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Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey: No party can ignore issues like parading

Sat, 25 May 2013 05:01:17 GMT

Sinn Fein MLA Alex Maskey has said there can be no escape route for any party when it comes to finding answers to the sensitive questions of parades, flags and the past.

BBC 'very sorry' after John O'Dowd labelled 'SF/IRA!' on Question Time

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:13:36 GMT

The BBC has apologised for a Question Time production gaffe that saw a Stormont minister labelled as being a member of "Sinn Fein/IRA".

Sinn Fein complains over BBC's 'SF/IRA!' Question Time label

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:13:36 GMT

Sinn Fein has lodged a formal complaint with the BBC after the party's Education Minister John O'Dowd was listed as a spokesman for 'SF/IRA' during an appearance on Question Time last night.

Travers hopeful of U-turn on advisers after SDLP talks

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:20:01 GMT

A meeting with victims' campaigner Ann Travers gave "a lot of food for thought", the SDLP said last night.

Peter Mandelson gets civic role in Hull

Fri, 24 May 2013 03:20:01 GMT

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Mandelson has been appointed as the High Steward of Kingston Upon Hull after the historic role was resurrected by the Queen.

New strategy for shared education unveiled by Stormont leaders

Thu, 23 May 2013 19:24:19 GMT

A new strategy to heal sectarian divisions in Northern Ireland has stressed the crucial need to create a fully shared education system in the region.

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman reveals he heard senior Tories calling activists 'swivel-eyed loons'

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:36:19 GMT

Another journalist has revealed that he has heard senior Tories describe activists as "swivel-eyed loons".

Politicians must decide on terror amnesty, insists DPP

Wed, 22 May 2013 03:20:02 GMT

Politicians need to make up their minds and decide if they want to prosecute historic Troubles cases or offer an amnesty in order to embed the peace process, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has said.

Ann Travers fury as SDLP blocks terror aide ban

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

The sister of an IRA murder victim has hit out at SDLP plans to help axe a new law preventing the appointment of Stormont special advisers with serious criminal convictions.

Ban on political advisers with jail record set to fail

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:20:02 GMT

A senior Sinn Fein official whose job was under threat from a Bill stopping special advisers with criminal convictions holding Stormont posts looks set to be rescued by the SDLP.

David Cameron offers review of civil partnerships as gay marriage Bill clears major hurdle

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Moves to legalise gay marriage in Britain cleared a crucial parliamentary hurdle as it emerged that civil partnerships could be abolished as the price for getting David Cameron’s plans on to the statute book.

Deal heads off Tory revolt over same-sex marriage

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Plans to allow same-sex marriage in the UK have survived a Tory backlash after a fraught debate in the House of Commons.

Northern Ireland's past looms large again in five-hour debate

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

Assembly Members may have been debating a law for the future but – as always – the past loomed large.

Peter Robinson saddles up for organ donation campaign

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:14:00 GMT

Kitted out in his cycling gear, First Minister Peter Robinson looked quite the wheelman as he hit the pedals to support GAA star Joe Brolly’s drive to raise organ donation awareness.

Outrage as MP salaries set to rise by up to £20k

Mon, 20 May 2013 03:04:50 GMT

MPs are in line for a dramatic pay rise of up to £20,000 in a move that could spark public fury.

David Cameron hints at going it alone without the Liberal Democrats

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:22:29 GMT

David Cameron has hinted that he could attempt to govern without the Liberal Democrats if disputes within the coalition made it impossible to continue.

Thugs in attack on MLA John Dallat’s office

Sun, 19 May 2013 23:00:00 GMT

The constituency office of SDLP East Londonderry MLA John Dallat has been attacked.

Angry Scottish mob tells Ukip leader Nigel Farage to ‘go back to England’

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:56:41 GMT

Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, had to be given a police escort through an angry crowd as he tried to take his party's anti-EU message to Scotland.

Finally revealed: how much First Ministers spent selling Northern Ireland to the world

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:47:17 GMT

Foreign trips by First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness over the last year have cost the public purse more than £350,000, raising questions over whether they were good value for money.

Martin McGuinness and Peter Robinson's trips abroad cost Northern Ireland taxpayer £350,000

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:21:46 GMT

Overseas junkets for Government ministers cost Northern Ireland taxpayers more than £350,000 in the past year, official figures revealed today.

Ed Miliband ranked 20th in world’s most influential Jews list

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:20:26 GMT

Ed Miliband may be struggling to convince voters at home that he is the man to lead the country after the next election, but that has not stopped a leading Israeli newspaper from giving the Labour leader a top 20 billing in its annual list of the world’s most influential Jews.

Echoes of Big Ian as the First Minister Peter Robinson sticks the boot in

Wed, 15 May 2013 03:20:02 GMT

Peter Robinson appealed to Assembly colleagues to "take a step back" from party politicking – just before sticking his boot into the SDLP.

David Ford launches intermediary scheme to aid the course of justice

Tue, 14 May 2013 03:06:26 GMT

Justice Minister David Ford has launched new pilot schemes to help vulnerable victims, witnesses and defendants to communicate more effectively when giving evidence.

David Cameron to publish Bill on EU referendum

Tue, 14 May 2013 02:27:22 GMT

David Cameron will today try to quell a growing rebellion by his Conservative MPs over Europe by publishing a draft Bill to guarantee that an in/out referendum on Europe will be held by 2017.

Matt Baggott's Stormont plea: 'Enough rhetoric, deal with poverty'

Mon, 13 May 2013 20:50:13 GMT

Support for Northern Ireland’s paramilitaries will persist until politicians tackle endemic poverty and youth unemployment, the country’s most senior policeman has warned, ahead of a huge security operation to protect next month’s meeting of G8 world leaders.