Latest releases
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16 releases
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Hanna: Farage stunt further debasement of Westminster politics
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP says Nigel Farage's move to step down and force a by-election is a fresh low for Westminster, calling it a bid to sidestep scrutiny of his personal finances and urging him to let the standards investigation run its course. She argues North voters want action on everyday…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Nigel Farage resignation triggering Clacton by-election Original release: Hanna: Farage stunt further debasement of Westminster politics (opens in a new tab)
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“Government Playing Fast and Loose with Dáil Rules to Cancel Dáil Votes before Polling Day” – Tóibín.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín TD accuses the government of manipulating Dáil rules by moving the weekly voting block from Wednesday to Tuesday, delaying a vote on Aontú's motion on presidential voting rights, Áras transparency and nomination reform until after the presidential election.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Dáil voting block moved from Wednesday to Tuesday before presidential election Original release: “Government Playing Fast and Loose with Dáil Rules to Cancel Dáil Votes before Polling Day” – Tóibín. (opens in a new tab)
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TUV – the only party to call out Sinn Fein hypocrisy on lecturing people on democracy when Gerry Kelly sits on their benches or note the irony of calling for votes for 16 when you want to deny ANYONE in NI the right to vote on 300 areas of law
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston opposes the Assembly motion on votes at 16, arguing 18 matches international practice and that Sinn Féin is poorly placed to lecture on democracy given Gerry Kelly's seat on its benches. He also says supporters of the motion ignore the Windsor Framework's 300 areas of law…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Assembly motion backing votes at 16 and 17 Original release: TUV – the only party to call out Sinn Fein hypocrisy on lecturing people on democracy when Gerry Kelly sits on their benches or note the irony of calling for votes for 16 when you want to deny ANYONE in NI the right to vote on 300 areas of law (opens in a new tab)
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Cynical abuse of process by DUP and Sinn Fein on verge of election
TUV West Tyrone Westminster candidate Stevan Patterson accuses the DUP and Sinn Féin of timing a monitoring round funding announcement to win votes days before polling. He says the money should have been allocated earlier, and questions the DUP's stance on Casement funding.
Public finance and taxation Constitutional affairs Issue: Monitoring round funding announcement ahead of the 2024 general election Original release: Cynical abuse of process by DUP and Sinn Fein on verge of election (opens in a new tab)
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BBC and UTV aren’t interested in real debate as they create echo chamber for Protocol implementors
TUV leader Jim Allister accuses the BBC and UTV of bias after both broadcasters excluded TUV from their leaders' debates, citing a late change to TUV's broadcast allocation and polling he says shows the party level with the SDLP. He says the broadcasters are creating echo chambers.
Constitutional affairs Issue: BBC and UTV exclusion of TUV from leaders' debates Original release: BBC and UTV aren’t interested in real debate as they create echo chamber for Protocol implementors (opens in a new tab)
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Erskine – Questions for Pat Cullen & RCN
DUP MLA Deborah Erskine says Pat Cullen of the Royal College of Nursing must answer questions over his past remarks on Northern Ireland leaving the UK, a recent RCN video featuring a candidate, and the 1989 Royal Victoria Hospital attack targeting Nigel and Diane Dodds.
Health Constitutional affairs Issue: Royal College of Nursing general election video featuring Pat Cullen Original release: Erskine – Questions for Pat Cullen & RCN (opens in a new tab)
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Wilson slams TUV’s absurd & self-destructive plan
DUP MP Sammy Wilson accuses the TUV and Reform UK of a plan to split unionist votes at the next Westminster election, claiming it would hand seats to the Alliance Party and benefit Sinn Fein, and rejects their claim that the DUP is not real unionist.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Original release: Wilson slams TUV’s absurd & self-destructive plan (opens in a new tab)
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Wrecking Ball approach by TUV
DUP MP Gregory Campbell says TUV and Reform candidates cannot realistically win, accuses TUV of a wrecking and splitting approach that weakens unionism, and says TUV's claims that fellow unionists are not unionists are nonsense.
Constitutional affairs Original release: Wrecking Ball approach by TUV (opens in a new tab)
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7 Political Parties Refuse Public Debate Before Local Elections
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín says seven Northern Ireland party leaders refused his invitation to a public debate before the local elections, noting only Alliance's Naomi Long agreed to take part, and criticises the lack of debate.
Constitutional affairs Public finance and taxation Issue: Aontú invitation to public debate before local elections declined by party leaders Original release: 7 Political Parties Refuse Public Debate Before Local Elections (opens in a new tab)
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Lyons - “divided votes helped SF win”
DUP Director of Elections Gordon Lyons MLA says Sinn Féin is not a normal party, citing its manifesto claim to work for all and past remarks describing the IRA's violence as necessary, and argues divided unionist votes let Sinn Féin win in the recent election.
Constitutional affairs Community relations and legacy Issue: Sinn Féin election victory and pro-union vote division Original release: Lyons - “divided votes helped SF win” (opens in a new tab)
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Boyd nails vote splitting nonsense
TUV council candidate Norman Boyd rejects DUP claims that voters split the Unionist vote, saying there were not four Unionist quotas in East Antrim and that the DUP's North Antrim seat loss reflects its own 15% vote fall. He also cites the DUP's support for Alex Maskey as Speaker.
Constitutional affairs Issue: DUP claims about Unionist vote splitting in 2023 council elections Original release: Boyd nails vote splitting nonsense (opens in a new tab)
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Attacking fellow unionists doesn’t strengthen unionism
DUP North Belfast MLA Phillip Brett says criticism of the DUP from fellow unionists will do little to counter non-unionist electoral gains. He points to lost unionist seats in Strangford, North Antrim and East Antrim after the last Assembly election, blaming a splintered unionist vote rather than…
Constitutional affairs Issue: 2022 Assembly election unionist vote splintering and seat losses Original release: Attacking fellow unionists doesn’t strengthen unionism (opens in a new tab)
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Democracy never the first choice for Sinn Fein
DUP MP Gregory Campbell accuses Sinn Féin of undermining democracy, citing its calls for 'joint authority' and an election while the Secretary of State has held off setting a date. He says devolution can only be restored by dealing with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Constitutional affairs Issue: British Secretary of State U-turn on Northern Ireland Assembly election timing Original release: Democracy never the first choice for Sinn Fein (opens in a new tab)
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After Truss: Why An Assembly Election? We Need A General Election To Get Rid Of The Tories!
People Before Profit says Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris is threatening a Stormont election in December that few want and that would change little, arguing it does nothing for cost-of-living problems. It calls instead for a British general election to remove the Tories and an end to their…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Liz Truss resignation Original release: After Truss: Why An Assembly Election? We Need A General Election To Get Rid Of The Tories! (opens in a new tab)
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December Election: Tory Clowns Treating Us With Contempt
People Before Profit Cllr Shaun Harkin accuses Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris of treating people in Northern Ireland with contempt over threatening a December Stormont election. He says such a vote would do nothing for cost of living pressures, and calls for escalated protests and mass…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Heaton-Harris threat of December Stormont election Original release: December Election: Tory Clowns Treating Us With Contempt (opens in a new tab)
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TUV maximised the Unionist vote
TUV leader Jim Allister says the DUP's claims that a split in the unionist vote cost seats are inaccurate, citing transfer losses in Strangford, East Antrim, Lagan Valley and North Antrim. He says TUV transfers helped elect 11 unionist MLAs and that TUV's 65,000 votes maximised the unionist turnout.
Constitutional affairs Issue: DUP claims of unionist vote split in 2022 Assembly election Original release: TUV maximised the Unionist vote (opens in a new tab)