With apologies to FJH, The Skibbereen Eagle came to prominence when it announced with suitable gravitas that it “Was keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia” regarding his Chinese adventures back in the 1800’s. Quite.
Of course, like all great quotes it contained a universal truth. In this case that all Politics is local. Yet we all relate our experiences of local politicians to global standards and expect them to perform to those standards.
Integrity, truth,bravery, honesty and delivery of change. That’s what I expect at least. Yet how many world class Politicians have we delivered?
I can name a few who have done just that. Not alone locally but indeed on a World stage. In the last 30 years I would say John Hume is head and shoulders, Gerry and Martin are up there. I would include Paisley in my list, David Irvine definetely, the only UUP person I can think of is Terence O’Neill for effort. Alliance? nope nobody. Nelson McCausland? well that’s the other end of the scale.
So why do we have so little time for local Politico’s? Perhaps because they are just too local. All firefighting and no strategy.
"We in coming days may be" 
I wouldnt include Terence O’Neill…much too flawed. I actually remember him and he was as my Auntie Sheila would say “too sweet to be wholesome”. He was never a liberal but at heart much more bigoted than his arch rival Paisley.
In fact they were strange mirror images.
Paisley who effected to be a hard man who was personally kindly and worked for people.
O’Neill who purported to have liberal sentiments but cared little about people and was frankly lazy.
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Thats interesting. I am tempted to do a post on him. Mrs Bangordub says her parents, liberal Fermanagh Unionists, saw him as a catalyst for change within Unionism but ahead of his electorate. They saw change as inevitable, locally of course, but recognised that it was in the interests of Unionism to manage that change to their best advantage.
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http://endgameinulster.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/economic-woes.html
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