Latest releases
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691 releases
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Fine Gael proposals on Irish unity a welcome step forward – Mary Lou McDonald
Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD welcomes Fine Gael's Irish unity proposals announced at its Ard Fheis and urges Tánaiste Simon Harris to engage with the Opposition, Northern parties and civil society. She calls on the Government to publish a Green Paper on reunification and establish a…
Constitutional affairs Issue: Fine Gael Irish reunification proposals announcement at Ard Fheis Original release: Fine Gael proposals on Irish unity a welcome step forward – Mary Lou McDonald (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Pulling Stormont Brake is another DUP stunt, says Tennyson
Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson MLA calls the unionist request to trigger the Stormont Brake a cynical, self-defeating stunt that would undermine progress on an SPS agreement ahead of a UK-EU summit. He urges a full reset of the EU relationship instead.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Stormont brake request on EU goods regulations Original release: Pulling Stormont Brake is another DUP stunt, says Tennyson (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Unionist Leaders and Inter-Trade UK Business Association urge the Secretary of State to stop EU Regulation 2026/2108 deepening the Irish Sea customs border
The UUP, alongside TUV leader Jim Allister KC MP and ITUKBA chair Peter Summerton, urges the Secretary of State to apply the Stormont Brake against the EU's new Union Customs Code, which they say deepens the Irish Sea customs border. UUP leader Jon Burrows MLA warns of more bureaucracy and EU…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Stormont brake request on EU goods regulations Original release: Unionist Leaders and Inter-Trade UK Business Association urge the Secretary of State to stop EU Regulation 2026/2108 deepening the Irish Sea customs border (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Joint statement by leaders of the UUP and TUV and the Chair of the Inter-Trade UK Business Association on Stormont Brake
TUV, alongside UUP leader Jon Burrows and ITUKBA chair Peter Summerton, calls on the Secretary of State to apply the Stormont Brake against new EU customs rules, which they say deepen the customs border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Stormont brake request on EU goods regulations Original release: Joint statement by leaders of the UUP and TUV and the Chair of the Inter-Trade UK Business Association on Stormont Brake (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Overwhelming opposition to Alliance Conversion Practices Bill -…
DUP MLA Pam Cameron says a Committee for Communities survey shows 93.55% of 1,379 respondents opposed the Conversion Practices (Criminalisation) Bill, and calls on the Alliance Party to heed the public and halt the Bill. She argues prosecutors flagged vague harm thresholds and reach into family…
Disability and equality Justice and policing Issue: Alliance Conversion Practices Bill Original release: Overwhelming opposition to Alliance Conversion Practices Bill -… (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP launches three-stage reform plan to end Stormont paralysis
The SDLP has published a three-stage reform report, Politics for the Common Good, proposing immediate Stormont changes such as stopping one party collapsing the Executive, Joint First Ministers and relocating the Assembly to central Belfast. It urges the UK and Irish governments to help push…
Constitutional affairs Issue: SDLP launches Stormont reform plan Original release: SDLP launches three-stage reform plan to end Stormont paralysis (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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TUV Welcomes The Triggering of the Stormont Brake After a Month of Drawing Attention to Dangerous New EU Regulation
TUV welcomes the triggering of the Stormont Brake on EU Regulation 2026/2108, saying it followed a month of the party highlighting the legislation. It points to its October submission to a Northern Ireland Assembly scrutiny panel and an article by leader Jim Allister KC MP, which argues the new…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Stormont brake request on EU goods regulations Original release: TUV Welcomes The Triggering of the Stormont Brake After a Month of Drawing Attention to Dangerous New EU Regulation (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Kearney calls for urgent action to remove barriers facing cross-border workers
Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney calls for urgent steps to remove administrative and legal obstacles hindering the roughly 18,000 people working across the border, citing payroll, pensions and social security complications. He also urges progress on a recent British-Irish commitment and argues Irish…
Economy and employment Constitutional affairs Issue: British Prime Minister and Taoiseach commitment on cross-border employment issues Original release: Kearney calls for urgent action to remove barriers facing cross-border workers (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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SDLP Party Leader: Irish unity needs unified approach
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomes Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael's moves towards structured preparation for Irish constitutional futures, and says she has written to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris proposing a New Ireland Forum-style process with civic society and parties.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Irish Government parties' unity plans Original release: SDLP Party Leader: Irish unity needs unified approach (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna welcomes Taoiseach’s New Ireland Commitment
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomes the Taoiseach's recent remarks on Irish unity as an important step, and says her party will work with the Irish Government to translate that ambition into concrete preparation. She repeats the SDLP's call for a dedicated minister to drive the work.
