Michelle O'Neill to attend Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Belfast despite Soldier F verdict
SUZANNE BREEN, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
SF SAYS NORTHERN LEADER COMMITTED TO 'FIRST MINISTER FOR ALL' PROMISE
Michelle O'Neill is to attend the official Remembrance Sunday ceremony in Belfast this weekend and lay a wreath at the Cenotaph.
Although the First Minister took part in the event last year, there had been some speculation that she might not do the same in the wake of the DUP's behaviour following Soldier F's acquittal of murder and attempted murder on Bloody Sunday.
Party leader Gavin Robinson posted an image of the Parachute Regiment insignia on social media, causing widespread anger across nationalism.
Ms O'Neill became the first senior Sinn Fein member to attend the official event for fallen members of the UK's armed forces last November. The party told the Belfast Telegraph she would be doing so again on Sunday.
A spokesperson said: “Michelle's acceptance of the invitation is an expression of her continued commitment and determination to represent all sections of our society as First Minister for all.”
Ms O'Neill will attend with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and lay a laurel wreath at the Cenotaph.
In a letter to republican families, the chair of Belfast Sinn Fein, Harry Connolly, acknowledged that not everybody would be comfortable with her attendance.
“We recognise that this decision may be challenging for some republicans, particularly for the families of the republican patriot dead and for those whose loved ones were killed by British state forces and agents,” he said.
“This initiative, however, seeks to acknowledge the pain and suffering of all those who lost their lives — on all sides — in the First World War and in subsequent conflicts.
“All war brings death, destruction, pain and loss.”
“All war brings death, destruction, pain and loss. The genocide in Gaza starkly underlines this reality.
“Irish republicans hold respectful commemorations for our patriot dead, and we firmly believe that people from all traditions should be afforded the same right to remembrance.”
The letter added: “Michelle's attendance at this event is about showing leadership and honouring her day-one commitment to be a First Minister for all.
“We are living through a time of enormous change. Those tasked with leadership [...] must provide real, respectful and genuine leadership. The new Ireland we are building must be inclusive and respectful of all identities.”
Since Stormont's return after the summer recess, the DUP has moved markedly to the right in an attempt to win back support from the TUV.
There were repeated political attacks on Sinn Fein and Ms O'Neill at the its annual conference in September. Earlier this week, Education Minister Paul Givan said Sinn Fein was not his party's “partners in government”.
A fortnight ago, Belfast Crown Court ruled the evidence against Solider F in the Bloody Sunday trial fell well short of what was required for conviction.
However, Judge Patrick Lynch said the members of the Parachute Regiment who had entered Glenfada Park North had “totally lost all sense of military discipline”.
They had shot “unarmed civilians fleeing on the streets of a British city”. The judge added: “Those responsible should hang their heads in shame.”
“First Minister for all”
The DUP leader's decision to tweet the Parachute Regiment's insignia following the verdict was condemned as extremely insensitive to the victims.
Lawyer Ciaran Shiels of Madden and Finucane, who represents Bloody Sunday families, described Mr Robinson's post as “an appallingly offensive and deliberate action designed to offend and hurt bereaved and wounded persons”.
Some republicans believed Ms O'Neill would not attend Belfast's official Remembrance Day service in light of the DUP's response to Soldier F's acquittal.
Her decision to take part in Sunday's event underlines her commitment to fulfil her pledge to be “First Minister for all” and to adhere to that path regardless of what approach the DUP takes.
The message on the laurel wreath Ms O'Neill laid last year read: “Today I remember all lives lost in the horror of war and conflict — past and present.”
Former British soldier and chair of Veterans for Peace Glenn Bradley last year thanked the First Minister for her “constructive and respectful gesture”.
He described it as a “symbol of hope, a demonstration that the politic of absolutism is flawed and that all here must compromise regarding inherited, oft outdated, belief systems that hinder reconciliation or the deconstruction of conflict barriers of the mind”.
While Ms O'Neill's attendance at the event was broadly welcomed, not everyone supported her decision.
A letter signed by 100 members of republican families from Tyrone accused her of “populism” and said Sinn Fein had “turned political somersaults into an Olympic sport”.
