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 »

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 »

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 »

I'm preparing to go on a two week holiday and as I was out buying sun cream and collecting some Euros I noticed an odd headline on the chest of one of those guys selling the Tele at busy junctions. According to the ever-reliable Belfast Telegraph and an… more »

Have a read of Chekov's piece on the Bel Tel/MORI poll last week. The data set is fascinating. The voting intention figures are bunkem as usual (DUP 20%, UUP 14%, SDLP 13% SF 11% APNI 7%), but it's interesting that Reg, Michael and Margaret Ritchie are… more »

Another one for the "What the hell is she thinking?" scrapbook. Everyone's favourite tennis star Caitriona Ruane has finally put forward her proposals for ending academic selection... by not quite ending it? Well not quite, not yet. Maybe. It seems as… more »

It's been a busy few weeks for those following the debate over the national stadium plans for the Maze. A matter of a couple of weeks before Peter Robinson is due to make his 'recommendation' to the Executive over the Maze plans, it has emerged John S… more »

They're coming from all sides today. O'Neill's ever-watchful eye has picked up that Wales's GVA per head is only 77% of the UK average, (down from 79% when the Assembly was set up in 1999 and 84% back in 1991) despite receiving more than £1bn of EU ai… more »