Owen Polley

Writing about politics, the Union and Northern Ireland. Find many of my latest articles here:

[Jon Burrows MLA @JonBurrowsMLA]

1. If the amendments to change the minimum age of criminal responsibilty to 14 as proposed by SF, Alliance & SDLP becomes law a 13 year old in England recently convicted of aiding & abetting the rape of 2 schools girls could not even be investigated, as it would not be a crime.

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

The problem with Streeting's plans on Capital Gains Tax. A well-evidenced article from @TheBluetrot

[Brian Monteith @TheBluetrot]

Capital gains tax has stumped politicians for decades; Streeting doesn’t stand a chance

"For 10 years between 1988–1998, CGT was aligned with income tax and indexed. The result was hugely lower transactions & revenues."

My latest column for @Telegraph https://t.co/W5jmlONSrr

[The Critic @TheCriticMag]

“Ireland’s obsession with Israel and Palestine is powered by its own highly developed sense of victimhood and the hatred of Britishness that is the bedrock of its national identity”
https://t.co/nzbtE0WulN

[Jonny @gawanorniron]

“In nationalist Ireland there has been scarcely any recognition that Israel was wronged in the first place. Its hysterical mood seems only to be deepening, and you can only expect the anti-Israeli viciousness to get worse as the Nations League approaches…”

[The Critic @TheCriticMag]

Anti-Israel sentiments among Irish nationalists are irrational and opportunistic, argues @3000Versts
https://t.co/nzbtE0WulN

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

'Anti-Israeli derangement... is not unique to the Irish... But in nationalist Ireland, a combination of brooding self-pity and vaulting self-righteousness gives its hatred of Israel a unique edge.' @TheCriticMag https://t.co/XrrGMIsg8d

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

A scruffy performance at times from Northern Ireland, but showed some pluck in difficult conditions too. Valuable experience for the debutants and younger players. Can't complain about a win. Looking forward to Lille. #GAWA

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

UEFA decides to rig the next play-offs to get the outcome it wants.

[Football Meets Data @fmeetsdata]

🚨

🏟️ UEFA decided to change the home field advantage rule in Play-offs for major tournaments!

Until now, the hosts of the Play-off finals were randomly drawn.

This ended up forcing Pot 1 teams like 🇮🇹 Italy, 🇩🇰 Denmark, 🇹🇷 Türkiye to play the PO finals in WC 2026 qualifiers away from home.

🇮🇹 Italy and 🇩🇰 Denmark LOST those away games which cost them a spot at the 🌎 World Cup.

❗️ Under the new rules, Pot 1 teams will be guaranteed hosting both the Semifinal and the Final of Play-offs for major tournaments!

[David Thompson @NewsLetter_Pols]

This is extraordinary. As the rest of us pay through the nose for fuel, some entitled MLAs may have charged the public twice for theirs

Parties must be upfront about who did, why they thought it was acceptable - and whether they’re paying any mileage back https://t.co/xgGtHCBWxH

[Sapere Aude @thedissenter]

Mostly it doesn't care what group wants to do heritage, culture, language so long as it just gets on with it and doesn't try to shove it in everyone's face. Oh, and isn't 'political' or massively funded from the public purse.

[Sapere Aude @thedissenter]

The problem is not 'lack of funding' it is a willingness or an inability to take meaningful and necessary decisions. https://t.co/QzbkvoEXKC

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

Scots nationalists at least previously retained enough decency to distance themselves from anti-British fanatics like Sinn Fein. That restraint is now largely gone from the SNP. Its separatism has injected nastiness & shamelessness into Scottish politics https://t.co/NMxto8Pnj3

[The Majority #ScrapHolyrood @themajorityscot]

Good article, bringing together many points about the failures of nationalist indulgence across the UK. The devolved administrations, self-elevated to the status of nationalist 'governments' have been a colossal failure. Scrap them all.

[KJH @KJH19322252]

A useful reminder: “The island we call ‘Ireland’ is not a country. There is no all island political unit — not in fact, not in the sky. Ireland is not partitioned. There is no “Irish nation” coextensive with the island.”

[Sapere Aude @thedissenter]

Key point here is that neither the SNP or nationalist parties anywhere (with particular reference to NI) are very good at government being too obsessed with what they are not (them'uns) and failing on the basics of delivery to everyone.

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

Scotland now mirrors the worst of NI’s politics, thanks to the SNP and its separatism, combined with the effects of devolution. Latest column, in today's @News_Letter https://t.co/NMxto8Pnj3

[Belfast News Letter @News_Letter]

Owen Polley: Uncomfortable truth is that ​Scotland now mirrors worst aspects of Northern Ireland’s politics https://t.co/GUwB7dwSeT

[Simon Schama @simon_schama]

When ignorance entitles you to Jew- hating defamation

[Owen Polley @3000Versts]

Hugely enjoyed @DanielJHannan's lecture about the links between the Glorious Revolution & American Revolution, as organised by Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland. Pleased Edmund Burke got a mention. Conor Cruise O'Brien's 'The Great Melody' covered similar ground.

[Steve Aiken @SRAikenUUP]

Thank you to @OrangeOrder @QUB for hosting Lord Hannan tonight - a stimulating & far reaching discussion on the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the founding of the 🇺🇸 @USAmbUK @USAinNI @uuponline #USA250