We’ve created an online book of condolences for people to send their messages of support to the people of Norway. I think everyone has been moved and shocked by the scale of the attacks in Oslo and on the island of Utoya. During my years in SDLP Youth I attended similar camps in Ireland, and in Spain and Germany – it’s heartbreaking to think of atmosphere of idealism and enthusiasm of those young people being shattered so violently. What a democracy needs more than anything is engaged young people and it is encouraging to hear of the resolve of the Norwegian Labour Party to continue to strive towards an open, tolerant society. You can sign at the link below.
http://www.sdlpbalmoral.com/?p=921&preview=true&preview_id=921&preview_nonce=0f28ed030e
Short statement about threatened closure of City Hospital A&E
Balmoral Cllr Claire Hanna has said it is vital that the Health Minister Edwin Poots does not pre-empt the consultation on the closure of the A&E unit at Belfast City Hospital. She said: “It is essential that the Health Minister Edwin Poots does not pre-empt the consultation on the closure of the A&E unit at the City Hospital as his comments suggest that he is going to preclude objective decisions on the pattern of demand for A&E services in the greater Belfast area. “It is not intuitively obvious why the City Hospital should close as it has a higher demand than the Mater. It is clear that rationalisation is needed. To have three A&E departments operating within one and a half miles of each other is unsustainable, as is a situation where there are five A&E departments within a ten mile radius. “Other matters must be taken into account including cost, availability of junior doctors and appropriate use of A&E services.” ENDS
SDLP Belfast City Councillor Claire Hanna has expressed sadness at the death of poet Maurice James Craig, aged 91 years.
Fri 13th May
Cllr Hanna said: “I am saddened to learn this morning of the death of the distinguished Belfast-born architectural historian and poet, Maurice James Craig.
“For me and so many others, Maurice Craig gained immortality for the magnificent ballad poem he wrote ‘May the Lord in his mercy be kind to Belfast’.
“It has had particular poignancy for me this week as I took my place as an SDLP councillor in the ‘Eyetalian marbles in the City Hall’.
“On behalf of the SDLP, I would like to pass my condolences onto his family. I hope that they will find great comfort in knowing that his legacy will live on in Belfast city through his illustrious literature.”
May the Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast
Red brick in the suburbs, white horse on the wall,
Eyetalian marbles in the City Hall:
O stranger from England, why stand so aghast?
May the Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast.
The jewel that houses our hopes and our fears
Was knocked up from the swamp in the last hundred years;
But the last shall be first and the first shall be last:
May the Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast.
We swore by King William there’d never be seen
An All-Irish Parliament at College Green,
So at Stormont we’re nailing the flag to the mast:
May the the Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast.
O the bricks they will bleed and the rain it will weep,
And the damp Lagan fog lull the city to sleep;
It’s to hell with the future and live on the past:
May the Lord in His mercy be kind to Belfast
I was delighted to have been elected to Belfast City Council this, with slightly over a quota in Balmoral. Sincere thanks to all those who voted or transferred SDLP, and those who supported our campaign in any other way. While we’re relieved and pleased that Conall McDevitt MLA and Councillor Bernie Kelly were returned, it’s bittersweet with the loss of the seat of our friend and colleague Niall Kelly. Niall worked solidly in Finaghy and across Balmoral and was an excellent representative for all – he’ll be back.
In the mean time, I look forward to getting stuck in here. Do get in touch if that any issues I can help you with.
Was at a very well attended emergency meeting of Lisburn Road Traders at Lily’s bar tonight. I’ve lived most of my life on the Lisburn Road, worked in a local restaurant for many years when I was growing up and my Dad’s business was located there until a couple of years ago. I’m aware that many people will have got their rates bills this morning and were feeling the pain.
It’s clear that the vibrancy and colour and diversity of the Lisburn Road trading area has been draining for a few years – despite some pretty innovative approaches to attracting shoppers. At the beginning of February I did a survey of advertised vacant commercial premises on the Lisburn Road, starting at the flyover working all the way down to Bradbury Place, and counted 45 commercial premises for sale or rent with an estimated vacant footage of 18,000 square metres or around 200,000 square feet. Some of those premises have been available for renting for years. It appears landlords will be happy to let a place lie empty rather than reduce the asking price for the rent, because premises are sold on multiples of annual rental.
A big problem, and one I think can be tackled, is the Net Assessable Values (NAVs). These are set by Land and Property Services with very little transparency on how they arrive at their figures – it’s like playing poker with someone who knows what cards you have in your hand. They claim to have a database of rentals charged for neighbouring properties and they assess your NAVs accordingly. Making these databases open and publically available is well within the realms of possibility and if elected I’ll campaign with the traders to get a result there.
Local rates are the only tax variance powers we have locally, but both Assembly and Local government need to be more responsible about how they are applied. Small traders – who employ hundreds of people on the Lisburn Road – are feeling the squeeze, while it feels like some of the chains get away without paying their share. The incoming Belfast City Council needs to be very rigorous about monitoring expenditure, in securing best value, but also needs to take a fair approach to raising revenue.
The SDLP campaign is well underway in Balmoral, with an encouraging buzz and energy. On Saturday, we were delighted to have Labour TD Dominic Hannigan, who recently won a seat in Meath East after a hard fought and energetic campaign.
Our team is out every night from 6pm, and again on Saturday afternoons – give me a shout if you’d like to get involved!
