Duncan Morrow
@duncanmorrow0.bsky.social
Speaking for myself here-so all the problems are my own. And in my day job, I am Director of Community Engagement and Professor of Politics at Ulster University.
Not a great summer for climate-change denial. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Murderous heat, an endangered food supply, decimated landscapes: embrace the Mediterranean life | George Monbiot
As climate disaster stares us in the face, the radical right says ‘Embrace the Mediterranean life’. Embrace death, more like it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
theguardian.com
To be fair the Grand Old Duke of York only marched them up and down the once. Trump cancels Iran strikes subject to deal being made 'rapidly' www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Trump says he is cancelling strikes on Iran subject to deal being made 'rapidly'
The US president claims Iran and other Middle Eastern countries asked Washington to hold off on any attack as the "perimeters" of a deal had been agreed.
bbc.co.uk
The backsliding on policy on global warming is the greatest corporate scandal of our time fuelled by the press barons. The idea that net zero is a greater threat to livelihood and lives than climate change is being disproved in real time. ‘God send a fire not a flood next time’.
Net zero risks blackouts: on this basis it seems like a minor risk tbh. If ever a front page told a story of rightwing newspaper irresponsibility in relation to climate change, this must be it.
With 6 European teams and a Moroccan team with strong European connections this 48-team World cup has ended up back where it started. Argentina could spoil UEFA’s party but it shows that the dominance of big leagues has not yet been broken.
The prospect of a showdown between Nigel Farage and Count Binface is the most fitting destiny for everything Faragiste ever. But would the Count have to sit in the House of Lords or give up his title? And would he be guaranteed a seat every week on Question Time?
Brussels replied brilliantly to Washington last night. But the depth of Trump’s corruption of every rule designed to mitigate might is right -and the sycophantic rush to please him by Infantino - is truly catastrophic.
Delighted to publish this report today with @duncanmorrow0.bsky.social, Jonny Byrne & @mairebraniff.bsky.social through @ulsteruni.bsky.social on how we conduct and engage with the constitutional debate in NI. Read the report in full here: pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publicati...
Our report on the challenges of negotiating a constitutional referendum in NI: we found people are interested in debate but many still remain uncertain. Most want preparation, honest info and broad participation. But they fear a polarising showdown creating heat but no light doi.org/10.21251/b84...
‘More Light, Less Heat' Navigating Debate on a Constitutional Referendum in Northern Ireland
doi.org
You could make this up- but you don’t need to. www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/new...
Climate change event on extreme heat is cancelled – due to extreme heat
independent.co.uk
The Edinburgh knife case was a case of a man gone mad on a mix of racism, anger, resentment and, possibly substances. The attack in Belfast had rage, resentment and substances too. Edinburgh shows how to handle violence: by calling the police rather than days of orchestrated racist atrocity.
The veto remains the most significant instrument of PostGFA Politics in NI, whether through collapsing the Assembly or through the Petition of Concern. In effect the system functions to stop things happening, not to make decisions. Ulster says No.
Saying violence is ‘wrong’ is too weak. What is wrong is targeting people for being black or a particular religion, destroying property and quality of life, controlling behaviour by coercive intimidation. All are on show in Belfast and all demand political, judicial and administrative intervention.
Belfast is a city in shock this morning. Disgusted, Ashamed, Angry, Frightened. The virus of far right violence is eating our humanity far more profoundly than Covid. This is destroying our souls.
In what way is orchestrated violence against innocent targets a ‘protest’ against grotesque violence against an innocent target? Is it not more of a terrible imitation?
The answer to a an unfathomably horrendous incident of horrifying violence in NI, as everywhere, is the application and rule of law and the upholding of human values, rights and decency. Not more horrendous violence and more victims. That is why we have the law.
Dual market access is paying dividends in Northern Ireland’s private economy
Unionism revolves once more around the old dilemma: consolidate to the right or reach out to the centre? The instinct to huddle remains- but in today’s NI this increasingly confirms Unionism as a minority without broader allies. Tactics not strategy? www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/norther...
Doug Beattie quits UUP claiming ‘insidious campaign’ against him as party says ‘serious concerns’ were raised
Former leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Doug Beattie has announced he has left the party.
belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Fine Gael picks up a byelection seat held by the left in Galway West (Catherine Connolly) and the left (Social Democrats) pick up a seat previously held by Fine Gael in Dublin. So little change for the Dail arithmetic. Poor weekend for FF and SF. www.rte.ie/news/2026/05...
Victory for Fine Gael and Soc Dems in bye-elections
It has been a successful weekend for Fine Gael and the Social Democrats after they both won a seat in the bye-elections.
rte.ie
Brexit remains Labour's unspoken crisis. Winning in Chorlton, Scotland or London means 'getting it' that Brexit is/was a disaster and fixing it. To win in Hartlepool, Wigan or Wakefield they need to pretend its 'a done deal'. Siding with one side splits the party, not siding annoys everyone.
Opinion polls tell us that around 50% of Scottish voters support independence. 73/129 seats in the Scottish parliament are held by pro-independence parties, yet on just over 40% of votes cast on both votes. So it is remains a close call on what would happen in the event of a referendum.
Through the ELEVATE Sustainability Sprint, our students partnered with North Belfast schools and community organisations to explore wellbeing through sport, gaming, creativity and peer mentoring.
Almost 60% of NI voters want to rejoin the EU, but there is a sharp division between Unionists where over 70% are against rejoining and the rest, where more than 90% support. This divide has persisted since 2016 and is the core of Unionism’s isolation.. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politic...
Bottom line: the UK system is designed to shield the boss. Starmer was ‘secured from knowing’ while his minions applied maximum pressure to the civil service to ignore process. Yet when the servant did the biddjng of politicians they were the fall guy when the process failed. Surprise-an innocent pm
Sacking Robbins for doing his job is political expediency. He was sacked because Downing St needed a head and his was the only available alternative to the PMs.
After Robbin's evidence, I am doubling down on this.
Duncan Morrow@duncanmorrow0.bsky.social · 4mo agoWell Keir, did you know that Mandelson was compromised, and appointed him anyway....?
Well Keir, did you know that Mandelson was compromised, and appointed him anyway....?
