NI ASSEMBLY

2 VETERAN MPs LOOK BACK TO THE OLD (UNIONIST) PARLIAMENT ABOLISHED IN 1973

Nice article from the BBC gives the very contrasting memories of UUP and SDLP former NI MPs of the NIP.

JAN 2021

UUP HEALTH MINISTER BLOCKS LEGAL ABORTIONS

By insisting the health services cannot commission abortion services, as a "controversial matter" the Assembly must decide on this. Remember: the UK parliament passed a bill legalising abortion (and another for gay marriage) while Stormont remained suspended in December 2019. Guardian.

NOV 2020

Alliance leader condemns the cross-community veto, threatens to quit the Executive. DUP used it to veto all other parties, including UUP, agreement on covid measures. BBC.

Q+A - How does the NI Executive work? BBC.

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Only 1k subs, even with a Politics GCSE run by a NI exam board - but its actually very helpful!

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A good starting point is the NIA's own YT channel, with some great resources. Rumours are rife the the DUP and SF will cut some kind of deal during or after the December 2019 general election campaign/outcome - possibly to help secure their vote from voters fed up at the years of stasis, corruption scandals and now the controversial voting pacts linked to avoiding Brexit on the SF side and boosting unionism/defeating nationalism on the (DUP) unionist side (they've successfully pressured the UUP into backtracking from a public declaration of abandoning the traditional unionist pacts).

So maybe we'll see some less historical footage on here in 2020...


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FACEBOOK election influencers

https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-50479877

COMPARING RESPONSIBILITIES - roles of councillors, MLAs, MPs, MEPs

Over time I'll develop separate guides on each, but for now here are some simple starter resources on each.

I have previously gathered guides, including videos, on an older blog - these are some key links from that which you may find useful (I'll certainly be using bit of these again myself!). Some have specific reference to where I was previously teaching in England, but all have general resources too:

• Budget, Revenue and Spending
• How Does Parliament Work?
• How Laws Are Made
• How Laws Are Made (6min video)
• Investigating our local MPs
• Parliament + Government: What's the Difference? (4min video)
• Parliament and UK General Election Process in a Nutshell
• Party Policies: 2013 Party Political Broadcasts
• Pressure Groups + Protest Campaigns
• Research What MPs Do
• Researching Party Manifestoes
• Russell Brand v Jeremy Paxman
• UK Government spending breakdown
• UK Political Parties' posters, past and present
• Understanding 'left-wing' and 'right-wing'
• Voter Turnout: UK Democracy in Crisis?
• Voting systems and debates
• World Book Day: Young People and Politics...

ROLES + RESPONSIBILITIES 1: LOCAL COUNCILLOR IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Simple search.
BBC guide: what do NI councils do?
NIDirect (NI gov) education;
Wiki! (never rely on it solely, but it is useful!)


ROLES + RESPONSIBILITIES 2: MLAs IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Simple search.
NI Assembly's education guide.
NI Assembly (leaflet) guide for the general public!
Wiki! (never rely on it solely, but it is useful!)

WIDER READING:
BBC microsite for articles on NI Assembly.
BBC guide on the North-South Ministerial Council.


ROLES + RESPONSIBILITIES 3: MPs IN NORTHERN IRELAND (and beyond!)
Simple search.
BBC Bitesize (very helpful graphic!)
Official Parliament guide.
Wiki! (never rely on it solely, but it is useful!)

PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE is a specific power worth noting. MPs can make claims INSIDE THE COMMONS that if said outside would leave them open to being sued for libel (which can bring unlimited fines for damages). The DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson used this in 2002 to name the man he says was responsible for the Omagh Bombing by the Continuity IRA. In 2020 the man he named was jailed (Guardian) for terrorist offences.

ROLES + RESPONSIBILITIES 4: MEPs IN NORTHERN IRELAND (and beyond!)
Simple search.
BBC guide.
EU Parliament guide.
Wiki! (never rely on it solely, but it is useful!)

DEMOCRACY intro videos etc

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This is a long read above the level you're expected to reach at GCSE. Source.

From BBC Bitesize, a great way to introduce/remind yourself about fundamentals of UK democracy!

Another BBC Bitesize guide which starts with more of an historic overview...

NORTHERN IRELAND MEDIA

I'll add some brief pointers on NI media here...

Both the leading (evening) paper The Belfast Telegraph it (see Wiki) and its (morning) rival the Belfast News Letter (Wiki) are pro-unionist. The only real nationalist rival is a Southern paper, the Irish Times ...which actually is historically (Wiki) a unionist paper too! There is An Phoblacht, Sinn Fein's paper (now a magazine: Wiki). There's a v brief overall Wiki on NI media.

The shock of the GB press/public at the actual nature of the DUP - most seemed ignorant of their existence! - following the 2017 post-election Tory/DUP confidence and supply deal (the one where PM May called an early election ... and to general shock lost seats to Corbyn's Labour and her overall majority!) is rather revealing. It is an indictment of how the UK 'national' press largely ignore NI and/or cover it in very simplistic, reductionist terms.

Here's an interesting eg of NI hitting the headlines ... Ian Paisley Jr in trouble back in June 2019 (BBC newspaper review). The story led the NI editions - not the nationals.

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CCEA UNIT 1 info packs

tbc

Equality cmsn for ni from DB3igs

Student guidance the northern ireland political parties from DB3igs

Agreement grid for ni parties from DB3igs

Pol parties in a demy from DB3igs

Pol pties in a demy 2 from DB3igs

Political ideas and concepts from DB3igs

Political parties in a democracy from DB3igs

Pol l info in a demy from DB3igs

Student guidance political party glossary from DB3igs

BOOKS

I've used Amazon.co.uk links for convenience; most of these are available from other retailers too.

Most textbooks are aimed at the A-LEVEL, not the GCSE, so you might find them quite challenging, and they will have more information than you need!

OFFICIAL UNIT 1 CCEA TEXTBOOK

Northern Ireland Government and Politics for CCEA AS Level

Note that its actually written for an A-LEVEL, NOT GCSE, so it will go into more detail on some themes than you will need to.

£9.99, published January 2018. Here's the description:

This well-researched text was written specifically to address Unit AS1 of the revised CCEA Government and Politics specification. It covers the Government and Politics of Northern Ireland and has been through a meticulous quality assurance process. It considers the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, the amendments made in subsequent agreements (St Andrews, Hillsborough and Stormont House) and examines the functions and responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the executive and various political parties. Included in the book are tasks, practice essay titles, key terms and concepts, as well as a detailed glossary, index and examination preparation guide. Areas explored include: 

* The principles, content and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and the changes made to it by subsequent agreements. 

* An analysis of the Assembly, including its three main functions (representation, legislation and scrutiny), and its independence from the Executive. * 

A look at the Executive Office and the Executive as a whole - how it is appointed, how it can determine legislation and policy, the divisions within it, and its ability to function as a power-sharing government. 

* An evaluation of the Northern Ireland political parties, including their role in government, their respective backgrounds, strategies and policies, and how they have changed since 1998.