The SDLP Lagan Valley is calling on all flags to be taken down within Lisburn Town Centre. The SDLP feel that if the City Council wish to promote “Lisburn - A City for Everyone” then they must earn it and promote a shared public space within Lisburn Town Centre. Every year around this time, in Lisburn Town Centre an Orange Order Arch is erected and the whole town saturated in flags and bunting.

The SDLP  respect the importance of expressing culture and heritage, but these groups cannot be allowed to take over public spaces, in most cases paid for by all the ratepayers, for their own political and sectarian purposes.

SDLP Lagan Valley Sectary and SDLP Youth Member Aisling Twomey said  

“If you ask the majority of people living in, or visiting Lisburn, regardless of their background, they will tell you about the problems around Flags. Residents have contacted me across the boroughs who are concerned by the flying of flags.   The SDLP Lagan Valley feels that no resident should be made to feel uncomfortable in a town or an area that they live in.  We have seen a move by loyalists to mark out new developments in the town; this is totally unacceptable as there are many new residents who don’t claim identity to either community. ”  

However most statutory agencies seem to be impotent to act on this issue. There should be no confusion whatsoever between the general use of flags. All flags that are used in a sectarian way should be removed.  Residents and Rate payers who are opposed to these flags outside their property or on their streets feel intimated to the point where many don’t complain for fear of attack or reprisals.

Ms Twomey continued “ I have been contacted by a gentleman who moved into an area, because he felt that it was a non-sectarian area. This year to his disappointment residents from outside his estate have come in to put up flags outside his property. He feels completely powerless as he was unable to get any action from PSNI.   Where are his rights to have this flag removed from outside of his property?”

Minister for Social Development Margaret Ritchie praised Lisburn in February 2009 and has emphasised importance of a Shared Future for Lisburn . Speaking at the launch of the City Council Masterplan Minister Ritchie said   “Now is the right time to focus on regenerating Lisburn’s City Centre. Lisburn like many other urban centres must review and reinvent itself in the face of changing economic, social and lifestyle trends.”  

The SDLP Lagan Valley echoes the view of the Minister for Social Development and thanks her for her ongoing work and support for the people of Lisburn.   The SDLP Lagan Valley will continue to campaign for removal of all flags within shared space in Lisburn City and will work towards a shared future for all Lisburn City residents . 

Please click on image above to see (better quality) poster.

You are invited to a public meeting to discuss the current chaos in our education system.

Balmoral Hotel, Dunmurry
Tuesday 30 June
6.30pm

Panellists:

• Alex Attwood SDLP
• Paul Butler SF
• Olwin Frost Principal Oakwood IPS
• Sinead Beare Principal Christ The Redeemer PS
• Tony Gallagher QUB

*Please note that due to clashes with other events, the date for SDLP Youth Conference has changed from 27th June to 5th September 2009. We hope the new date suits better for our members, supporters, speakers and exhibitors. Please find an updated invitation with new deadlines for motions/nominations.*

Dear Member

I am delighted to announce the SDLP Youth Annual Conference will take place on Saturday 5th September from 10am to 6pm at the Wellington Park Hotel in Belfast. All party members are invited to the Conference, and we would ask you to confirm your attendance early.

The conference is an opportunity for SDLP Youth to debate motions, to formulate policy papers and decide our priorities and policies for the coming year.

At the conference, the SDLP Youth Executive for 2009/10 will be elected and we are now inviting members of the party aged 30 and under to nominate themselves to run for the positions. The eight posts available are: Chair, Vice-Chair, Public Relations Officer, Campaigns Officer, Treasurer, Secretary, Universities & Colleges Officer, and International Officer.

The election will take place between 10am and 1pm at the conference, with counting taking place in the afternoon and the results announced thereafter. The election will be operated using the PR-STV system. To be entitled to vote, you must be a paid-up 2009 party member, aged 30 and under, on 1st September 2009.

The deadline for submitting motions for conference or nomination to run for election to the Executive is extended until 5pm on 21st August 2009, but we would still urge you to submit these as soon as possible.

If you wish to attend conference, run for election, or submit motions please contact Janine Irvine on 028 9024 7700 or email janine.irvine AT sdlphq.ie

Regards,

Peter Armstrong
Chair

Katherine McCloskey
Vice-Chair

—————————————————————————————————–

Important Dates
Deadline for submitting motions 21st August 2009 5pm
Deadline for election nominations 21st August 2009 5pm
Deadline for paying membership to HQ 1st September 2009
Date of conference 5th September 2009

SDLP Youth Campaigns Officer Kyle Boyd has condemned the recent attacks on the Romanian families in South Belfast.

Kyle said: “I live on the street where these attacks have happened. They are disgraceful and a shock to the whole South Belfast area.