TUV councillor Ron McDowell refused to attend last year's event in protest at Ms O'Neill's presence, which he branded a “PR stunt”.
Sinn Féin denies ‘directing’ officers to remove guns
CONOR SHEILS, Irish News, November 6th, 2025
SINN Féin has denied “directing” officers to remove their guns before meetings, but a former commander of the PSNI’s Foyle Division has insisted requests were regularly made.
North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows said there were numerous occasions when his officers were asked by Sinn Féin representatives to leave their weapons outside of meetings.
“I spent 10 years in the Foyle area command unit and held a variety of roles, including area commander, and this issue came up many times, with junior officers often pressed at the last minute to leave their firearms in cars outside of meetings,” the Ulster Unionist said.
“Some of these meetings were in areas with high threat levels.
“I dealt with this issue first-hand and whilst serving I know the same issue occurred in west Belfast, Strabane and other areas.
“We can argue about the extent of this issue – but I am clear it has happened for years, and I’ve known of instances where it still occurs, and officers feel under-supported and unable to say no.
“These requests are made verbally and informally, hence they are not logged, and this is one key problem.
“The answer is for the chief constable (Jon Boutcher) to issue clear, unequivocal directions to officers and Sinn Féin to issue clear directions to their people.”
The Police Federation also accused Sinn Féin of “political interference.”
In a statement, a spokesperson for the officers’ body said: “There are no circumstances where police officers should disarm themselves on instruction of a political party or its representatives.
First Minister Michelle O’Neill and PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher
“This can only be classed as political interference and a clear attempt to dictate to the PSNI. It must be emphatically and unequivocally resisted. Complying with such instructions places officers at an unacceptable risk.
“The chief constable must immediately issue an instruction to officers that under no circumstances are they to feel pressurised to comply with such orders from any political party or its representatives.”
Sinn Féin released a statement yesterday, following repeated requests for comment.
Policing spokesperson Gerry Kelly said: “Sinn Féin does not instruct or direct police officers. Nobody has the authority to tell police officers what to do other than their superior officers.
“Sinn Féin sits on the Policing Board, like other parties with a democratic mandate, to deliver representative policing and to hold the police to account.
“In that context, Sinn Féin will raise this issue at the Policing Board on Thursday, 6 November.”
On Tuesday, Alliance Policing Board spokesperson Nuala McAllister said she also planned to raise the matter today for “further investigation”.
“These reports present some serious concerns, and it’s crucial we now establish the facts around what’s happened.
“We will be raising this issue at the Policing Board as soon as possible for further investigation.”
Stormont has choice to raise its own revenue, says Benn
JONATHAN McCAMBRIDGE, Irish News, November 6th, 2025
THE Stormont Executive has the choice to raise its own funds to help alleviate financial pressures, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn has said.
Mr Benn said being in government is about making difficult choices as he highlighted that Northern Ireland has received a record settlement from Westminster.
Stormont’s Finance Minister John O’Dowd said this week he had pressed Chancellor Rachel Reeves to focus on help for working families in the autumn Budget.
The four-party power sharing coalition has consistently lobbied for further funding from the UK Government to address pressures in public services, particularly in the health service.
Stormont leaders have previously voiced concern about introducing new revenue raising measures in the region and have ruled out water charges.
But, speaking during a visit to Lisburn, Mr Benn pointed out that the option remained for the Executive to raise its own revenue.
He said: “We have done a lot more by giving the Northern Ireland Executive a record settlement, it is really important that we step back from the current circumstances and say Northern Ireland has a record settlement.
“My job is to go and fight for Northern Ireland and I think the re-sult of that is seen.
“Nine months ago people were talking about a fiscal black hole, people are not talking about that now.”
He added: “All governments are facing difficult choices at the moment because of global economic circumstances, you saw what the chancellor had to say in her speech about the challenges that the UK Government is facing.
Always open to Executive to raise funds
“It is always open to the Executive to raise more funds for itself.
“If it chooses not to do that, it may add to the pressures.
