Upcoming Events

National | Politics / Elections

no events match your query!

New Events

National

no events posted in last week

Blog Feeds

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 Germany?s Economic and Political Suicide Fri Dec 27, 2024 17:00 | Tilak Doshi
Germany has gone from being the EU's industrial powerhouse to the sick man of Europe in just a few decades. Why? A suicidal energy policy fuelled by Green zealots.
The post Germany?s Economic and Political Suicide appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Madeline Grant on Starmer?s Army and the Assisted Dying Debate Fri Dec 27, 2024 15:00 | Richard Eldred
We catch up with the Telegraph's Madeline Grant to discuss whether Starmer's Army is up to snuff, her favourite MPs to sketch and her bizarre dispute with a Labour MP over her coverage of the assisted dying debate.
The post Madeline Grant on Starmer?s Army and the Assisted Dying Debate appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link FBI Found Evidence Covid Was Lab Leak But Was Not Allowed to Brief President Fri Dec 27, 2024 13:00 | Toby Young
An FBI whistleblower has disclosed that attempts to brief the President with evidence corroborating the lab leak hypothesis in 2021 were thwarted by senior intelligence officials.
The post FBI Found Evidence Covid Was Lab Leak But Was Not Allowed to Brief President appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Kemi or Nigel: Who is Right? Fri Dec 27, 2024 11:00 | Anonymous IT Reporter
Kemi claims Nigel is making up his membership numbers. But is he? To definitively prove he isn't, he should make his software open source, so we can see where the numbers are coming from.
The post Kemi or Nigel: Who is Right? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link The Pilots of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 Deserve Respect ? They Saved 29 Lives Fri Dec 27, 2024 09:00 | Ian Rons
The pilots of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 attempted to fly their badly damaged aircraft and partially succeeded, thereby saving the lives of 29 passengers, but not their own.
The post The Pilots of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 Deserve Respect ? They Saved 29 Lives 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.

 
© 2001-2024 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy