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Mr Gove... On education then and now
"The hollowing out of Northern Ireland's Britishness is a progressive process, whereby the British state divests itself of responsibilities and strips the province of evidence of its British character". Not my words, but those of the...Show More Summary
Stormont's plans for a shared future
Northern Ireland's first and deputy first ministers have been promising us ambitious plans on a shared future in recent weeks, but providing nothing in the way of detail. On Thursday, we were summoned to Stormont Castle and presented...Show More Summary
Bit by bit?
Theresa Villiers' speech earlier on Monday is the latest in a series of comments from the secretary of state about an economic package under negotiation with the Stormont Executive. London ministers hope this deal will be agreed within...Show More Summary
Pressing concern for Stormont?
Anyone who watched the question and answer session between reporters and the Northern Ireland first and deputy first ministers at the Titanic centre in Belfast earlier this week won't need me to tell them that relations between the top...Show More Summary
Will schools report follow in the wake of Eames Bradley?
Might some aspects of the Eames Bradley report on the past have been implemented by now if it hadn't been for the team's most controversial suggestion? That's a thought which flashed through my mind for two reasons. First, I attended...Show More Summary
NI guests attend Thatcher funeral
In terms of the official etiquette, Baroness Thatcher's funeral was a ceremonial, not a full, state, funeral. But watching the coffin being borne on a gun carriage along the Strand, flanked by military bands, it certainly felt like a...Show More Summary
Optimism among children of Agreement
Starting the day on Wednesday, I tweeted jocularly that I didn't know whether to attend a UUP event marking the 15th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement or take the advice of the SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell by treating the day...Show More Summary
Thatcher's Northern Ireland legacy
So was Lady Thatcher a "draconian militarist" whose actions prolonged the Northern Ireland conflict, as Gerry Adams contends? Or a leader willing - perhaps against her instincts - to give politics a chance, whose decision to sign the...Show More Summary
Business tax delay 'tough blow'
So what was it all about? The walkabout by George Osborne at Wrightbus in Ballymena? The appearance by the exchequer secretary, David Gauke, at the launch of a public consultation at the Kelvatek electronic plant at Lisburn? The countless...Show More Summary
Perception and reality
If I told you there's a perception amongst some that the Apollo astronauts never landed on the moon, but instead participated in an audacious hoax, you might think I'm simply reporting on far fetched conspiracy theories. If I soughtShow More Summary
It's love 'n hate for gang of two
This morning I conducted potentially the most unscientific survey of all time. In my defence, I had not been intending to conduct a survey at all, but just making my way into BBC Broadcasting House. As I headed through the swing doors, a new party - aka Basil McCrea and John McCallister - was coming in the opposite direction. Show More Summary
Compensation disparity finally explained
Last week I recorded on this blog my slow-moving attempt to get clarification on whether compensation payments provided to victims of the troubles in Northern Ireland would be treated in the same way as money paid to those injured in...Show More Summary
Victims and welfare changes
Some Stormont stories are fast moving, others take rather longer to develop. Many assembly members complain about the length of time it takes departments to answer their queries. Here's an example of a journalist's question making its...Show More Summary
Promises easy to make in opposition
Reporting on the Eastleigh by-election earlier this week on the Ten O'clock News, my colleague James Landale pronounced that "the stakes could hardly be any higher". It made me wonder whether, in covering the campaign for the by-election...Show More Summary
Alliance future plans ambitious
The publication of the Alliance document "For Everyone" comes a few days after the BBC obtained a leaked copy of a draft report prepared by Stormont's cross-party working group on community relations. Alliance's proposals on education...Show More Summary
Alliance in shared future plans
Last week the BBC obtained a draft copy of an executive working group strategy paper on community relations, which included a scheme for young children to be paired with buddies across the sectarian divide and a target date of 2022 for...Show More Summary
Dual mandate on Irish unity
Appearing on the Nolan show on Wednesday, I said that the "border poll", as referred to in the Good Friday Agreement and the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, would be held in Northern Ireland alone. The SDLP's Conall McDevitt begged to differ. I...Show More Summary
Diversions and u-turns
The DUP denies it has performed a u-turn. However, there certainly was a strong contrast between Peter Robinson's dismissal of holding a border poll when talking to me on Inside Politics on Friday and Arlene Foster's hint on the Nolan...Show More Summary
City hall union flag lowered again
Seen from afar, riots over which flag flutters above a council building may appear inexplicable. However, national identity remains a source of deep division in Northern Ireland. Disputes about flags and symbols have been a regular occurrence over the decades.
NI flag riots 'threatening jobs'
Seen from afar, riots over which flag flutters above a council building may appear inexplicable. However, national identity remains a source of deep division in Northern Ireland. Disputes about flags and symbols have been a regular occurrence over the decades.