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn says that the Stormont Executive has the option to raise its own funds to help ease financial pressure
“But being in government, especially these days, is about making choices, about how you spend the money that you have been given.
“I think that the Government has played its part with that record settlement.”
The Secretary of State pointed out the arrangement ensures that people in Northern Ireland receive 124% of the funding received by the population in England.
He added: “There are always choices that the Executive faces, decisions that they could make to raise more funds which would help ease some of the pressures that they face.”
Mr Benn said he would not speculate on what might be in the chancellor’s Budget later this month.
He said: “There are those that are arguing for a return to austerity, people are making up fantasy figures about cuts in expenditure that they think could be achieved.
“We are not going to go down that road, we cannot borrow more because one pound in 10 of the tax revenue that is contributed at the moment is going on servicing the debt.
“We have got tough decisions to make.”
Children paying for politicians' failure, says headteacher union
LIAM TUNNEY, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
Children are paying the price of political failure in the education sector, a teaching union has warned.
The National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) made the claim after the Education Authority (EA) announced sweeping cost-cutting measures.
Under the changes, the price of school dinners will rise by almost a fifth, some transport contracts will be renegotiated, some agency contracts will be cancelled, and overtime payments will be cut.
The EA said the measures could secure £30m in savings.
It also said an inability to fund a severance scheme and the statutory nature of most services limited opportunities to make large savings.
The EA added: “Living within allocated funding while meeting rising service needs has been an increasing challenge.
“The current year's financial position is a projected shortfall of circa £300m. This is not a situation anyone at EA wants to be in. It is nevertheless the reality.
“We have been advised that, unlike the position in previous years, additional significant funding allocations are unlikely to be made available.
“The EA has therefore regrettably been required to identify a series of significant savings measures.
“While these measures will inevitably have an adverse impact on services, it is also the case that they can only make a partial contribution to achieving a break-even budget.”
The measures include raising the price of paid school meals by 50p.
The EA said there would be an equivalent price rise in post-primary school cafeterias.
First price rise since 2017/8
It added: “These increases will take effect from January 2026. Pupils receiving free school meals will not be impacted. Prices paid for school meals have not increased since 2017/18 and will remain well below the cost of producing a meal.”
The EA is looking to renegotiate payments to taxi operators and explore options on “individual school transport arrangements that are outside the EA's legislative and policy obligations”.
“The increasing cost of taxis is of significant concern,” it said.
“The total annual bill for taxi use has more than doubled in five years, growing from £19,428,826 in 2020/2021 to £39,753,169 in 2024/2025.”
The EA intends to begin charging for its music service, which it described as “one of the limited areas where there is discretion to make savings without legislative or policy change”.
Referrals to external providers of education other than at school (EOTAS) services will also be suspended.
“The savings measures identified as being deliverable, and now being taken forward, have the potential to realise £30m in savings. They will start to take effect from this month,” the EA said.
NAHT national secretary Dr Graham Gault warned children were paying the price of political failure.
He added: “This situation is not inevitable. It is the result of years of political decision-making that has systematically underfunded education while politicians of all shades have talked about valuing our children's futures.
“Suspending referrals to EOTAS providers is particularly concerning.
“These services support some of our most vulnerable children, those who cannot attend mainstream school for various complex reasons.
“What happens to these children now? Where are they supposed to go?
“Increasing school meal prices will hit families who are already struggling but who earn just above the threshold for free school meals.
“Parents facing financial challenges will also be impacted by cuts to transport services, which may mean children, including some with additional needs, face longer journeys or more inconvenient arrangements.
“Reducing access to music education means narrowing opportunities for children to develop their talents.”
Mr Gault said politicians were warned of the impact their funding decisions would have.
“They chose not to act. Now children are paying the price,” he continued.
“Politicians at Westminster and in Stormont must now make different choices. They must prioritise education and provide the funding needed to prevent these damaging cuts from being implemented.”
The Irish National Teachers' Organisation said: “The almost 20% increase to school meals for paying parents could not have come at a worse time, particularly when the Education Minister confirmed that there will be no holiday hunger scheme payments made again this year.
“Families will be forced to tighten their financial belts yet again, in an attempt to ensure their children are well-fed.”
