Gareth Gordon
@BBCGarethG
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BBC Northern Ireland Political Correspondent.
Joined April 2011
Ken Clarke or Baron Clarke has accused @duponline of using the protocol as an “excuse” for not joining @niexecutive “under Sinn Fein leadership”. @NigelDoddsDUP denied the allegation.
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PM Theresa May arrives for Brexit JMC meeting in Cardiff. Reporter asks if she'll be holding Nicola Sturgeons hand
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A shipyard worker has just shouted “Save our shipyard” in Irish to cheers from language activists. Boris has achieved something in his first morning in N.I.
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Early nominee for taxi driver of the year is the one in London I inadvertently handed a Bank of Ireland £20 note to. He was delighted. “That’s cool. I’ve never had a Northern Ireland banknote.” I told him that wasn’t the usual reaction.
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Yesterday on his 6th visit to NI since becoming Taoiseach @campaignforleo went to @OrangeOrder spent enormous time shaking hands with real people in an area which was not exactly home ground. Last time Theresa May came she visited a cowshed outside Bangor.
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One of those days I’m afraid. I knew Big Ken Reid for 42 years which is frightening. We disagreed about Van Morrison and Everton but about nothing else. He had a story for every topic, most of which I believed. Rest easy big man…you will be missed.
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To those who don’t like us reporting worst case scenarios being projected by our Health Minister and his officials I have news - we don’t like it either. But that’s what they’re saying so that’s what we report. They change their mind we’ll report that too. More happily.
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.@BeattieDoug says @uuponline will NOT sign @duponline petition of concern to block Integrated Education Bill. It would be an abuse of mechanism to protect minorities.
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Martin McGuinness watching on via his portrait as history is made at Stormont.
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Edward O’Neill, who survived the UVF Dublin bombings in which his father died, has sent an angry e-mail to @M_AndersonSF copying in every MLA 1/3
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David Trimble was like no other politician I ever dealt with. You never - and I can’t emphasise this enough - knew what you were going to get. But his courage, both physical and psychological, was immense. We hear a lot about the GFA. Without him there’d have been no GFA.
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The Stormont Cycle:.1. Election 😉 2. Looming crisis 😢 3. Crisis ☹️ 4. Armageddon 😡 5. Talks 🤨 6. Executive 👏 7. Repeat 👀.
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.@RobinSwannMoH tells @bbcnewsline he’s “taking advice” over the attack on him by Van Morrison and Ian Paisley. As for the MPs claim it was parody he says “I can assure you as I assured him that there’s no-one in our house laughing over it.”.
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It’s understood a @duponline councillor has tragically died after suffering Covid. Paul Hamill was a member of Antrim and Newtownabbey council. He leaves a young family.
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Have I got this right? The new leader of a party accused of boycotting North South meetings is heading to Dublin later for a North South meeting. The NI Guide to Politics for beginners just got a new chapter.
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Apologies if I've missed anyone but so far haven't seen a single @duponline MP in the House for the debate on the customs union in which NI is featuring heavily. Lady Sylvia Hermon appears to be a lone NI representative on green benches.
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Apparently when @moneillsf referred to herself in a speech on Monday as “a proud Ulster woman” it was intended as an olive branch to unionists but no one picked up on it.
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The @NIOgov not pleased with my report of @chhcalling visit to Downpatrick today. Perhaps I should have said it went really well….
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I may have been expecting too much from Boris but there’s a lady in the front row asleep #dup18.
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When a politician claims they’ve been “taken out of context” it’s usually code for “I screwed up”
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Sad day @BBCnireland. Losing four great colleagues. Privilege to work closely with @markdevenport for 19 years. Small in stature but most of it brains. @KevinMageeBeeb one of my oldest friends in journalism. Since 1987 he says. Intense and funny in equal measure. Irreplaceable.
