Academic – Author – Analyst
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…
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…
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…
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…
It has become clear in recent days that the UVF Brigade Staff on the Shankill has seen its stock rise in the eyes of its grassroots supporters due to its shock statement a week ago, which saw them announcement the standing down its East Belfast leadership. I argued in an earlier blog post that there…
The Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), a militant loyalist group in Northern Ireland, has disbanded its notorious East Belfast unit, which has been intimately involved in drug-related crimes. This move has provoked fears of violent retaliation within working-class communities. Nevertheless, with this strategic decision by the UVF leadership, the responsibility now falls on law enforcement and intelligence agencies to mitigate potential internecine feuds, ensuring the integrity of the group’s transition process.
A loyalist source has contacted me to tell me that the East Belfast UVF have been stood down, effective from midnight tonight. The statement is believed to have been issued by the UVF Brigade Staff, the group’s central command. It was read out across different areas as members of the paramilitary group met to commemorate…
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…
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…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework Agreement announced earlier this week has been greeted positively in Great Britain. In Northern Ireland, however, feelings have been mixed. Senior DUP politician Ian Paisley Jnr said it did not go far enough in restoring British sovereignty in Northern Ireland nor the Province’s place within the United Kingdom internal…