John Patrick Clayton from the Unison union said it highlighted the “unacceptable funding position that our education services are in”.
“Families should not be expected to take on even greater costs relating to the education of children, particularly where many on lower incomes do not qualify for free school meals,” he said.
NI falling behind rest of UK
SDLP MLA Cara Hunter said the cuts left Northern Ireland falling further behind on school meal provision.
“Instead of working towards universal free school meals and restoring holiday hunger payments, the EA is increasing prices for parents,” she added.
Orange leaders write to King over praying with Pope Leo
GABRIELLE SWAN, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
GRAND MASTERS URGE 'REFLECTION ON COMMITMENTS OF CORONATION OATH'
Three of the most senior figures in Orangeism have written to the King urging him to “reflect on his coronation oath”.
The Grand Masters of Ireland, England and Scotland wrote to Charles after what they described as a “disappointing” prayer meeting with Pope Leo XIV last month.
The Orange Standard, the institution's official publication, reported that “many members of the Orange family will have been disappointed” by the King's meeting with the pontiff on October 23.
It said that praying with the Pope contradicts the King's “solemn commitments” outlined by his coronation oath, adding that he must “maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed religion established by law”.
Last month's meeting marked the first time in almost 500 years that a reigning English monarch prayed publicly with the Pope.
The last time was during the reign of King Henry VIII, renowned for splitting with the Catholic Church in 1534 during the Reformation to divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.
This led to the establishment of the Church of England in the UK, with the King as its head.
“Many members of the Orange family will have been disappointed with King Charles III's decision to pray with Pope Leo in the Sistine Chapel,” the Orange Standard stated.
First meeting with Pope since Reformation
“[It was] the first meeting of its kind since King Henry VIII broke with Rome and Protestantism was established as the state religion of England in 1534.
“King Charles has shown a willingness to engage with a range of other religious leaders.
“Nonetheless, the fact remains that in his 2023 coronation oath, King Charles swore to 'maintain in the United Kingdom the Protestant Reformed Religion established by law'.
“As Orangemen and women should we not be discouraged or deflected from our solid foundations which are rooted in the truths of the Reformation.
“In October 1555, Latimer and Ridley were burned at the stake for their beliefs. Winds of change will always blow; they have done so down through the centuries and will no doubt continue. Nevertheless, it is important to remain steadfast in the Reformed faith, even in the face of opposition.
“The Grand Masters of Ireland, England and Scotland have jointly written privately to His Majesty to encourage him to reflect upon the solemn commitments of his coronation oath and the promises he made before God.”
There was strong criticism of Charles's meeting with the Pope.
The Independent Orange Order expressed “great sadness”, citing a catalogue of grievances with the “obnoxious” theological position of the Catholic Church, which it said has no biblical basis.
Kyle Paisley, son of the late DUP founder Ian Paisley, called on the King to cancel the engagement or “abdicate” and “let someone else take his place who is a true Protestant”, while the Evangelical Protestant Society expressed “deep concern”.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said at the time that the trip was intended to mark “a significant moment in relations” between both churches, recognise the ecumenical work they have undertaken and reflect the Jubilee year's theme of walking together as 'Pilgrims of Hope'.
Orthodox Jewish congregation at risk of dying out, warns chair
GABRIELLE SWAN, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
ONLY GROUP OF ITS KIND IN NORTHERN IRELAND APPEALS FOR NEW MEMBERS AND SPIRITUAL LEADER
Members of Northern Ireland's only Orthodox Jewish synagogue fear it could disappear without new followers.
The community in Belfast, with a congregation of just over 50 people, is also appealing for a new rabbi.
The call follows the departure of Reverend David Kale, who left for England last summer.
With members of the north Belfast synagogue aged from 60 to 94, there has not been a Bar Mitzvah in eight years, or a Bat Mitzvah in 10.
Belfast Jewish Community chair Neville Finch said: “The greater the decrease in numbers, the more we require a leader.”
The doors of the temple are open every Saturday for the Jewish Sabbath, albeit without a rabbi to conduct a service.
