A trusted source has been in touch to inform me that a new formal political alliance is about to be launched this weekend.
Category: Research
When is Border Not a Border?
Critics of Sir Jeffrey Donaldson are reportedly redoubling their efforts to undermine the deal he has struck with the Conservative government in London. Since the announcement of a deal by Sir Jeffrey in the early hours of Tuesday morning, we are finding out more and more details on a drip-feed basis. So far the choreography…
It’s Hobson’s Choice Time for Unionism
In the past few minutes my sources close to the DUP have confirmed that the deal is now done. The party is returning to Stormont. This confirms my analysis in an earlier blog post before Christmas that “talk of talks” was merely a ploy to steady those frightened horses within the party who are evangelically…
The Ghosts of Christmas Past
As far as long-drawn out political negotiations go, the one between the DUP and the British government must be one of the longest in Northern Ireland’s modern history. Even the bargaining between the old Stormont government under Brian Faulkner and Edward Heath regarding the rescinding of security powers in 1972 took less time to collapse…
Is the Mood Music Changing?
As rumours of a General Election intensify some close to the thinking of the DUP suggest that the party is working to a post-Christmas timetable. This is highly significant, particularly in light of how far the DUP has come since it began its boycott of the power-sharing Executive in February 2022. As I revealed on…
Kicking the Can Further Down the Street
The DUP is fast running out of options on what to do about the Windsor Framework. According to a leaked Northern Ireland Office (NIO) briefing note seen by the Belfast Newsletter, some Stormont government departments could face budget cuts of up to 10%. The former Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy told The View from…
Burying the Truth?
My interview with Matt Cooper on The Last Word, concerning the death of former IRA member and suspected British spy, Freddie Scappaticci, 12 April 2023 Matt Cooper: So as I mentioned there before the break, Freddie Scappaticci, a name that really jumped into the public consciousness about 20 years ago, died recently it was announced…
The Tragic Death of Thatcher’s Spy
One of the best placed British agents inside the Provisional Republican Movement is dead. Willie Carlin died of complications arising from a Covid-19 infection on Monday 6th February. He is survived by his wife and child from a second marriage. I first met Willie in 2018 when I interviewed him for my critically acclaimed book,…
The most serious crisis in Northern Ireland’s history?
“To some commentators this may feel like run-of-the mill DUP rhetoric. However, a source close to DUP thinking informed me at the beginning of this week that there is a developing view within the party’s hierarchy that the Protocol must be resisted more decisively.”
Why I Wrote Agents of Influence
“Agents of Influence is a genuine attempt to put historical evidence into the public arena so as to inform the debate over the steps an ancient liberal democracy has taken in order to meet the threat posed by a toxic strain of violent extremism.”