A Life in Beta

Very pleased to see Conall McDevitt take his place as SDLP MLA in Stormont just recently.

I don’t know Conall but I follow his blog avidly and have great reports on him from various friends in and around the SDLP and NI Public Relations.

Like Cllr Ian Parsley (whom I have mentioned here a number of times), Conall aspires to a more a secular, considered and constructive Politics for the people of NI.  This should be our simple right. Instead we continue to squander the promises of devolved government on petty scrabbling for scraps from the sectarian table…forgetting that we surely hoped for and certainly deserve something more. 

These are important times for NI and its Politicians. 2010 promises to be a challenging year for all in the UK and NI in particular. Perhaps when our elected officials get beyond settling their self-interested scores on Policing and Justice they might have enough time to consider some more minor issues for the coming year. Oh like:

• The post primary education shambles
• The certainty of Public Sector reform whether at the hands of a Conservative or Labour Government….how much longer can we expect to sustain a position when more than 60% of our economy based on the Public Sector? And if efficiencies are required – and let’s agree they will be – what will the effect be on NI’s already struggling economy when we have to cut loose public sector workers on a disproportionately small Private Sector?
• Improving our Health Care provision in the face of proposals for £100m+ “targeted” cost savings in the 2010 – 2011 year
• Taking action on the 2009 IREP report…what is the “Northern Irish advantage” to be and who – if anyone – is going to make it happen for the short, medium or longer term?
• Water Charges….we know no one wants to talk about it but this Ostrich has to come up for air soon surely?
• The growing crisis of a generation of young men and woman in some of NI most socially deprived areas leaving school with no qualifications, plan for training or hope for employment

Is it just me or do those Parades suddenly seem like a walk in the park? Yet 7 days and counting…..and there they still are while Rome burns.

So Conall – good luck to you. I’ll be following with interest. Its a big job but do not waver from your instincts – they are the right ones and they are shared by far more of us than many of your colleagues at Hillsborough appear to understand or care.