This leaves the laity to form what is known as a minyan, which is made up of 10 Jewish men, and say prayers on the traditional day of rest.
However, with the shrinking and mostly elderly group, the minyan is often a few people short.
The synagogue was built in 1964 and had around 1,500 members at that point.
Judaism’s rich history in NI
Judaism has a rich history in Northern Ireland, with many Jews arriving in the mid-1800s after fleeing persecution in eastern Europe.
Many were German merchants keen to become involved in the lucrative linen trade.
Others would also seek refuge from Nazi persecution in the 1930s and 40s.
The official name of the yellow fountain in the city's Victoria Square is the Jaffe Memorial Fountain.
It was erected by Sir Otto Jaffe, a Jewish entrepreneur and two-time mayor of Belfast, in 1874 in memory of his father.
Isaac Herzog, the current president of Israel, also has roots in the city, with his father, Chaim, having been born on Cliftonpark Avenue in north Belfast in 1918.
Mr Finch said the synagogue needed new members.
“There was a lady in her 93rd or 94th year, and the youngest congregation member... let's just say we are all retirees,” he added.
“We are an old community. There are no young people as such. We would like to see an influx of families. We live in hope.
“Our last rabbi was with us for a number of years. He had to return to England.
“At the moment, we are searching for somebody suitable to fill the post, There have been a number of expressions of interest.
“We need a rabbi. It is a contradiction of terms. The smaller the group, the greater the decrease in numbers and the more we require a leader.
“We hope that we get somebody suitable who is all-embracing and who understands our needs.
“At the moment, we have no one to lead our services.
“We ensure the synagogue is open on a Saturday morning. People meet, and if they want to go inside and say a few words themselves, that's okay. If they want to have a tea or coffee, the doors will always be open.
“Hopefully, in the new year, we will get up and running again. Hopefully, we will have somebody in situ from January.
“There have been expressions of interest [in the position]. We are hosting a rabbinic couple towards the end of this month. We will see how it works out. It is a two-way process.
“In my day, we had a very vibrant community. Many of us went to [Belfast] Royal Academy, because much of the population would have lived on the Antrim Road.
“We have low numbers because many of the young people have gone away to university. They've gone abroad to settle, and they haven't come back.
“You had a community in Derry in the late 1880s until 1948 or 1949. You had a community in Lurgan from 1894 to about 1927.
“There were Jewish people living in Banbridge and in Newry, but this is now the remnants.
“There are various forms of Judaism, Orthodox, Reform and Progressive.
“No matter what version of Judaism one follows, everyone is welcome, as long as you understand that the sermon is carried out in accordance [with] the Orthodox tradition.
“We do fear decline, and I have to admit, we are well past our sell-by date. To address the elephant in the room, current world affairs and how that affects us — [these are the things that] concern us.”
TUV mystery deepens after police refuse to say if protest note even exists
GARRETT HARGAN, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
The PSNI has refused to confirm or deny the existence of a letter in which a TUV MLA alleged that pro-Palestine protesters mocked the deaths of Jewish people, despite the force previously saying the letter had been sent.
Speaking in the Assembly earlier this year, Timothy Gaston said he had written to PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher about a roadblock in Belfast where demonstrators allegedly chanted “we got two” in the wake of the Manchester synagogue attack on October 2.
Adrian Daulby (53) and Melvin Cravitz (66) were killed in the attack, carried out by Jihad al-Shamie on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish religious calendar.
Inquests have heard from a senior police officer who said Mr Cravitz was stabbed, and Mr Daulby died after a bullet discharged by an officer struck him in the chest.
When a query was lodged with the PSNI about Mr Gaston's letter, a spokesperson for the force said it did not exist. The PSNI then said it had found the message but refused to share it.
The TUV originally claimed the letter had been sent by email, but after it was asked to produce a copy, the party changed course and said the complaint had been relayed in a telephone call.
Speaking in the Assembly on October 6, Mr Gaston said: “For years, anti-Israeli protests have featured antisemitic slogans and placards [with] harmful Jewish stereotypes. Even after [the October 2 synagogue attack], that rhetoric didn't stop.
