcan be outed by a judge. Itll simply be a caseof muddling on and leaving things unsolved. Acase of quietly sidelining these crimes. This willappeal to no-one. The families of the victims willnever receive the justice or truth they seek and

the Northern Ireland where everybody seeks todraw a line at Good Friday 1998 and focus solelyon the future will never exist, frustrating those who have come out in support of Mr Larkinssuggestions.

So what then? Perhaps the answer lies awayfrom our own shores. The argument has beenmade that the UN should set up a truth andreconciliation committee. This is an organisa-tion that could o er impartiality, a massive poolof resources and time. Not before Christmas(seriously Haass?!) but years, a decade even.Even if the United Nations is the butt of manygeo-political jokes - seen as toothless at best - itmay actually be the organisation best placed toform some sort of court to investigate seriouscrimes from our past.

However, this magazine has in the pastcriticised our politicians for not being able tostand on their own two feet and running to DrHaass for help. Rightly so too, Dr Haass, theUN are not the heroes this province needs, weneed home-grown heroes. The unfortunate factremains that, to date, no foreign body, as wellmeaning as they may be, has been able to resolveany issues facing Northern Ireland and its politi-cians for anything but a short period of time.

This is the most emotive issue facing North-ern Ireland today. Our focus has shifted fromending the ghting to now dealing with theaftermath of it. There are no simple solutionsfor the politicians, the families or the people ofNorthern Ireland. What is essential is that ourleaders try to come up with a solution by lookingat all possible avenues. Immediately dismissingsuggestions is great for the 24 hour news cycle,but this is something we need to debate, nottypical Northern Irish debate but with compas-

sion, with empathy and with open minds. Wemust demand that our leaders show us just why we have entrusted them with that honour. The war between our two communities has ended. The peace cannot be wasted.

Attorney General John Larkin made headlines today by calling for there to be no further prosecutions for Troubles related crimes that were committedbefore the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Mr Larkin, the chief legal advisor to the Stormont Executive also argued that there should be no further

inquests or inquiries (such as the recent one into Bloody Sunday) into these crimes. His argument, delivered in an interview with the BBC, focused onthe extreme improbability of any prosecution being successful 15 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

All ve major parties, DUP, Sinn Fein, UUP, SDLP and Alliance issued statements criticising the attorney general for his comments. They were joinedby Amnesty International which called the suggestion an utter betrayal of victims rights.

Politics can easily be perceived as a bunchof old guys in warm, comfortable roomsarguing about abstract ideas, but thisargument is literally about life and death.There will be anger. These are people whohave lost their loved ones, demanding truthand justice and being asked to accept thatachieving this will never happen.



14/16

Off The Record14

BandsNINeal McParland - Founder BandsNI

Hooray, our website has launched! It was a daythat had been a long time coming BandsNI.co.uk went live at 1.30pm on Tuesday 15thOctober. All the graft that had been put in overthe past 2 and a bit years led up to the moment where BandsNI could take its support ofNorthern Irish music to the next level.

Northern Ireland has a plethora of hugelytalented bands and artists and the main ethos ofBandsNI is to help them: the more we cansupport the music scene the more it can thrive,and that can only increase the positive image ofour country culturally and socially. This is where we need all the help we can get - we wish toexpand the music scene and get the widerNorthern Irish community at large moreinvolved. People like you and your friends canpropel our music community onto the next leveland project the status of it internationally.

Theres a bigger sense of pride in entertainmentthat is created in your own country that you dontget with other aspects of culture. Its a form ofescapism that we can utilise to sweep aside ourpast and, at times, to de ect from the presenteach time there is the sign of trouble erupting. Whenever its occurring its not something Ipay attention to, I prefer to focus on what I loveabout the culture of this country. Its at times likethose that I listen to some of my favourite songsborn out of our bands natural need to channeltheir anger in a positive way and provide a socialcommentary. Songs like Team Freshs Barbed Wire Empire!

There have been many attempts to showcaseNorthern Irish music at the time of writing this were currently in the middle of Belfast Music Week (11th-17th November) and bring it to theforefront of the minds of the wider community.