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“It is now clear that anti-protocol rallies are being used to raise the temperature in Northern Ireland and adding to tensions that now see a resurgence in UVF activity” says @BeattieDoug. Significant cracks appearing tonight in unionism and how it fights the protocol
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Watching BBC Two and need to get something off my chest. Portillo’s Great Continental Railway Journeys is some of the finest television ever made. Apologies in advance to those that may upset…. .
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Tried to sabotage my own vaccine day by turning up an hour late (misread the text doh!) They never batted an eyelid. Slick operation. As impressive as impressive can be!.
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The death of Stephen Grimason is a massive loss. Great, great journalist, what he didn’t know about NI politics wasn’t worth knowing. But nothing quite became him like the way in which he faced death. Head on, no sentimentality and black humour to the end. Inspirational….
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.@Naomi_long says sight of older people goading on younger people rioting “nothing short of child abuse”.
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Child’s play. @NicholaMallon arrives for talks with @JulianSmithUK along with the latest member of her family
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The Organ Donation Bill shows the people of Northern Ireland “there can be days like this” says @RobinSwannMoH. Is he trolling Van Morrison now…
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Brian Clough was Leeds manager for 44 days. Just saying…. .
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Dan Wiffen. Not to be controversial but this is the finest achievement by an Armagh man in what has been a vintage week. .
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.@benhabib6 tells @TUVonline conference the Windsor Framework is WORSE than the Protocol because it indelibly embeds EU law in NI
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I once rang Rangers about a story and asked if I could speak to Walter Smith. Unlikely I thought. A man came on and said he was Walter Smith but that he was about to take a shower and could he ring back. Unlikely I thought. He did. I forget the story but will never forget that.
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Man approaches at the @uuponline manifesto launch asking for a selfie. I’ve finally arrived. Then he says “I’m only asking you because @Tracey_utv isn’t here” 😡😡😡.
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Source out of today’s meeting with parties and Karen Bradley described it as “a sh*t show”.
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A Scottish colleague passed me this. They were used on all the room doors of his hotel near the #CPC22. Honestly
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Source says NI civic leaders’ meeting with Jeremy Corbyn lasted 15 mins when it eventually happened. One said “I’d wait five hours to spend 15 minutes talking to Beyoncé but not Corbyn”. Added they did make some forceful points which seemed to register. Not re Beyoncé though.
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.@BrandonLewis calls @LeoVaradkar comments on United Ireland “unhelpful and ill advised” particularly at this time of year. Says they may have something to do with @sinnfeinireland being ahead in polls in RoI and calls on everyone to “dial down the rhetoric”. Quite a rebuke.
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.@SteveAikenUUP backtracks on remarks he made last week about HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. Embarrassing.
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.@moneillsf tells Christopher Stalford “I don’t think it’s for you to decide which funerals I can attend”.
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Quite a statement from a former Head of the Civil Service.
Strolled past Stormont today, a place I’ve been through 100s of times (good days and bad!). Despite the bright sunshine, there’s a sad end of days feel in the air. Can’t help thinking if the Assembly has met for the last time, it will be Unionists who come to regret it the most.
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On Inside Politics @bbcradioulster @DUPleader several times refuses to rule out @duponline becoming a remain party if they believe it would save the Union.
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Speaking in Rome President Higgins concedes the organisers of the centenary service always referred to him as the President of Ireland and not the Republic of Ireland as he told @harrymcgee.
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Re crunch @duponline meeting turns out Ian Paisley was right all along. He said it could be a “ice age” before Stormont returns….
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At the end of my morning walk I’ve just come across something very sad. A funeral. A few people standing in the church car park. A few more across the road. All observing the rules. But probably with hearts aching all the more because of it.
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In one swoop Karen Bradley cuts MLA salaries, kills the possibility of an Assembly election, talks up the North South Ministerial Council, promises moves to allow civil servants to make decisions and opens door to outside talks chairperson. What kept you so long some will say. .
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Important info. Hairdressers tattoo parlours are Step Four so at least we’ll be looking well when we get back to pubs and restaurants (step five).
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.@naomi_long says they had a frank and candid exchange of views with Boris Johnson. she says if he has a plan he disguises it well.
