NIO

Second MLA pay increase in a year embarrassing, says Tennyson

Former NI secretary Hilary Benn appeared to be genuinely interested in Northern Ireland and its people

Letter: Some advice for new NI secretary on legacy

A statue of Bobby Sands was unveiled at the republican memorial garden in Twinbrook, Belfast, last year

Letter: Neutrality towards glorification is acquiescence

Former NIO minister Lord Caine, speaking in 2024, said the government did not recognise there was 'anything like a trade border' in the Irish Sea.

Former NIO minister says 'fundamental changes' needed to Windsor Framework

Former Boris Johnson advisor Dominic Cummings claimed the NIO it was on the side of Ireland and Sinn Fein during Brexit. Photo: Simon Dawson/PA Wire

Call for investigation into the 'role and conduct' of NIO during Brexit

A direct rule minister expressed scepticism about carrying out an urgent study into the "leakage" of passengers from Northern Ireland to Dublin Airport in 2005. A declassified memo also showed NIO minister John Spellar being told by an official that a recommendation from MPs that a review into the governance of City of Derry Airport could be "slightly awkward".

Minister was sceptical of study into leakage of air passengers from NI to Dublin

A vet injects a new Bluetongue vaccine into 'Doreen' in 2008 in Norfolk, the first animal in the UK to receive the vaccine. The chair of Stormont's Agriculture Committe fears EU rules which could block 40% of animal medicines from Northern Ireland will also impact Bluetongue vaccines – despite assurances by government to the contrary.

Agriculture Chair fears Brexit rules will block Bluetongue vaccines

Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn now says that poppies are not covered by Irish Sea border rules. Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire

Government now says Poppies aren't covered by Irish Sea border

Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Alex Burghart says the offices of the UK state should be neutral in a border poll. Photo: House of Commons/UK Parliament/PA Wire

UK offices of state should be neutral in border poll - leading Tory

UUP justice spokesperson Doug Beattie has called for "urgent reform" of Police Ombudsman oversight.

Naomi Long must lead on reforms to Police Ombudsman oversight - Doug Beattie

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn and Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris at Hillsborough Castle this year. The NIO hope that Dublin could help take the nationalists off their back was never a winning policy given implacability of both. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA

Jeffrey Dudgeon: Labour should see that appeasing nationalism on legacy fails

A group of young people met Baroness Anderson in Belfast on Wednesday to express concerns about not having the same rights as their contemporaries in the rest of the UK.

Young unionists raise ‘grave injustice’ at NIO meeting

Former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood.

Colum Eastwood announces relationship with former NIO shadow minister

Northern Ireland Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Fleur Anderson and Will Stafford, Distillery Manager and Head Distiller at Hinch.

NIO Minister Fleur Anderson visits Hinch Distillery as India–UK Trade Deal halve...

The Twelfth crowds demonstrated that - in case there was any doubt - ‘we know who we are’

David McNarry: Let history say that unionists stood up to SF and NIO

Marie Anderson is currently on a ‘leave of absence’ but is this sickness absence? Theoretically, an ombudsman could be investigated or even charged with murder, and no one could invoke a suspension

Jon Burrows: It is staggering that a police ombudsman cannot be suspended
The presumption of innocence is a fundamental legal principle that all commentary on the current situation involving the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland must respect.
Jon Burrows

Ulster Unionist peer Lord Empey.

Lord Empey hits out at NIO minister's border poll comments

Robin Swann MP has called on the Prime Minister to 'talk to his Northern Ireland team' over comments on a border poll made by Fleur Anderson.

PM urged to 'speak to his NI team' after NIO minister's border poll comments

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn and NIO minister Fleur Anderson. Photo: Rebecca Black/PA Wire

NIO minister’s border poll criteria comments are ‘ill-considered’ - DUP

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons visits sports grounds in Carrick and Larne with Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock and NIO Minister Fleur Anderson

Ministers visit sports grounds in Belfast, Carrickfergus and Larne

TUV leader, Jim Allister MP. (Pic: Freelance)

Jim Allister says cuts to the NIO might be 'no bad thing'

The first meeting of Intertrade UK took place in Enniskillen last Friday.

Intertrade UK is still to be given a budget - and will be staffed by the NIO

Pre-mixed cocktails bring sophisticated luxury into your home without the hassle

Three pre-mixed cocktails to impress (or save) your Valentine's night

Former Senator George Mitchell at a press conference in Belfast before leaving to meet the various political parties in Northern Ireland, with the aim of trying to resolve the decommissioning row and the formation of a Northern Ireland Executive. Irish civil servants compiled a list of "major leaks" they claimed originated from the Northern Ireland Office and Special Branch officers in the region. Photo: Paul Faith/PA Wire

State papers: Dublin officials compiled list of 'leaks' attributed to NIO

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye

Irish state papers: NIO ‘as big an enemy as SF’ - Wilson

It would be a fallacy for business to continue as usual at Stormont, writes David McNarry

Letter: A ‘unionist commission’ could challenge government

From 2026, farms will have to pay 20% tax on farms being passed from one generation to the next

Call for a campaign to overturn Labour's new inheritance tax for farmers
An MP has said he anticipates a “massive campaign” to overturn the imposition of inheritance tax upon farmers.
Adam Kula

Kevin McGuigan was shot in the Short Strand in Belfast in August 2015

Concern PSNI and NIO disclosure ‘dispute’ will further delay McGuigan inquest

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Dorries claims Sue Gray asked Boris for top NIO job

Lord Caine was the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office under the previous Tory government.