However, with each passing year it all just feelsso much more insular and intrinsic I agreethat theres still a need to get the people of ourown country talking about this positive aspect ofour culture, but we also need to let the outside world know too; otherwise its just another formof self-congratulatory back-slapping that almostcomes across as patronising. Lets not just think well done us - go little ol N. Ireland let us goabove and beyond and spread the word about what truly an exciting place this can be to live inat times.

The ever-evolving digital world is providing us with this very opportunity right at this momentin time you could take to Twitter and let yourfollowers from all over the world know abouta great new local band that youve discovered.Harp on about them enough and your followersmay be intrigued enough to give them a listen;theres power in the Irish brand. Slowly butsurely well be able to twist peoples thoughts andperceptions about this country being riddled withtrouble and being an unsafe place to visit; a place you should only holiday to for viewing murals whilst touring all of the destruction our peoplehave caused this land over the past centuries. Take pride in and notice our culture not theside that relies on intimidation, violence andsegregation to get itself noticed. Push that to theback of your mind focus on the side full oftalented people creating entertainment andproducing a fabulous standard of art for us all toget lost in. Open your eyes to something new.If youre a musician looking for tips on how tosurvive in the music industry then get on our website, if youre just a member of the audiencethen nd your new favourite (and local) band onBandsNI.co.uk today, I promise you wont regretit.

Pic: Team Freshwww. acebook.com/team reshni

.co.uk

One man and his guitar. This a frequentimage emerging from the British and Irishmusic scene throughout the past decade.In uential artists such as Ben Howard, EdSheeran and Passenger, have encouraged anew generation of acoustic artists to cometo the fore. One of this new generationis Conor Scott, a 19 year old singer andsongwriter from Belfast. He has gainedrecognition for his appearance on this yearsBBCs The Voice, where he made it to theknock-out stages. He takes hisinspiration from artists such as Thin Lizzy,Bon Iver and Newton Faulkner. At the ageof just fteen, Conor began busking on the

streets of Belfast, the heart of NorthernIrelands music scene. The positiveresponse he received from this boosted himto begin playing his own sets in venues around Northern Ireland.

Probably one of the most signi cant eventsin his music career thus far, was last month when he performed to 18,000 people atTitanic Slipway for Translinks MonsterMash. Although, this budding troubadouris no stranger to large crowds as he gainedcrucial experience headlining the ArdoyneFleadh in August of this year.

Most recently, Mr Scott re-released several

of his original songs on his Soundcloudpage, these being, Please Be, Make ItCount and Time and Time Again. Otherpersonal favourites include: What You Do,With Kings, Catch Up, and When the World is Gone.

By Sarah Bell

IntroducingConor Scott

@Sarahb_06


15/16

15

Arts and Culture

Dog Kennel Productions is a new andupcoming production studio based inLisburn, and has recently produced the video for Mojo Furys latest single TheDi erence Between as well as Deadlights Glass Houses. Managed by Tommy Keery,the studio is also the new base of operations

for Keerys latest band Loris. AlongsideFrancis Mitchell and Chris Scott, the bandare aiming for a sound that favours synthsand pop-esque melodies over rock powerchords and 4/4 rhythms.

Both Francis and Tommy are alumni of the teenage band phase that many go through,and many dont make it past. However, withsuch a demonstrable pro ciency behindthe camera as well as on stage, the soundand the con dence would be indicative ofa more indulgent and tight musical output.Francis recently teamed up with Lisburn

based songwriter Mark Graham andtogether they reached number three in theIrish Charts with the song Who Do YouLove for RTEs music show The Hit.

So from the ashes of the teenage phaseband in this instance The Every DaySuperheroes rises a newly invigoratedout t, with more experience and biggeraspirations than before. It is di cult toimagine a better suited set of surroundingsfor a new band than an active productionstudio. The hope surely is that the creativityof both will feed o one another, and eventhough the group is still very much in itsembryonic stage, the signs are pointing to a very exciting life indeed.

