At the end of January, a group of concerned nationalists held a one day conference at the Waterfront entitled “Beyond Brexit”, and I suppose in normal times the title was a fair call being but two months from the Brexit date of 29/3/19, but these are not normal times and….timing is everything. The content…

  The irony is not lost on unionists watching the machinations of those who vigorously opposed from a republican standpoint the Belfast Agreement now using it against Brexit and abusing it in furtherance of a border poll. Such are the bitter sweet complexities of republican nationalism which unionism find incomprehensible. From an unashamed unionist perspective…

  There is nothing certain about the future of the political institutions at Stormont. They may or may not be restored. What makes the task all the more difficult are the events of this weekend a year ago and what followed over the next few days through to February 14th. On this weekend in 2018,…

  Chief Constable George Hamilton’s tweet just after noon on Monday January 28th was, to say the least, something of a surprise. At 51, it announced his retirement plans by the end of June this year; five years after his appointment to the most-senior rank in the PSNI. Just days earlier, at a meeting on…

  A few weeks ago, in the festive period, the UK Home Office cheerily tweeted out that “EU citizens and their families will need to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living in the UK after 31 December 2020.” This causally implies that all EU citizens, including Irish citizens who are resident in…

  Fact! Leo Varadkar invented the border backstop after and not before or during the U.K. vote on the E.U. referendum. If not removed by the E.U. it will be seen as a deliberate provocative ploy to disrespect the British. It can only be a short time before a backlash of retaliation reverberates across the…

    Given the range of preferences within the electorate and the House of Commons, the numerical weakness of the government and the priorities in Brussels, agreeing a deal between the EU and the UK following the outcome of the referendum was always going to be difficult. The situation did not need the constitutional clutter…

    On this Stormont map we have lost the place of working politics. Yes Parliament Buildings still stands at the top of the Stormont hill – but in name only; and, in a week, when Martin McGuinness and David Ervine were remembered, there is no sense that the brokenness can be mended; certainly not…

  Thank goodness for the Christmas break. On top of the usual benefits and distractions away from the daily treadmill, some amongst us were lucky enough to enjoy almost a fortnight without mention of the B-word, but this week it is back with a vengeance, so I’m getting my dig in early. Even whilst trying…

    The premise for this piece arises from the question. Brexit or the Belfast Agreement which is preferential as if one is allowed but not the other. Both when implemented beneficially was my positive response. Success comes from investing in the opportunities which are fundamental to the Belfast Agreement and obviously implicit within Brexit.…

    In April 2018 we celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. This, despite our ongoing challenges, gave us all time to stop and reflect on what has been achieved, how over the past two decades the entire island of Ireland has been transformed as a result of the Irish peace process,…

  In this place we’ve heard it all before – the familiar word plays that follow the negotiation. Clarification, explanation, interpretation, side letters, best endeavours and target dates. The process here has stretched and exhausted the dictionary when it comes to all of this. So, what are we watching? The bolloxology phase of Brexit –…

  Left with no other viable choice the best choice is ‘no deal’ after two and a half years of the Prime Minister’s indefensible prevarication proving her to be a lamentable negotiator. The Nation and Parliament must bite the bullet and get out now of the E.U. quagmire. Three historical humiliating defeats in the Commons…

  Stop the sharp practice of pundits and propagandists who show no shame in pedalling alarmist boot licking over Brexit’s impact on the local economy. Unlike the Irish economy our economy is not overheating and causing serious concerns in the E.U. banking fraternity . All trade and business in Northern Ireland is crucially precious to…

  We witnessed a different Peter Robinson on Thursday at the Methodist Centre at Knock in Belfast – the weight of political office lifted from his shoulders. Robinson – the former First Minister and DUP leader – was the latest guest speaker in a series of talks – ‘The World Around Us’. The question posed…