Saturday 7 January (Belfast Media Group blog, Léargas)

Thatcher’s war policy in Ireland

BY GERRY ADAMS

THE recent publication of British government papers from 1981 have reminded many people of the negative role played by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at that time.

The papers were published coincidentally at the same as a Hollywood movie about Thatcher. I haven’t seen... Free article

The Household Charge is ‘only’ €2 a week if you live in an ivory tower

ENDA KENNY makes me mad. His claim that the Household Charge is “only” Ř2 a week had me boiling. I have no problem with taxes - my problem is with unfair taxes and the unfair distribution of the burden.
The top 5% own 40% of the wealth but everyone gets hit with a flat-rate tax of €100. It’s unjust.
“Only” €2 a... Free article

‘A duty to defend the people’

BLIAIN úr faoi mhaise daoibh go léir.
As we embark on a New Year, the Irish people face major challenges. The policy of austerity being pursued by conservative governments in Dublin and London and by the European Union is strangling the Irish economy and causing severe hardship for Irish families.
Economic circumstances have meant that thousands of... Free article

BRITISH STATE PAPERS RELEASED UNDER 30-YEAR RULE | THATCHER AND THE H-BLOCKS CRISIS

ADULTERATING their drinking water, forcibly intravenously feeding them and banning all visitors, quashing the results of the Fermanagh/South Tyrone by-election and disqualifying Bobby Sands as MP, berating the Reuters news agency for refusing to describe the IRA as ‘terrorists’ — these are just... Free article

1981 STATE PAPERS RELEASED | LAVISH GOVERNMENT SPENDING IN DUBLIN AND STREET RIOTS IN BRITAIN

BY ROBBIE SMYTH

FINE GAEL and Labour form a coalition government, the Tories are in power in London, and a summer of riots sparks off across Britain while spending cuts and stealth taxes are introduced in Ireland. Dublin’s 1981 state papers show remarkable similarities between Ireland... Free article

BUDGET 2012 INTERVIEW | PEARSE DOHERTY, SINN FÉIN DÁIL FINANCE SPOKESPERSON

BY EOIN Ó MURCHÚ

BUDGET 2012 is an austerity Budget that is bad for people and bad for the economy. That’s how Pearse Doherty summed up Michael Noonan’s and Brendan Howlin’s proposals as presented to the Dáil last month.
“We look at this Budget in two ways,” Doherty says. “It’s bad for people, for those... Free article

THE NORTH’S PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT - INTERVIEW WITH FORMER ACTING DEPUTY FIRST MINISTER JOHN O’DOWD

BY MARK MULLAN

DURING his brief stint as acting deputy First Minister, John O’Dowd MLA was thrust into the middle of the negotiations which ultimately delivered the North’s Programme for Government (PFG) and agreement on issues such as the Education and Skills Authority and the... Free article

Caithfidh reifreann a bheith ann

Tá an dá fhoireann ag lineáil amach anois le haghaidh an troid mhór i dtaobh phlean déine de chuid an Aontais Eorpaigh. Tá an rialtas ag súil go mbeidh siad in ann plean tarrthála na mbainc a chur i bhféidhm gan reifreann, ach is léir go bhfuil cumhachtaí breise dhá dtabhairt ag institiúidí san Eoraip a mbeidh cead bunreachtuil ón bpobal... Free article

MOVIE RELEASE – MERYL STREEP AS MARGARET THATCHER

IN FUTURE ISSUES, An Phoblacht will be carrying more reviews and previews so we’ve been talking during the past few weeks to distributors to get a preview of the new film about Margaret Thatcher. The Iron Lady is on general release from 6 January, the day after this edition is printed. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to get... Free article

LAOIS/OFFALY TD BRIAN STANLEY ON BUDGET 2012 | ANTI-RURAL BUDGET CUTS AND TAXES

BY MARK MOLONEY

IN FEBRUARY 2011, just ahead of the general election, the Labour Party issued a number of statements on the issue of ‘Rural Renewal’. They said that “for far too long the establishment had closed the door and neglected rural Ireland”. Labour claimed that a change of strategy was... Free article