Category Archives: Northern Ireland

Prospect of Irish unification referendum remains remote despite Sinn Féin gains

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Party’s advances in Northern Ireland contrast with slump in Ireland, while new Labour government is keen to bury issue

Sinn Féin has completed a historic hat-trick for Irish nationalism by becoming Northern Ireland’s biggest party in local government, the Stormont assembly and Westminster.

On 4 July it increased its majorities in several constituencies and whittled those of opponents, teeing up potential gains in the next general election. Meanwhile, the party’s vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, has made history as the first nationalist first minister.

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‘Change begins immediately,’ says Keir Starmer after Labour’s landslide election win – live

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Labour leader said he wanted to restore service and respect in politics and ‘end the era of noisy performance’

Clive Myrie is opening the BBC’s election night coverage. He is co-presenting with Laura Kuenssberg.

No 10 has also announced knightoods for four Tories in the dissolution honours – Oliver Dowden, the deputy PM; Julian Smith, the former chief whip and Northern Ireland secretary; Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary; and Alister Jack, the outgoing Scottish secretary – and one damehood, for Thérèse Coffey, the former deputy PM.

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Keir Starmer promises ‘stability and moderation’ in first speech as PM

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First Labour prime minister since 2010 promises to serve whole country as he speaks outside No 10

Keir Starmer pitched himself as a leader for “stability and moderation” who will rebuild Britain, as he reached out to those who did not vote for Labour with a promise to serve the whole country.

The Labour leader gave a speech on the steps of Downing Street after going to Buckingham Palace to accept the king’s invitation to form a new government.

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‘Good news for all parties’: Ireland relishes prospect of Labour victory

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Northern Ireland’s politicians and the Irish government hopeful of a post-Brexit reset and an end to Tory turmoil

The prospect of a Labour government has united Northern Ireland’s political parties and the Irish government in hope of a reset in relations with London after the convulsions of Brexit.

Unionists and nationalists expect Keir Starmer to bring stability and focus to Downing Street’s approach to Northern Ireland and to mend frayed ties with Dublin.

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Rishi Sunak speaks of ‘hurt and anger’ at daughters having to hear Reform activist’s racist slur about him – UK general election live

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PM responds to comments by Reform activists, who were filmed by Channel 4 reporter while canvassing in Clacton

Here’s the latest in the Guardian’s series on The broken years: Tory Britain 2010-24:

Unless the polls are wildly inaccurate, the Conservative party is heading towards a catastrophic defeat in the coming election.

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Sunak defends decision not to take immediate action against Tories in betting scandal – as it happened

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Prime minister faces claim Tories are ‘stealing the candlesticks’ on the way out of government

After a passage in his speech attack Labour on familiar grounds, Rishi Sunak also hit out at Reform UK.

[Reform UK] are not on the side of who you think they are.

Reform are standing candidates here in Scotland that are pro independence and anti monarchy.

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NI police detective who had paralysing stroke honoured in king’s birthday list

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Clodagh Dunlop recognised for work with stroke survivors as others who have overcome adversity also receive MBEs

Unsung heroes who have overcome great adversity to contribute to their communities and raise awareness of important issues make up the majority of those on the king’s birthday honours list.

They include the Police Service of Northern Ireland detective Clodagh Dunlop, 45, who had a brainstem stroke 10 years ago that left her paralysed with locked-in syndrome and only able to communicate by blinking one eye. She receives an MBE for her work with stroke survivors.

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Harder to own your first home under the Tories, Rishi Sunak admits – UK politics as it happened

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PM acknowledges in BBC Panorama interview to air tonight that it is a challenge for people to buy their first home

Davey sums up the Lib Dems’ plans on health and social care

And he says he wants to mention one other policy he is particularly proud of – the proposal to give proper bereavement support to parents whose partners have died.

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Rishi Sunak rejects claim he plans to move to California if he loses election – as it happened

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Prime minister dismisses speculation after Tory peer Zac Goldsmith became latest to hint at planned relocation

Starmer is now running through his six first step promises.

Starmer says he is fed up with hearing Rishi Sunak says the UK has “turned the corner”.

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UK politics: government to appeal against ruling that blocks Rwanda deportations in Northern Ireland – as it happened

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Rishi Sunak says Belfast judgment will not affect his plans and the Good Friday agreement should not be used to obstruct Westminster policy

Sunak starts with global security threats.

The dangers that threaten our country are real.

There’s an increasing number of authoritarian states like Russia, Iran, North Korea and China working together to undermine us and our values.

People are abusing our liberal democratic values of freedom of speech, the right to protest, to intimidate, threaten and assault others, to sing antisemitic chants on our streets and our university campuses, and to weaponize the evils of antisemitism or anti-Muslim hatred, in a divisive ideological attempt to set Britain against Britain.

And from gender activists hijacking children’s sex education, to cancel culture, vocal and aggressive fringe groups are trying to impose their views on the rest of us.

