“Be Relentlessly Positive”: Alex Attwood

Alex Attwood delivered the keynote address at the Economic Forum. Ironically as some of the “Planning” powers of his Department of the Environment have been taken from him by Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.
The theme of his speech was Joined Up Government.
The best resource available to the people of Irland is the islan of Ireland. Speaking of the hitory and culture, he predicted that the archaeology going on at the buried medeival town of Dunluce …”our very own Pompeii” would bring in as many tourists as he Giants Causeway. We have waves and wind that will produce energy and an agri-food industry on our land.
Europe…there is nothing joined up. The Irish Government uses the European system better to get every cent out of Brussels. Norn Iron should be using Dublins expertise.
Calling John Swiney the Scottish Nationalist politician the best politician in these islands and Alex Salmond the best Leader of a political party in these islands, Alex noted how the SNP managed to be in GOVERNMENT and in POWER.
Ridiculing Peter Robinson for accusing him of not being a team player and of having a political agenda…Alex aid that all politicians SHOULD have a political agenda. If they did not have one, what are they doing in politics.
For once avoiding any quotation from Robert Kennedy, Minister Attwood stated that the SDLP should be looking towards the SNP.
A few weeks ago, he had asked a veteran SNP politician….”a real-life Braveheart” what was the lesson for SDLP.
The answer is to RELENTLESSLY POSITIVE.

3 Responses to “Be Relentlessly Positive”: Alex Attwood

Political Tourist says:

June 29, 2013 at 11:37 am

Don’t tell anyone this FJH but in left SNP circles John Swinney (is Swinney the name a play on Sweeney btw) is seen as a bit well rightwing.
Suppose that will come out after September next year depending on a YES victory.
Interesting though that Alex doesn’t see the Scottish Labour Party as his natural political ally.
Is Alex an old fashioned Delvinite dressed up as a Social Democrat in the 21st Century.
At least the provos are an open book.
Can just see Alex watching like a hawk for any movement on those opinion polls across the North Channel.
Hold on, does Seamus Mallon know about this admiration for the Tartan Nats.
Seamus had a few words to say a while back about the Jocks behavior when it came to foot patrols in catholic areas.
Seamus was a bit naughty to Alex, Salmond that is, not Attwood.
Just goes to show you never know the minute, Alex Attwood, an open Belfast supporter of the SNP.
Don’t tell Alex but there’s even a few from the unionist tradition who are quietly wishing the SNP well.

- fitzjameshorse says:
  
  June 29, 2013 at 12:47 pm
  
  I dont think you can equate the Black Watch with the Scottish people/nation
  We cant equate the UDR with the Irish people/nation.
  Its entirely reasonable that a Party that is nationaist should support a nationalist Party.
  To be an Irish Nationalist is to support anti-imperialism world wide.
  the biggest imperialists in Norn Iron were the Labour Party.
  Roy Mason designed Ties and Badges for regiments.
  
  Coincidently one of the Speakers at the Forum…David Gavaghan, of Titanic Quarter Ltd …revealed that he thought SDLP “centre left” politics was no longer relevant and was pretty much put in his place by Tim Attwood, brother of Alex…who from the floor explained what SDLP and other centre left political parties stood for.
  
Political Tourist says:

June 29, 2013 at 1:59 pm

On and off NI has had home rule of a kind for nearly a hundred years.
I’ll leave aside partition, conflict etc etc.
Scotland has had limited home rule since 1999 when the first Scottish Elections took place.
Maybe it just me but in few years Scotland has moved or is ready to move on a host of infrastructure projects, new roads railways hospitals, along with free prescriptions,
tuition fees etc.
And NI is where exactly, worrying about the next parade policed by robocop.
A motorway from Belfast to Derry that stops in a field in Co Antrim.
A run down railway that even the locals call Prod Rail because its only decent service is Bangor to Belfast.
I actually like Alex Attwood, most people i know don’t including SDLPers.
Too smug they think.
As for being relentlessy positive, well unless Alex knows something everybody doesn’t, then why be positive about half baked devolution delivering the goods.
NI has had nearly a 100 years of it and failed badly.
Even the Orange State couldn’t/didn’t deliver for it’s own people never mind those it didn’t like.