Labour government should not be neutral on the Union - Peer

Morning View

Editorial: PM wobbles on whether to back NI in UK, yet we couldn't grill him

Other infrastructure projects - such as the Westlink–M2 motorway intersection, a rail link to the international airport, and improved road infrastructure - should be prioritised in Northern Ireland, not Casement Park, where all future profits go to a private sports organisation

Letter: A plan for how Casement could be made to work for all the people of NI

Minister of State for the Northern Ireland Office Steve Baker says the deal further cements Northern Ireland’s place in the UK.

Government hails NI meat deal with EU

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA says he will continue to engage with the government on the new arrangements. (Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye)

Powers stripped from Stormont ministers

Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris with copies of the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ document struck earlier this year. Writing in the News Letter, DUP leader Gavin Robinson has previously said his party's agreement with the government 'goes further than ever before to undo the damage of the NI Protocol'.

MLAs and ministers' access to information curtailed

Morning View

Editorial: UK needs to set out plan for retaliation against Irish legacy case

Stopping checks on the Irish Sea border was central to the DUP's deal with the government.

Allister: Deal regulations leave checks 'untouched'

Shadow NI secretary Hilary Benn was in Northern Ireland this week, picture here with interim DUP leader Gavin Robinson.

Shadow secretary of state Hilary Benn rules out new border poll criteria

David Graham is a former special adviser to the DUP. He also worked for Linfield and Rangers football clubs.

Former DUP adviser: Robinson ‘needs EU law concessions’

Letters to editor

Letter: Praise for remaining true to the most fundamental journalistic values

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson and NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris with copies of the ‘Safeguarding the Union’ document. The deal promises legislation to repeal a duty to have 'regard' for an all-Ireland economy, but the government won't say when that will happen.

‘No comment’ from NIO on all-Ireland economy pledge

Northern Ireland has seen a wave of strike action in the past few months. Head of the civil service Jayne Brady was seen at the picket lines in January

Letter: When will Jayne Brady be held accountable?

Public sector workers walk from the picket line at the Royal Victoria Hospital to a rally at Belfast City Hall, as an estimated 150,000 workers take part in walkouts over pay across Northern Ireland.

Unions warn of escalating action as thousands strike across Northern Ireland

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced the Windsor Framework earlier this year. The Stormont Brake was a key selling point - as it give a limited say to Stormont politicians over EU laws applicable to NI. Photo: PA.

Elliott: Stormont Brake ‘unworkable and mis-sold’

Lord Caine said he deeply regretted the decision by the Irish government to launch an interstate case over the UK’s legacy Act to deal

Minister ‘cannot rule out consequences’ over Irish Legacy Act challenge

There has been a political dispute over what impact the Windsor Framework will have on UK plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda to be processed. Photo: Steve Parsons/PA Wire

NIO Rwanda law claim "deceptive" - Allister

A Westminster report proposing a consultative role for the Irish government in changes to how Stormont operates has sparked a political row - with unionists saying it breaches Strand One of the Belfast Agreement - and Alliance saying Dublin involvement is legitimate.

Alliance back "legitimate" Dublin role - as NIO says no

DUP MP Carla Lockhart has warned about any Dublin role in NI's internal affairs - and said that the NI Protocol is the "most significant governance defect within the institutions at present".

No Dublin role in NI's internal affairs – DUP MP

Peter Robinson said Northern Ireland could have the best of both worlds with seamless access to both the UK and EU market. But if our rules for trading goods are set in Brussels, it will always be costlier and more expensive for mainland companies to send products to this province

Owen Polley: No unionist worth the name would accept being semi detached from GB

Baroness Kate Hoey at an anti-NI Protocol rally in Ballymoney in March 2022. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA

NIO pledge to spend wisely when it comes to cash for Casement Park rebuild

Letters to editor

Letter: London's skilled wordsmiths get ready to say the Union is safe

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris survives the cabinet reshuffle.

No change at NIO despite Stormont hiatus

If the simple majority clause of the Belfast Agreement has to be respected, as we are so often told, then so too should the secretary of state’s right to make a decision on any border poll without setting out prior conditions

Owen Polley: UK would be stupid to set out the criteria for a border poll

The flag of Israel, the Union flag and the Saltire fly above the UK Government Queen Elizabeth House building in Edinburgh. Picture date: Friday October 13, 2023. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Government buildings in GB display the Israeli flag but none on main NIO office

Morning View

Editorial: Northern Ireland has failed to show solidarity with Israel

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