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Weather warnings for heavy rain in parts of UK to put end to sunny spell

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South-west England, south Wales and eastern parts of Northern Ireland expected to get heavy rain as thunderstorms also roll in

Weather warnings for rain have been issued across the UK on what is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far.

Temperatures could reach as high as 27C on Sunday but the recent warm and sunny spell could disappear by the end of the day.

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‘Queen of the Con’ found in Maine ordered to be extradited to Northern Ireland

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Police had arrested Marianne ‘Mair’ Smyth at a rental home after a podcast on her crimes prompted a listener to reveal her location

A US-born woman who disguised herself as an heiress to a $30m fortune while scamming nearly $100,000 from a television producer – who later sent her to prison and documented her misdeeds on a hit podcast – has been ordered extradited to Northern Ireland on a separate set of fraud charges.

Marianne “Mair” Smyth’s extradition to the UK was authorized by John Nivision, a US federal magistrate judge, on Thursday, more than two months after she was arrested at a short-term rental home in Bingham, Maine, court records show.

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Asylum seekers ‘hide or flee to Ireland’ to avoid UK Rwanda detentions

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Charities fear ‘increasing risks of destitution and exploitation’ of refugees as they go into hiding

The Home Office is dealing with growing fallout from the high-profile round-ups of asylum seekers it wants to send to Rwanda, as some have gone into hiding while others have fled across the border to Ireland.

Officials began rounding up asylum seekers to detain them for the Rwanda scheme a week ago, with at least one now on hunger strike and another threatening suicide.

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Jeffrey Donaldson charged with rape, assault and gross indecency

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Former DUP leader faces 11 charges spanning 21 years, as wife, Eleanor Donaldson, charged with aiding and abetting rape

Jeffrey Donaldson has appeared in court charged with rape, gross indecency and other sexual offences spanning 21 years in a case that has stunned Northern Ireland.

His wife, Eleanor Donaldson, appeared alongside him at Newry magistrates court in County Down on Wednesday and was charged with aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault.

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Ban smacking children in England and Northern Ireland, say doctors

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Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health urges ministers to follow lead of Scotland and Wales

Parents in England and Northern Ireland should be banned from smacking their children because doing so is unjust, dangerous and harmful, leading doctors have urged ministers.

It was “a scandal” that Scotland and Wales had outlawed smacking but not the other two home nations, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said on Wednesday.

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Kingsmill massacre an ‘overtly sectarian attack by IRA’, coroner rules

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Inquest delivers findings 48 years after 10 Protestant workers were shot dead when their minibus was ambushed in County Armagh

The shooting dead of 10 Protestant workers at Kingsmill in Northern Ireland in 1976 was an “overtly sectarian attack by the IRA”, a coroner has ruled.

Nearly eight years after the inquest opened, Brian Sherrard delivered his findings in Belfast on Friday into the Troubles killings in County Armagh.

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Weather tracker: Storm Kathleen brings high winds and warm air to Europe

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Gusts of more than 70mph recorded on Irish Sea coast, as temperatures rose above 30C in mainland Europe

Storm Kathleen brought strong winds to Ireland and the UK at the weekend, causing travel and power disruption. The storm, named by Met Éireann, developed in the Atlantic on Thursday, deepening explosively as it pushed northwards to the west of Ireland.

Peak wind gusts of 40-60mph (65-95km/h) were recorded quite widely across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and western parts of England and Wales on Saturday, with some Irish Sea coastal regions experiencing gusts above 70mph. A gust of 72mph was recorded at Drumalbin, Lanarkshire.

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Donaldson arrest followed complaint received this month, NI police say

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Police Service of Northern Ireland seeks to end ‘unhelpful speculation’ after DUP leader charged with alleged sexual offences

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has said it received a complaint in early March that led them to arrest and charge Sir Jeffrey Donaldson with alleged sexual offences.

In a statement aimed at ending what they described as “unhelpful speculation” over the case, the PSNI said it “immediately commenced an investigation into this matter” after the complaint was received.

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Donaldson exit will not derail Northern Ireland power-sharing, say DUP leaders

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Party seeks to project stability after political earthquake of leader’s resignation over alleged sexual offences

The resignation of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson over alleged sexual offences will not derail power-sharing in Northern Ireland or fracture the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), according to party leaders.

The statements on Saturday sought to project stability and calm a day after Donaldson stepped down in a political earthquake that stunned the region.

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Donaldson’s downfall raises questions over Stormont power sharing

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While there is no immediate threat to Northern Ireland assembly, DUP hardliners may try to make waves

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s downfall puts a question mark over power sharing in Northern Ireland because it bears his stamp – he was the man who engineered its collapse and resurrection.

The Democratic Unionist party followed him each time on the basis of trust but on Friday Donaldson was charged with historical sexual offences, a bombshell that led to his resignation and suspension from the party.

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