This was initially published a couple of months ago now, so apologies to those who have read it elsewhere, but I think it's definitely worth highlighting Jim Cusack writing in the Irish Independent about how prosperous Northern Ireland, and specifically Northern Irish Poor Oppressed Filthy Rich Catholics, have become in recent years.I've picked out the highlights below, but I'd really encourage anyone with 5-10 minutes free to read the whole article. more »

Sorry if you already heard this old piece of news but I just spotted it today at the bottom (of page 2) of a NewsLetter article about the Jeffrey Peel's now infamous (and disappeared) entry on the Northern Ireland Conservatives blog where he lambasted th… more »

Seems it's not just the Stormont crew that like to get their snouts in the trough. Welsh Assembly Members are making good use of their £12.5k expenses allowances, with the Lib Dems leading the pack when it comes to spending public money (qu'elle surprise!) on kitting out their Cardiff pads. more »

Over the past few months it's become clear that the DUP won’t take Gerry Kelly and Sinn Fein won't take Jeffrey Donaldson as Justice Minister. This has led to the crazy notion that the Alliance should do it, and utterly predictably they seem amenable to… more »

This kind of thing really winds me up. A Tory frontbencher has apologised after using a racist phrase during a House of Lords debate. Lord Dixon Smith retracted the remark in the chamber, saying: "I apologise, my Lords. I left my brains behind. I a… more »

It's something politicians, particularly in Northern Ireland, seem to be especially adept at. OK its their job, but some outlays seem to be more worthwhile than others. A few figures appeared yesterday: Policing George Bush's one-day visit: &po… more »

Will Crawley reckons Iris Robinson missed a meeting of the Health Committee at Stormont (which she chairs), because she was at a Castlereagh Borough Council meeting instead. You do despair sometimes. more »

It's quite hard to know what to think about David Davis forcing a by election in his own constituency. The Daily Telegraph on Friday suggested that this was at its core a shot across the bows of David Cameron, borne of frustration at his treatment at th… more »

2 pieces of good news greeted me when I arrived home on Friday lunch time. The first was that the voters of the Republic of Ireland had rejected the EU constitution. I'd like to believe the Czech president when he said ratification cannot go ahead follow… more »

Sinn Fein have spent the last few days stirring up the idea that they will refuse to nominate McGuinness to serve with Peter Robinson. They may refuse to do so, citing their difficulties with the Irish Language Act and, rather disingenuously, Ruane's pr… more »