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UK and Ireland close to deal on NI border
Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael government is pleased with a concession wrung out of the UK promising continued regulatory alignment on regulations between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
In Northern Ireland, as in the rest of the UK, Brexit looms large. So, too, does the question of electoral pacts. Cooperation between unionist parties hasn’t been unusual in recent years. But this time it’s pro-Remain nationalist parties who are working together to try to defeat the DUP in several key seats.
Interview with the Conservative MP Andrew Murrison, from his Wiltshire constituency.
The Government’s under mounting pressure to reform Northern Ireland’s strict abortion laws – after Supreme Court justices said that in some cases they were incompatible with human rights legislation. The court dismissed a legal challenge by campaigners – but said the ban needed “radical reconsideration”. One of the women whose case formed part of the challenge said they would…
Michelle O’Neill is the Deputy Leader of Sinn Féin and heads up the party in the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston chairs the Commons health and social care committee.
Theresa May has congratulated Irish voters on their decision to liberalise abortion laws – but she’s now under pressure to reform Northern Ireland’s strict laws too, with MPs across the political spectrum calling for the “anomaly” to be resolved.
Tony Blair’s chief of staff and the government’s chief negotiator in Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 discussed the possibility of Irish Unification.
Speaking at an event in Dundalk, Michel Barnier said the UK must soften its red lines if there was any chance of breaking an impasse on the Irish border issue. And he denied accusations from unionists that he wasn’t an “honest broker”. Matt Frei reports from Dundalk.
Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael government is pleased with a concession wrung out of the UK promising continued regulatory alignment on regulations between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
The decision to double the amount Britain pays for the divorce bill now leaves the issue of the Irish border as the last remaining stumbling block preventing the EU moving on to Brexit trade talks. But those talks were threatened by the Irish government’s insistence that Britain needed to confirm in writing that there wouldn’t…
The Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar has set out his vision for Europe’s relationship with Britain after Brexit – saying the UK’s departure could affect “every single aspect of life” in Northern Ireland. Mr Varadkar was speaking on his first official visit to Belfast.
The Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire has warned of serious consequences if the Stormont political parties cannot agree a deal on restoring devolution by tomorrow afternoon’s deadline.
The DUP have rattled their sabres telling the UK government to get on with the deal that’s been sought to prop up Theresa May’s minority administration. They’re telling Downing Street to focus and there are probably a few things going on here. DUP sources have talked of finding Downing Street to be in chaos since…
Michael Fallon has defended the Conservative’s proposed “accommodation” with the Democratic Unionist Party, saying any deal would only apply to big issues rather than the party’s controversial stance on social issues. But in Northern Ireland itself there are increasing concerns about what impact any deal could have on the peace process.
Amid leaks of information relating to the Manchester attacks, we discuss what might be done with Michael Scheuer the former chief of the CIA’s Bin Laden tracking unit. And with Hugh Orde, the former President of the Association of Chief Police Officers who spent nearly a decade as Northern Ireland’s Chief Constable.