Constitutional affairs Issue: British Prime Minister and Taoiseach commitment on cross-border employment issues Original release: Hanna welcomes Taoiseach’s New Ireland Commitment (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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O’Toole: People Deserve a Future Beyond Political Petulance
SDLP Leader of the Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA calls the DUP's latest stunt petulant and says health, schools and other public services are suffering while the parties remain without a budget deal at Stormont.
Constitutional affairs Original release: O’Toole: People Deserve a Future Beyond Political Petulance (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Hanna: Budget must deliver support now and invest in Northern Ireland's future
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP writes to the Chancellor ahead of the Budget, urging targeted help for households facing high energy and bills, including extra money for the home heating oil scheme and an Essentials Guarantee for Universal Credit. She also proposes a ten-year investment partnership on…
Public finance and taxation Economy and employment Issue: Stormont budget request for household support and infrastructure investment Original release: Hanna: Budget must deliver support now and invest in Northern Ireland's future (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Equal citizenship is non-negotiable – Allister
TUV leader Jim Allister, speaking at Oxford University, warns that Labour's Reset would make the whole UK a rule-taker of EU laws and calls for a centre-right government. He says a Reform Government would need to rip up the Windsor Framework to restore UK sovereignty and equal citizenship.
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: Labour Party Brexit reversal plan announcement Original release: Equal citizenship is non-negotiable – Allister (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Those who breach their pledge must face consequences - Robinson
DUP Leader Rt. Hon. Gavin Robinson MP calls on the Government to amend the Northern Ireland Act so that ministers who breach their Pledge of Office face enforceable sanctions, saying political stability depends on accountability for failures to support police, courts and the rule of law.
Constitutional affairs Justice and policing Original release: Those who breach their pledge must face consequences - Robinson (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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DUP to Trigger Stormont Brake Over New EU Customs Rules
DUP Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley says the party will seek to activate the Stormont Brake against new EU customs rules, which he claims would add red tape, costs and delays for trade with Great Britain. He urges MLAs to back a DUP petition asking the Speaker to object to the legislation.
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: Stormont brake request on EU customs regulations Original release: DUP to Trigger Stormont Brake Over New EU Customs Rules (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Taoiseach recognition on unity a welcome shift that must be followed by concrete action – Kearney
SF MLA Declan Kearney urges the Irish government to turn the Taoiseach's stated involvement in discussions on Irish unity into concrete planning, and calls for an inclusive all-island Citizens' Assembly covering economic, welfare and rights implications.
Constitutional affairs Issue: Taoiseach recognition of constitutional change on Irish unity Original release: Taoiseach recognition on unity a welcome shift that must be followed by concrete action – Kearney (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Swann welcomes Joint UK-EU Agreement on parcel fees ahead of Parliamentary Partnership Assembly
UUP MP Robin Swann welcomes confirmed arrangements exempting "not at risk" consumer parcels entering Northern Ireland under Windsor Framework schemes from new EU handling fees, ahead of the Joint Committee meeting. He flags unresolved questions over how EU artificial intelligence rules would…
Constitutional affairs International affairs Issue: EU handling fees on Northern Ireland parcels Original release: Swann welcomes Joint UK-EU Agreement on parcel fees ahead of Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 9 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Whitehall asleep as EU parcel tax and AI rules hit Northern Ireland
UUP spokesperson Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA welcomes the proposed UK-EU SPS agreement but says it leaves customs and tariffs in Northern Ireland. He criticises Whitehall for ignoring the Union Customs Code parcel handling fee and calls for the Stormont Brake to be applied, and says applying parts of…
Constitutional affairs Economy and employment Issue: EU handling fees on Northern Ireland parcels Original release: Whitehall asleep as EU parcel tax and AI rules hit Northern Ireland (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Alliance calls for progress in making Fleadh more accessible
Alliance Belfast Councillor Michael Long welcomes Belfast City Council's endorsement of an Alliance proposal to have council officers meet the Inclusive Mobility and Transport Advisory Committee before next year's Fleadh. The move follows disability groups' concerns about this year's event.
Disability and equality Local government Issue: Fleadh 2026 accessibility concerns and proposals Original release: Alliance calls for progress in making Fleadh more accessible (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Hunger figures must be a wake-up call for Communities Minister, says Mulholland
Alliance Communities spokesperson Sian Mulholland MLA expresses concern at Trussell figures showing 21% of people in Northern Ireland reported their household ran out of food in the last year, and calls on the Communities Minister to bring forward an funded Anti-Poverty Strategy with deadlines and…
Social security and welfare Economy and employment Issue: Stormont poverty statistics release Original release: Hunger figures must be a wake-up call for Communities Minister, says Mulholland (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 8 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)