Why unionists went to the Belfast Fleadh and liked it
Some on social media ask why the July 12th celebrations cannot generate atmosphere more like the Fleadh
Striking lawyers don’t tend to evoke much public sympathy
Reform should not be treated as the alternative to controlling costs. We should have both
Andy Burnham likes to be liked. There could hardly be a worse qualification for the job
Is the new Labour Party government just as doomed as Keir Starmer’s?
Common Travel Area can’t become an excuse for hard borders on land or sea
Mainstream parties of government should be able to sell the CTA as a way to regulate immigration while minimising internal borders
DUP may be destroyed by Jeffrey Donaldson scandal
Unhappy voters stay at home, so unionism could cease to be Stormont’s largest designation next May
One takeaway from the Jeffrey Donaldson scandal is the value of a scurrilous press
Some of the people now demanding to know why the press did not expose Donaldson earlier can be the sniffiest about the tabloid tactics that would have entailed
Jeffrey Donaldson’s downfall leaves the DUP battling a conspiracy theory
The party has two good people in its two top roles, yet neither quite belong and there is nowhere else for either to go
Unionists have begun to think of themselves as a minority
A plan to raise the age of criminal responsibility fell apart when three unionist parties blocked it
Northern Ireland’s politicians have no power over immigration. London controls it all
Racism has been associated with unionist areas because that is where immigrants have been able to find housing. Republican communities take pride in behaving better
Sinn Féin’s opt-out powersharing plan is historic. No wonder it’s being ignored
Sinn Féin’s proposal would create opt-out powersharing, where - rather than allow devolution to collapse - smaller parties could take the place of larger parties
Sinn Féin stance in Northern Ireland makes it plain its natural coalition partner is Fianna Fáil
Sitting in government in Stormont has located the party quite clearly on the centre left, with the emphasis on centre
UK’s ‘generational ban’ on tobacco will give Dublin a headache
Effect will be to raise the current age limit of 18 by one year every year, until smoking dies out with the last of its adherents
The money demands of nationalist parties in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland could backfire
There is temptation for nationalist parties to blame their shortcomings on lack of money from London. But, this approach may suffer diminishing returns
Compulsory Irish in a united Ireland? Unionists won’t like that
Calls to strengthen the language to correct the wrongs of colonialism may seem like a parody to them
Sinn Féin condemns dissident violence, but does it truly back the police?
Part of the aim of dissident violence is to embarrass the party by forcing it to condemn what it once supported