“I wrote to the Chief Constable after being advised that, at an illegal roadblock at York Street, there were chants of, 'We got two'.”
Mr Gaston also said “decency should have kept the protesters in the house on [that] evening, of all nights”.
However, the PSNI said the only roadblock it knew of had been mounted on the morning of October 2, before the synagogue attack took place.
The force added: “[There] has not been a report of a protest in the same area on the evening of Thursday, October 2, or on the evening of Friday, October 3.”
Despite the TUV backtracking and saying the complaint had been relayed in a phone call, the PSNI maintained a letter had been sent.
This newspaper submitted a Freedom of Information (FoI) request, seeking a copy of the letter and any response issued by the Chief Constable.
The PSNI refused to answer any of questions, relying instead on a 'neither confirm nor deny' (NCND) exemption.
According to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), these can be used when “even confirming that information is or is not held may be sensitive”.
Its guidance says: “You should apply the response consistently in any case where either confirming or denying could be harmful.”
It gives an example of someone asking for an investigation file relating to a murder, saying this could tip off a potential suspect.
The TUV and PSNI refused to elaborate on why the letter could not be shared.
The party said: “We have nothing further to add to the comments already sent to the Belfast Telegraph and published some weeks ago.”
The PSNI directed this newspaper to a previous response in which it said it had received a letter from an elected representative on Friday, October 3.
‘Offensive chants’ overheard
It said this letter included details of offensive chants reported to have been overheard by a member of the public at a protest in Belfast the previous evening.
FoI expert Martin Rosenbaum criticised the police's response to the request for a copy of the message.
He said: “Generally, this is the sort of response I would expect, and police forces give routinely, when asked about contact with anyone who may have supplied them with information.
“However, in this particular case, if the MLA involved, who is a serving politician accountable for their actions, has spoken about the matter publicly and inconsistently, then an outright NCND response is pointless, as the fact of a communication of some kind is already known.
“It would clear matters up in the public mind to reveal whether the communication was a letter or a phone call.
“Although it would be personal information, this would be legal under data protection law, because it would further the legitimate interests of the public to be informed about the activities of a serving politician who has already talked publicly about the issue.”
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll called for the letter to be published in full.
“Timothy Gaston referenced his correspondence in the chamber, so there should be nothing preventing either the TUV or PSNI from publicly sharing it,” he said.
“If this letter was sent in good faith, and they have nothing to hide, they should share its contents.
“The PSNI and TUV owe urgent explanations for this fiasco.”
Givan’s Israel trip being probed by civil service head as MLAs agree to scrutinise impartiality of officials
JOHN MANLEY POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, November 6th, 2025
THE head of the regional civil service is investigating the circumstances around Paul Givan’s use of departmental resources to promote his recent trip to Israel, the chair of the assembly’s finance committee has revealed.
News of the probe by Jayne Brady emerged as members of the scrutiny committee voted to quiz appropriate Stormont officials over the civil service code of ethics and senior officials’ impartiality, relating to the education minister’s recent “fact-finding mission”.
Committee chair Matthew O’Toole has already speculated that Mr Givan may have breached rules brought in to ensure greater accountability in the wake of the RHI scandal by conducting ministerial business while visiting the Middle East in an otherwise private capacity, on a trip paid for by the Israeli government.
Mr Givan revealed on Monday in the assembly that Department of Education permanent secretary Ronnie Armour has conducted a review of the circumstances around the issuing of a press release and a social media post relating to the minister’s visit to the Ofek School in East Jerusalem.
According to the minister, his permanent secretary gave him a “clean bill of health”, however his department has so far declined to release the review or offer an explanation for not disclosing it.
Education minister Paul Givan with Racheli Yitzhak, the principal of Ofek School in East Jerusalem
Mr O’Toole said he accepted that the education committee was likely to do the “lion’s share of the work in terms of scrutinising” the circumstances around Mr Givan’s trip and associated use of his department’s resources, but he said there were also “very real questions about civil service impartiality, adherence to the Northern Ireland Civil Service code of ethics, and indeed adherence to the Functioning of Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act”.
