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The Saker
A bird's eye view of the vineyard

offsite link Alternative Copy of thesaker.is site is available Thu May 25, 2023 14:38 | Ice-Saker-V6bKu3nz
Alternative site: https://thesaker.si/saker-a... Site was created using the downloads provided Regards Herb

offsite link The Saker blog is now frozen Tue Feb 28, 2023 23:55 | The Saker
Dear friends As I have previously announced, we are now “freezing” the blog.? We are also making archives of the blog available for free download in various formats (see below).?

offsite link What do you make of the Russia and China Partnership? Tue Feb 28, 2023 16:26 | The Saker
by Mr. Allen for the Saker blog Over the last few years, we hear leaders from both Russia and China pronouncing that they have formed a relationship where there are

offsite link Moveable Feast Cafe 2023/02/27 ? Open Thread Mon Feb 27, 2023 19:00 | cafe-uploader
2023/02/27 19:00:02Welcome to the ‘Moveable Feast Cafe’. The ‘Moveable Feast’ is an open thread where readers can post wide ranging observations, articles, rants, off topic and have animate discussions of

offsite link The stage is set for Hybrid World War III Mon Feb 27, 2023 15:50 | The Saker
Pepe Escobar for the Saker blog A powerful feeling rhythms your skin and drums up your soul as you?re immersed in a long walk under persistent snow flurries, pinpointed by

The Saker >>

Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link Sir Keir Set to Launch Full National Inquiry Into Grooming Gangs in Latest U-turn, Following Months ... Sun Jun 15, 2025 11:10 | Richard Eldred
In a humiliating climbdown, Sir Keir has caved to pressure and backed a statutory inquiry into rape gangs, after Baroness Casey's damning report linked the abuse to Pakistani-heritage men and a culture of racial cowardice.
The post Sir Keir Set to Launch Full National Inquiry Into Grooming Gangs in Latest U-turn, Following Months of Mounting Pressure appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The War in Ukraine Has Shattered the West?s Digital-Age Delusions Sun Jun 15, 2025 09:00 | David Betz and Michael Rainsborough
The war in Ukraine has shattered a generation of the West's digital-age delusions, say David Betz and Michael Rainsborough. The End of History did not arrive. The Return of Artillery did.
The post The War in Ukraine Has Shattered the West’s Digital-Age Delusions appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Did the Mainstream Media Cover Up an Eco-Terror Attack in a French School? Sun Jun 15, 2025 07:00 | Steven Tucker
'French student who "loved Hitler" stabs schoolgirl to death,' ran the headline. What the mainstream media failed to mention was that the Nantes school attacker had a far-Left eco-manifesto fixated on climate apocalypse.
The post Did the Mainstream Media Cover Up an Eco-Terror Attack in a French School? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link News Round-Up Sun Jun 15, 2025 00:03 | Will Jones
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Pro-Palestine Protesters March Through London Waving Iranian Flags Sat Jun 14, 2025 19:51 | Will Jones
Pro-Palestine protesters marched through London on Saturday waving Iranian flags and?chanting "stop bombing Iran". In case you had any remaining doubt about whose side they were on.
The post Pro-Palestine Protesters March Through London Waving Iranian Flags appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Independents in Ireland Dare not Speak their Name

category national | politics / elections | news report author Wednesday April 23, 2014 17:33author by Justin Morahan Report this post to the editors

Government says: We decide what to call you

There can be no Independents listed on Irish ballot papers although they are coming in at over 20% in the polls



On the 16 April 2014, an Independent TD, Catherine Murphy, tried to get the Government to agree that Independent candidates in Irish elections would be allowed to describe themselves as "Independent" on the ballot paper. She failed in her efforts. Minister Alex White (Labour) read out a most unconvincing Civil Servant's set of reasons for this decision. Independents in Ireland will therefore continue to be described in the upcoming local and European elections as "Non-Party".

The term "Non-Party" sounds negative, is negative and can give an impression that a candidate would like to be in a party but can't make it.
It also conjures up images of someone who is against everything and for nothing. The opposite is most often the truth.

In the present Dáil, Independent TDs (along with a few notable party members), are by a long shot the outstanding performers. Independents are scoring highly in the polls. Interestingly, the polls describe them as "Independents", not "Non-Party".

The Government parties of Fine Gael and Labour may well be afraid that a new breed of TDs who put their country before party may infest the next Dáil with integrity and non-corruption.

And how horrible it would be if, after achieving power, they were to insist that in future elections all candidates who belong to parties be henceforth described as "Non-Independents" on future ballot papers.

An equitable quid pro quo?

author by Tpublication date Wed Apr 23, 2014 23:19author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The attached image here illustrates what is meant in the above article and it is a good point too.

And the link below has some good discussion on the nature of independents in an election system in terms of effects and influence

Image of ballot paper with independents indicated as "Non Party"
Image of ballot paper with independents indicated as "Non Party"

Related Link: http://independentforum.wordpress.com/dail/
author by seanorpublication date Sat May 17, 2014 10:54author email author address author phone Report this post to the editors

A list, on the web, of each independent candidate, where/what position (EU or local) they're standing for, and WHAT they stand for on different issues would be useful. There are some I wouldn't want to vote for because they don't represent my views on, for example, abortion law. There are others in my area who may represent things I agree with, or not, but it's difficult to tell.

 
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