It's now Robin Swann versus the rest of the Executive on the budget. Whether the public rallies behind the minister & forces a U-turn will be key. If the UUP votes against the budget in the Assembly, it's very hard to see how it can stay in government.
belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/…

Tim always flies the union flag from his garden in Canterbury as he sips his brandy and wonders where North Down actually is and hoping they’ll never expect him to go there.
The potential absentee MP.

Summary by Jenny Rhodes in East Anglia Bylines of post-Brexit divergence from European law.

I would add one things though. The UK is (mostly) outside the jurisdiction of the CJEU and its citizens don't have recourse to its interpretation of European law.

1

eastangliabylines.co.uk/how-is-the-uk-…

Alex Easton will poll better than Tim Collins but I suspect he'll fall considerably short of winning the seat.

As things stand, it's impossible to see the Alliance party not holding North Down.

It’s understood the health minister voted against the budget, regarding it is a cut in funding compared to last year’s out turn.

Green-fingered friends: In over 20 years our cherry tree has never done well. Virtually bare branches, practically no blooms. The picture’s a bit better the further up you look, but not much. Can it ever be made to thrive?

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Stormont ministers have agreed a budget for this financial year, with the Department of Health getting the largest share of day-to-day funding bbc.in/3xTCSgp

This is horrific. Women in the US are caught in a pincer movement between the Forced Birthers of the GOP & a SCOTUS running roughshod over hard won fundamental reproductive rights.
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Lecterns set up for a press conference at Stormont Castle, implying the budget has been agreed.

The reaction to both the developments in the Gib-Europe relationship and the proposal by the Commission for youth mobility with the UK is instructive.

It is the Swissification of the UK-Europe relationship.

1

So Jim Allister will not be lectured by, well anyone. But he brings Habib into our local politics to lecture us. A man who repeatedly said he would let people drown rather than save them. I won’t be lectured by Jim Allister, Ben Habib, Hoey or any other right wing bigots.

1/3 Here's the thing about the Irish language. Place names were not in fact 'translated into English' by British cartographers in the 19th century; ie Seanchill didn't become Oldchurch, it became Shankill. Léim a' Mhadaigh didn't become Dogleap, it became Limavady. Setra, setra.

👀 imagine….
UK government doesn’t fund #Casement Park & has to withdraw the Northern Ireland venue from the 2nd biggest global football event…

📣 the only venue on the island of Ireland for @uefa #Euro2028 UK & Ireland championship will be in
☘️DUBLIN☘️

😳 embarrassing

⏱️💶

While we await ministers (hopefully) agreeing a Budget, SDLP Opposition has costed just some of the promises Exec parties have made in Assembly motions since Feb 👇

It's at least £1.5 bn...

Its time for the Executive to front up on priorities- and how they'll fund them

The drama in Arizona today showing just how difficult the abortion issue is proving to be for republicans.

Three republicans in the end crossed the floor to vote with democrats to reppeal the near-total abortion ban - deeply angering others in the local party.

20 years ago Naomi Klein warned of the Likudisation of American foreign policy. Watching the scenes of paramilitary-like police hemming in and attacking peaceful student protestors, it looks like it has spread to American domestic policy too amp.theguardian.com/world/2004/sep…

Breaking news in Spain. President Sánchez has announced he needs to take time away from government and will announce whether he will resign or not on Monday.

This is on the back of attempts by the right and far-right to tarnish his wife’s name.

This is disturbing. A masked man throws a severed pig's head at the entrance to the proposed asylum seeker site at Flood's Cross, Newhall just outside Naas, Co. Kildare. Which anti-asylum seeker bigots are still camped at. They completely misunderstand the song they've used also.

The only rational explanation for the catastrophic inability of Britain’s leading politicians to acknowledge the grotesquely obvious, is that they are quite literally owned, or at least on long term rent. Our contempt for them is beyond articulation.