We caught up with Tommy Keery to ask

how the studio came about, the new musical venture and his plans for the future.

Tommy, you have had involvement in musicsince a young age, and honed your experienceplaying with the band Everyday Superheroes,the question that must be asked is how do you

feel that you have progressed musically? Be itinfluences, how you approach a live gig, or how you now approach the process of recording? Over the years I have been playing in bandsof various genres (rock, punk and indie)and I feel that having the opportunity to dothis has progressed my musical skills. Mypersonal musical in uences include Museand The Strokes. Drawing upon my skillsand in uences as well as those of FrancesMitchell and Chris Scott, Loris was startedto create an individual, fresh sound. Wereall really excited to release the new video for

our debut single Ive Been Quiet. The venture Dog Kennel Productions hasalready amassed an impressive collection ofwork, from Mojo Fury to Deadlights, what did

you hope to achieve in setting up theorganisation and what are your plans for itin the future?

Having just graduated from UniversityI wanted to start my own business doingsomething that I genuinely enjoyed andsomething I felt I was good at. I made theMojo Fury video during the summer andthen launched Dog Kennel Productionsin September. Since then Ive made music videos for Deadlights and Loris.DKP is a production company thatcreates music videos but is also available for

corporate shoots, documentaries and shortlms. Im currently lming a music video

and also a promotional piece for NorthernIrish boxing legend Brian Magee. In thefuture I hope to develop my studio and skillset to become a well known and soughtafter production company within Northern

Ireland.With your departure from Superheroes and theinception of Loris, how does this bandseparate itself from your previous work?From the teasers released so far it seems tobe a more musically satisfying group incorporating synths and a more pop esquesound with a very different set ofinfluences. With the release of your upcomingwork, tell us the thought process behind thenew music, what influences have had an effecton this new style of writing and production,and if you plan to bring i t to the local stage.

I think Loris is going to be di erent fromprevious work because it is more main-stream than the other bands Ive been in.Ive wanted to write pop music for a longtime and that was one of the main reasonsfor leaving Everyday Superheroes. MikeMormecha from Mojo Fury is producingLoris so I think were all going to bene tfrom that. Ive never used synths or liveloops in other bands so this is somethingIm really looking forward to doing live.Frances Mitchell, the singer of Loris showsChris and I her demos. Then as a band we work together and write new bits andchange the songs into a Loris song. We aimto be gigging in March 2014. Thank you!

Interview : Tommy KeeryWe chat to the founder of Dog Kennel Productions, a new lisburn

based video and production company and guitarist of new band lorisabout aspirations, musical progressions and plans for the future

PIC: Loris

Tommy Keery

Chris Scott

Francis Mitchell>



16/16

Off The Record16

JOHNATHaN BELL

Gavin robinson

Edwin Poots

@ brianjohnspencr

Brian John Spencer is an artist, writer and bloggerfrom Northern Ireland - specialising in political artand caricatures | www.brianjohnspencer.com Brian John Spencer

Contact Off The Record@ofherecordni www.ofherecord.wordpress.com [email protected]

One year on :The flag protest & parade: 30/11/2013

I have no doubt the will of the people is still as strong. Now obviously we dont want to see protests,we dont want to be on the streets in a years time, because the process with not sustain another year of

people on the streets. Especially when we have a situation were we have terrorists planting bombs justa few hundred yards up the road here. Thankfully it didnt go off, but we also have another situation in

South Armagh where it has taken them four days, four days, to go in and clear a hoax device. Now howdo they expect a situation to hold when we have got circumstances like that going on. Its only a matterof somebody doing the wrong thing, or the wrong person getting hurt, and we are into a very serioussituation. If Sinn Fein were genuine, what they should do is say listen, to take the heat out of thesituation here lets put the fag back up, and lets have a discussion over the next year or two yearsabout the fag. Are they prepared to do that? No. The fag issue is not going to go away, the sooner the

politicians wake up to that, the better.

Off The Record Meets... Willie Frazer

Location: Belfast City Hall

off the record issue three - 'one year on

Documents