Monthly Archives: January 2020

Claire Sugden Independent unionist MLA Claire Sugden has hit out at the five Executive parties for not planning in advance for the return of devolution. The former justice minister said that with MLAs now having to consider 600 statutory rules, it was limiting how often the Assembly could sit. She said there was now only one plenary session a week which disadvantaged MLAs from the smaller parties and independents like herself. Ms Sugden said: “The suspension of devolution for three years has meant a huge build-up of statutory rules that have to be scrutinised by MLAs and respective committees. “Legally, these rules must be considered within 10 plenary days. “The only way to realistically do that is to reduce the number of plenary days. “So rather than the Assembly sitting twice a week, as it used to, it is now sitting once a week. “MLAs are losing our voice in … Continue reading →

Stormont political parties have been challenged by a fellow MLA not to merely ‘defer’ an across the board pay rise of £1,000 a head – but to reject it outright. And the Royal College of Nursing has also broken its silence on the matter, highlighting its ongoing campaign for pay parity and safe staffing levels. People Before Profilt MLA Gerry Caroll called for the pay rise to be rejected after Stormont’s five main party leaders issued a rare joint statement asking to ‘defer’ the pay rise, which came only days after they agreed to go back into government after a three-year hiatus. Leading figures from across the parties said on Tuesday that they had been blindsided by the rise, a sub-inflationary annual rise of £500 per year set by an independent panel in 2016. A further £500 is due to be awarded in April. Most of the parties issued terse … Continue reading →

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The new Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Alex Maskey MLA (PA) SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has said that Sinn Fein went back on agreement that Patsy McGlone would be the new Assembly Speaker. Sinn Fein’s West Belfast MLA Alex Maskey was elected Speaker on Saturday with the support of the DUP. However, Mr Eastwood said the original agreement was that Mr McGlone would be Speaker until Sinn Fein changed their mind an hour before the election. “The way that the Speaker role was divvied up on Monday wasn’t the best start,” the SDLP leader told BBC Radio Foyle. “We had never had the Speaker’s position, we felt that it was right that someone from the SDLP had it this time and that was the understanding for the last couple of years. The UUP nominated MLA Roy Beggs for the position. The Foyle MLA said it was “widely understood” that … Continue reading →

May Steele MBE JP, who died suddenly on January 6 at the age of 83, was Honorary President of the Ulster Unionist Party and gave dedicated public service both in her professional and political life. Tribute was paid at her funeral service in 2nd Islandmagee Presbyterian Church by Lord Trimble, the former Ulster Unionist leader, with whom she had worked closely. Born in Larne in 1936, she was the eldest child of Kathleen and Billy Beattie and attended Larne Parochial School and Larne Grammar School before entering her working life at the post office, where she rose to senior position. She became the first woman to become a postal executive officer, having started her career in Larne Post Office and then becoming postmistress of May Street post office in Belfast. While at Tomb Street office in the city she became involved with setting up post codes, a major undertaking at … Continue reading →