Politics Dept.

Government and Politics at Ballymena Academy. Please note that retweets are not endorsements.

[Sky News @SkyNews]

BREAKING: Sir Keir Starmer has announced a timetable for his resignation as prime minister.

Live updates: https://t.co/0NZcBgSmUq

[Politics Dept. @PoliticsBA]

Yr14: A good example of SCOTUS supporting Executive Power, not the vote was 6:3 decision. Supreme court lifts restrictions on Los Angeles immigration raids in win for Trump | US supreme court | The Guardian https://t.co/zZQMj4DGDT

[Niamh Costello @niamh_journo]

Motion of no confidence in Paul Givan falls

80 members voted, of which 47 voted 'Aye' - 58.8%

33 nationalists votd of which 33 voted 'Aye' - 100%

33 unionists voted, of which none voted 'Aye' - 100%

14 others voted, of which 14 voted 'Aye' - 100%

The motion falls.

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

Rand Paul just admitted what every Republican whispers in private, they’re terrified of Trump.

He said 20 GOP senators are grumbling about losing farm exports to China because of Trump’s tariff war, but none have the guts to speak up. “They’re afraid he’ll do to them what he’s trying to do to me.”

A sitting senator basically confirming Trump rules his party by fear; that’s not leadership. It’s a cult confession.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

❗️🗣NEW: 'We relied heavily on EU funding in the past… Employment across the north is at risk.'

🎥🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 speaking to @sinnfeinireland MLA @SheerinOfficial.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is due to end in March 2026.

The MLA warns that with no clarity confirmed by the UK Government, community and charity services across Northern Ireland face a serious threat.

A motion at Stormont today will debate the issue, with the MLA urging the Government to provide clarity and quickly.

The Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action has also warned that without urgent assurances, organisations may be forced to start winding down services and issuing 'redundancy notices as early as this month to meet their legal obligations as employers.'

[Suzanne Breen @SuzyJourno]

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt warns unionists to become more aware of a real threat to the Union: "English nationalism, oh boy, that really scares me. If they think NI's £19bn block grant could be invested in their constituencies, that could develop momentum."
https://t.co/ByWsmP0Npj

[LucidTalk @LucidTalk]

As on BBCNI #NolanLIVE last night (with @StephenNolan & @SuzyJourno), here are the Feb25 LucidTalk NI Border Referendum poll results by (1) Total NI results (+ compared to Feb24 results), (2) Alliance/Green/Others only, (3) SDLP only, & (4) Non-Voters/Unknowns only. Here is (1):

[Politics Dept. @PoliticsBA]

Yr14: Adam Schiff on the Senate Judiciary Committee, trying to hold Pam Bondi, the POTUS’ attorney general to account. Does this show the strength or weakness of oversight?

[Acyn @Acyn]

Schiff: I think it's valuable that the American people get a sense of what you have refused to answer today. So these are just some of the questions you refuse to answer, but or have answered with personal attacks on members of this committee. You were asked whether you consulted with career ethics lawyers, as you promised you would do during your nomination hearing. When you approved the president receiving a $400 million gift from the qataris, you refused to answer that question. You were asked who or what role you may have played, or who played the role in asking the trump's name be flagged in any of the Epstein documents gathered by the FBI? You refuse to answer that question. You were asked whether Homan kept the $50,000 bribe money. You refuse to answer that question. You were asked whether Homan paid taxes on the $50,000 bribe money. You refused to answer that question. You were asked, did career prosecutors find insufficient evidence to charge James Comey. You refused to answer that question. You were asked, how are military strikes on these boats in the caribbean legal. And you refuse to even answer that question. You are asked, excuse me, excuse me? You are asked, did you discuss indicting James Comey with the president. You refused to answer that question. You were asked, did you approve the firing of antitrust lawyers who disagreed with the Hewlett Packard merger. You refused to answer that question. You were asked whether you support a restoration fund for violent insurrections, insurrections to attack the capitol on January 6th. Refuse to answer that question. You were asked whether you were firing career professionals, career prosecutors just because they worked on January 6th. Question January 6th investigations. You refuse to answer that question. You were asked by my colleague whether you believe government officials, like immigration officials, have to abide by court orders. You wouldn't answer that question

[Politics Dept. @PoliticsBA]

Yr14: A good article on the US government shut down after Democrats refuse to back Republican funding plan. https://t.co/LKb31tGRot

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"Reheated MAGA garbage."
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna opposes the suggestion that nationalist voters are looking to the DUP on the trans debate and immigration...

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"People make a point in telling us they are from a catholic background."

Are more nationalists now sharing the same views as the DUP on several of today's key issues?

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"We're seeing various toytown Trumps being rolled out as a distraction."

Gerry Carroll thinks the DUP declaring a war on wokeness is being driven by the the party's fear of losing votes.

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

SDLP Leader, Claire Hanna doesn't see it as a debate on immigration but rather "a failure to accept difference."

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"An immigration policy that has failed."
DUP MLA Paul Frew says that many of those protesting over the summer were concerned about people coming into Northern Ireland...

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"It is a serious contest but it's a very unusual contest."

Is the Irish Presidential election more like the Eurovision song contest? @MarkCarruthers7 asks
@NewtonEmerson

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

"Nationalists are not going to vote for the SDLP or Sinn Féin."
Marianne Buchanan Stewart from Women's Rights Network says she knows women who will no longer vote for certain parties because of their stance on trans issues...

[Ryan McAleer @RyanMcAleerbiz]

A terrible look for Invest NI (and the SF-led Economy dept) in the post-Lyon's review era. Kieran Kennedy has resigned from Invest NI's board, stating he has lost all faith in its leadership over the handling of Derry.

[BBC The View @bbctheview]

Is the media looking for division rather than highlighting the Executive's successes? @moneillsf and @little_pengelly think so, so @MarkCarruthers7 asked @SuzyJourno what she made of the hard-hitting comments from a High Court judge that the Executive needs to 'grow up'

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨BREAKING: British ambassador to the United States Peter Mandelson SACKED by Prime Minister.

It came out this week that Lord Mandelson, who has said he wishes he had never met Epstein, had written the convicted sex offender a birthday note in which he described him as his "best pal" in 2003.

[Cool FM News @newsoncool]

🚨🗣NEW: 'Our justice system isn’t fundamentally broken, but it is under strain… complaining constantly does nothing.'

🎥🎤Chief Reporter @jamesgould23 speaking to Justice Minister @naomi_long.

She first addressed so-called “vigilante” violence and the PSNI’s response.

Stressing the need for a strategic approach in communities under pressure.

She also responded to @uuponline MLA @BeattieDoug’s claim that law and order is “close to collapse.”