Alex Burghart has said that “it’s been very annoying” that he has not yet made a visit to Northern Ireland as Shadow Secretary of State, which he states is due to difficulties in getting funding from Conservative Party Headquarters.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that the Northern Ireland Executive is to receive an additional £1.5 billion for next year’s budget, bringing the total to £18.2 billion for 2025/26 – “the largest in real terms in the history of devolution” according to NI Secretary Hilary Benn.
The twelve members of the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee (NIAC) have been confirmed, with just two parties from Northern Ireland being represented on the committee. Learn more about all the new members of the committee.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, will announce her budget on Wednesday in the House of Commons – the first since Labour’s landslide victory in this year’s general election.
The Northern Ireland Executive ‘is stable’ confirms First Minister Michelle O’Neill, following a range of recent controversies rocking Sinn Fein, but she admits that there will have been some impact on relationships following ‘a difficult period like the last number of weeks’.
Education Minister Paul Givan has announced that a review of the Northern Ireland curriculum is to take place. He also announced that he will legislate to ensure that all children must remain in education or training until they are 18 years old.
Former Ulster Unionist Party election candidate Naomi McBurney has been co-opted by the Alliance Party to sit on Ards and North Down Council, replacing Christine Creighton, who stepped down just over a week ago.
Rosemary Barton has been selected as the Ulster Unionist Party’s new councillor for Erne North. She replaces Diana Armstrong MLA, who was co-opted to the Northern Ireland Assembly in September.
Niall Ó Donnghaile has confirmed that he sent inappropriate texts to a teenager in September 2023, he was suspended from Sinn Fein, before he resigned from from the Seanad in December 2023 on health grounds.