“I see these families everyday and they are the friendliest and warmest people you could meet, and to think that they have been attacked due totheir nationality is beyond me.

“This attack has brought the wider community together and shows that no-one in today’s society will let this stand and are fully behind the parents and their young families.

“SDLP Youth were at the anti-racist protest on Monday evening to show our support for the Romanian community. I also want to condemn the youths who threw bottles and hurled abuse during the protest, and I would appeal to anyone who has any information about this to contact the PSNI immediately and bring justice to whoever did this.”

Dear Friend

This is a reminder that the SDLP Youth Annual Conference will take place on Saturday 27th June 2009 at the Wellington Park Hotel in Belfast.

All party members and supporters should have received invites to the Conference, and we are asking that you to confirm your attendance, submit motions, and put forward nominations for Youth Executive as soon as possible by contacting Janine Irvine on 028 9024 7700 or email janine.irvine AT sdlphq.ie.

Since we have been busy electioneering, we have extended the deadline for Submitting motions and Election Nominations to Monday 15th June 2009 5pm.

Election Nominations - The Youth Executive posts available are: Chair, Vice-Chair, Public Relations Officer, Campaigns Officer, Treasurer, Secretary, Universities & Colleges Officer, and International Officer. I would encourage all members to consider running for a position, or suggesting members that you think should run.

Submitting Motions - The motions passed at Youth Conference help us to formulate policy papers and decide our priorities and policies for the coming year. Motions passed at Youth Conference are put forward to Party Conference and in many cases become SDLP party policy.

Regards,

Peter Armstrong

Chair
SDLP Youth

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) is protesting outside Laganside Courts on Thursday 11th June 2009 at 9.30am to support Suzanne Breen the Northern editor of the Sunday Tribune newspaper. Please join them to show your support for the protection of journalists and their sources.
The SDLP Executive vowed to support Suzanne Breen on 9th June.

Support Suzanne Breen on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= … 092&ref=nf

Sign the petition:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/protectsources/

Background:

http://www.nuj.org.uk/innerPagenuj.html?docid=1226

Dolores Kelly will lead her canvassing team back into the Kilwilkie estate in Lurgan at seven PM tonight, accompanied by Alban Maginness and Mark Durkan. On Tuesday night she was confronted by a masked gunman who told her to get out in five minutes or she would be shot.

A separate canvass team was also confronted by people in exceptionally well-sewn balacavas and told Dolores would be shot. Dolores is not taking any of this:

“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party - they will not. This is an affront to democracy. I am proud to be an elected representative for this area and a young thug like that will not deter me from my work.

“This type of person offers nothing to the community. There was a teenage girl with me helping me canvass. This person thinks he’s being a big man by threatening us, but he’s the opposite. A coward is too good a word for him.

“The matter is now with the PSNI and for the safety of those with me I decided to finish canvassing for the evening after the incident. This, however, will not stop me from doing what I was democratically elected to do - to serve the community. I wish it to be known that the SDLP fought for civil rights and we will not let an incident like this keep us from helping the good people of Lurgan.”

It wasn’t the lads in balaclavas who kept us out last night, it was the football.

SDLP Upper Bann MLA Dolores Kelly has said a threat from a man in a balaclava armed with an air gun will not deter her from serving her constituents.

Ms Kelly was confronted by a man at Kilwilkie Gardens in Lurgan on Tuesday evening who told her to get out of the town or she would be shot. Ms Kelly was helping to canvass the area ahead of the upcoming European Election.

She said: “We had two teams of canvassers in Kilwilkie and I did notice a crowd of young fellas in a car pull up. They drove off again so I thought nothing of it until I heard someone say my name and saw a young man in a balaclava, who told me in no uncertain terms that I was to leave the area or I would be shot. He had what seemed to be an air gun. He also threatened another member of my party and pointed the gun directly at his face.

“Let me make this very clear to those people who think they can intimidate me or my party - they will not. This is an affront to democracy. I am proud to be an elected representative for this area and a young thug like that will not deter me from my work.

“This type of person offers nothing to the community. There was a teenage girl with me helping me canvass. This person thinks he’s being a big man by threatening us, but he’s the opposite. A coward is too good a word for him.

“The matter is now with the PSNI and for the safety of those with me I decided to finish canvassing for the evening after the incident. This, however, will not stop me from doing what I was democratically elected to do - to serve the community. I wish it to be known that the SDLP fought for civil rights and we will not let an incident like this keep us from helping the good people of Lurgan.”

European Candidate Alban Maginness this morning launched the SDLP’s EU Election Manifesto at the Radisson SAS hotel in the Gasworks, Belfast. It’s online here.

Thanks to @wimps for this.