Gareth Brown

Belfasttelegraph

Thursday, 21 January 2021 | 1.3°C Belfast

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Belfasttelegraph

News [1]
Opinion [2]
Business [3]
Sport [4]
Life [5]
Entertainment [7]
Travel [8]
Sunday Life [9]

Menu Sections

Gareth Brown

Political commentator and former Cabinet Office and Stormont adviser

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Divisive: NI politicians have struggled to come to consensus on the transfer tests

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Gareth Brown Opinion Room for compromise on the transfer test is obvious... let's just do it

Why do we always do this in Northern Ireland? We allow what is the relatively straightforward issue glaring us in the face to get dragged into a much bigger ideological stooshie. And the inevitable result of introducing unnecessary politics, dripping in decades of mistrust, grudges and prejudices, into an issue that requires immediate action? Nothing.

Unacceptable: We have high levels of rough sleeping in Northern Ireland

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Gareth Brown Opinion When we emerge from Covid-19, we have the opportunity to do things differently

Hearts sank across Northern Ireland as we listened to the news over the weekend of a potential new strain, rising cases and confirmation of another six-week lockdown from Boxing Day.

Hope: Michelle O’Neill needs to set an example for Ulster’s centenary

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Gareth Brown Opinion Northern Ireland's centenary is a test nationalism needs to pass

The news of a vaccine means that we approach 2021 with a little more certainty than we may have initially thought. One thing was always certain to feature next year, however. Northern Ireland will celebrate a big birthday.

Stuck: SDLP leader Colum Eastwood and party colleague Nichola Mallon

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Gareth Brown Opinion Smaller parties in Northern Ireland are damned if they do, damned if they don't

It's been a tricky few weeks to be a non-Big Two Executive Minister - trapped in a government you chose to join but that you can't leave. It was once thought to be the best of both worlds in political science circles - parties could simultaneously ride the government and opposition horses. However, it's difficult to look at the experience of the SDLP, UUP and the Alliance Party over the last 15 years and reach that conclusion.

Hands up: People near the White House in Washington celebrate after Joe Biden’s victory

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Gareth Brown Opinion 'Liberals' may have won US election battle but they will not win the war

An old friend remarked to me last week "A win's a win's a win" with that sort of sigh that comes with a lowest common denominator outcome. For people like him and me, what you might loosely describe as liberals or progressives or whatever you want to call it, we can now breathe a massive sigh of relief. Trump is gone.

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Gareth Brown Opinion We pay politicians badly and we treat them worse than dirt

Once upon a time, we placed a lot of value in members of our community who put themselves forward for public service. Doctors, nurses, and midwives were the pillars of the local community and Members of Parliament were people we admired and respected. But that was then.

Finalised: Belgium has just established a formal government after a near two-year stalemate

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Gareth Brown Opinion Like Belgium, we in NI struggle to govern ourselves... are we just too scared of the alternative?

Believe it or not, there is another country, not so far from us here in Northern Ireland, that struggles to form a government. Belgium, host to the unofficial capital of Europe and home of the EU, has just established a formal government after a near two-year stalemate.

The Irish border has been a key part of Brexit talks (Brian Lawless/PA)

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Gareth Brown Opinion Brexit, Boris and births won't deliver a united Ireland

Politics is often referred to as the "art of the possible" - a group of usually middle-aged white men swanning around in suits with takeaway coffees and copies of the Financial Times under their arms talking about the "mood" of the public. The reality is that politics and winning elections is actually more of a science or formula.

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