Starmer’s political image increasingly at odds with a public mood turning against liberal causes
He seems himself as less ideological than Blair, but he might benefit from adopting the New Labour master’s Machiavellian streak
Conor Murphy’s puzzling move to the Seanad crystallises sense of an unsettled Stormont
Sinn Féin says Murphy will use his new position to advance ‘Irish unity debate in the Oireachtas’, yet he has vastly more scope to do so as a Stormont Minister
Daft Brexit rules have brought havoc for the Alliance Party as well as Northern shoppers
Alliance doesn’t sit on the fence, it walks a tightrope - but it has fallen off over EU regulations
Stormont staggers on, mostly because no one can agree on an alternative
Preference for a united Ireland has risen from a quarter to a third. Support for direct rule is about 15%, while 10% want an independent Northern Ireland
Why has ramming police cars become a trend in Northern Ireland?
There were 40 ramming incidents in the 12 months up to the end of November, injuring 58 officers
Why are unionist politicians shy of challenging loyalism?
It is an absurdity that Winston Irvine missed his graduation from Maynooth with a masters in “international peacebuilding” because of a court appearance connected to the UVF bomb hoax on Simon Coveney
The real danger now is of Sinn Féin quiet quitting in Northern Ireland
Concerns that Sinn Féin’s electoral setback will destabilise Stormont miss the point. The party is at greater risk of endlessly shirking difficult decisions
For flax sake: why is the idea of a new flag for Northern Ireland so controversial?
The flax plant might be bland and its symbolism trite, but the same could be said of the Tricolour
Farmers have a point - if only they could make it more reasonably
New rules introduced by the UK government bring a quarter of farms back within inheritance tax, after three decades of being fully exempt. They’re right to be annoyed, but sympathy is waning
Politicians need to decide if Northern Ireland is desperately poor or so rich it requires no help
What passes for debate on a united Ireland is endlessly derailed by absurd claims from activists, academics and politicians. At least Fianna Fáil has now begun putting flesh on the bones of its plans
Gavin Robinson and the DUP need to reach out with style as well as substance
The DUP gives the impression of modernising at minimum speed, while being constantly tempted by conservative culture-war positions
It is dangerous to compare the slave trade and British rule in Ireland
Robert Jenrick’s suggestion that former colonies ‘owe a debt of gratitude’ to the British empire is one of the more robust responses to reparations debate
Stormont’s only ideology is to be a shadow of Britain
An almost total dearth of ideology, beyond unionism or nationalism, may be the deepest North-South political divide
Britain’s anti-obesity jab plan is the stuff of sci-fi
Drastic action is considered essential, but this is part of a wider strategy that represents a looming calamity for Stormont
Michael McMonagle scandal: Sinn Féin needs to get to grips with its troubled relationship with money
Not every organisation passes its employees around like a pilfered stapler until nobody is quite sure what is going on