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.@MaryLouMcDonald says @sinnfeinireland have had what she would describe as a “very tough meeting” with @BorisJohnson. It’s clear she says his priority is “placating” the @duponline.
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The Electoral Office has told the Stormont parties the Assembly election is likely to be on December 15.
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I understand @ArleneFosterUK has absolutely no intention of coming back to local politics including as a @duponline candidate in any by-election for Lagan Valley. She has “moved on”.
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.@BrandonLewis says he will bring in legislation to cut MLA pay “if Stormont is not back up and running soon” #SundayPoliticsNI.
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It’s already looking like it’s @naomi_long for third seat. Might be early but that’s the way it looks #EuropeanElectionResults.
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Ian Paisley criticised by chair of @CommonsNIAC for using the phrase “the Catholic IRA.” @Simon4NDorset said the remark was “not conducive to moving things along.” @StephenFarryMP asked to be disassociated from remark saying IRA terrorism had been condemned by Catholic Church.
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At last count five statements in from @sinnfeinireland MLAs and MPs today either criticising Ministers from other parties or calling on them to doing something re #Coronavirus. What happened the united front evident for a few weeks after devolution returned.
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Little eight year old Adam Watson from Banbridge deserves support as he battles leukaemia .
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A senior @duponline source on @edwinpootsmla nominating a First Minister: “he’s alienated all the people who know it needs to be done and he’s surrounded himself with people who don’t want to do it”.
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A @sinnfeinireland source confirms this is first time @moneillsf has used the term Northern Ireland in Assembly chamber “as an attempt to show she wants to be a First Minister for all”.
.@moneillsf tells MLAs she stands ready to take on leadership of “the Northern Ireland Executive as a First Minister for all”.
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Gregory Campbell on @BBCTalkback trying to explain @EdwinPoots1 comments on Covid being more prevalent in nationalist areas. @duponline in danger of tying themselves in knots.
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No questions allowed at @duponline manifesto launch. I personally have never experienced such a thing.
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.@JimAllister says the Director of Public Prosecutions should be considering his position over Denis Hutchings who “died an innocent man”.
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In 12 months @EdwinPoots1 has fought cancer, temporarily standing aside as Agriculture Minister to do so, lead a coup, became DUP leader then an ex DUP leader, tried to become an MLA for south Down and ended up with south Belfast instead.
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Fair play to the amazing @BBCJayneMcC for laying out the gory details on #GMU after three hours sleep. The wonders of youth 🤣.
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Ian Paisley claims his father’s removal as leader of @duponline was what killed him. He died of a broken heart he said. Quite a claim.
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This video is like a metaphor for the Northern Ireland of the past 25 years, all the more so this morning….
I can find no video that sums up being a lawyer better
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When did putting the words “the wee” before everything become a thing? As in “what’s your wee name” “what’s your wee address?” Uh?? Nice or a wee bit annoying after the 49th time?.
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.@moneillsf says she stands over every word she made about China order on PPE on March 23 and invites @JimAllister to make his comments outside the Assembly chamber when he doesn’t have legal privilege.
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There is an unprecedented need to find a substitute word for unprecedented.
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Here is @chhcalling telling journalists what he is going to do about an Assembly election. But we’re not allowed to report it into 5pm
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Ian Paisley calls death of Denis Hutchings “a disgrace” claiming he’s been placed in a situation “where the stress of all of this has resulted in this outcome”.
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Could Twitter please settle something for me. How common is the phrase “hasn’t got his sorrows to seek” Strange request I know….
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.@RobinSwannMoH says at end of pandemic there will be only one thing that divides us those who died and those who survived. Refuses to answer question about @moneillsf criticism saying he can’t afford to get distracted.
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He’s no @MarkCarruthers7 but he’s @endamcclafferty. Doing a fine job filling the big shoes - and socks - on @bbctheview. Braver man than me.
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.@BeattieDoug tells his party’s manifesto launch there will be no United Ireland in his children’s lifetime
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