Unionist members of the committee — including DUP MLA Diane Forsythe, who also acts as Mr Givan’s Assembly private secretary — sought to write to the Department of Finance relating to the conduct of Sinn Féin economy minister Caoimhe Archibald and her decision to instruct officials not to engage in UK trade talks with Israel.
However, the proposal did not receive the necessary support.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Ms Forsythe said the finance committee ought to be “focused on the budget and value for money, not being used as a platform for political attacks on the education minister’s visit to Israel”.
“This isn’t about good governance, it’s about anti-Israel politics,” the South Down representative said.
“Those who indulge that agenda are neglecting their responsibility to focus on Northern Ireland’s financial challenges and fair process in government.”
Alliance MLA Eoin Tennyson said regardless of the “wider rights and wrongs” of Mr Givan’s trip to Israel, there were questions around the “distinction between party political and ministerial business”.
Human rights chief denies questioning integrity of ex-RUC men
DAVID YOUNG, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
COMMISSIONER SAYS COMMENTS MADE IN SUMMER INTERVIEW HAVE BEEN DISTORTED
The head of the Northern Ireland Humans Rights Commission has rejected claims that she questioned the integrity of former security forces personnel working on legacy cases.
Chief commissioner Alyson Kilpatrick told MPs that comments she made in a newspaper in the summer were “misleadingly characterised” as criticism of ex-RUC officers who work in the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).
In the Irish News interview, Ms Kilpatrick questioned whether the state could fulfil its obligation to carry out effective, independent investigations into Troubles crimes, particularly those with the alleged involvement of ex-police officers, when the ICRIR's lead commissioner for investigations, Peter Sheridan, was a retired senior RUC officer.
Her remarks prompted a legal challenge, with Gary Murray, whose sister was killed in the IRA's 1993 Shankill Road bombing, taking judicial review proceedings against the commissioner, claiming she did not have the legal authority to question the independence of former police officers.
Giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster yesterday, Ms Kilpatrick vowed to defend the legal challenge in court and claimed she did not say what some have accused her of saying.
She appeared alongside Veterans Commissioner David Johnstone in a hearing focused on the Government's plans to reform legacy.
Westminster is undertaking a major restructure of the ICRIR, renaming it the Legacy Commission.
The new-look body will have two directors of investigation, rather than one lead commissioner of investigations.
During his evidence to the committee, Mr Johnstone told MPs he found it “disappointing” that Ms Kilpatrick had made comments “questioning the integrity of some ex-RUC officers”.
The chief commissioner responded directly to him.
Denies critising integrity of ICRIR personnel
She said: “Can I deal with that one suggestion that I, on behalf of the commission, made a comment about the integrity of the RUC or any RUC officer?
“That's simply not true. I have clarified [it] on numerous occasions. Other people have put it to me that I've said that, but that's not what I've said. That could not be further from the truth.
“From the outset, I was aware there were numerous ex-RUC officers as investigators within the ICRIR, many of whom I knew when I was working at the Policing Board. I knew [them] well and had huge respect for their integrity.
“No criticism was made [then], and no criticism is made today.”
Ms Kilpatrick said her comments about Mr Sheridan related to the role of commissioner, rather than the former officer as an individual.
She added: “Integrity was absolutely not part of the issue. We were only ever talking about those cases where the RUC may be implicated, and I don't think it's a stretch to say there needed to be greater experience and background in the investigators.
“As I understand it, the reason there are two directors [in the reformed commission structure] is so that there can be a ring fence around some investigations.
“It absolutely does not disqualify any individual in terms of integrity or experience or otherwise.
“In fact, I've had to put out another statement to correct the misleading characterisation of what I said, that it is absolutely not about that, that they [former police officers] are very well placed [to work in the commission].
“They've served very well. I know many of them, and I know people personally who've lost their lives, so I will not have it repeated again.
“I want it made clear, not for my sake, [but] for the sake of veterans and ex-police officers, that I have never once questioned their integrity. I do not question their integrity. I do not question their ability to lead these organisations.
“Comments were made in relation to a post. [If] anyone cares to read what I actually said, it's absolutely clear that it was not about an individual and absolutely not about an organisation [which] I have supported for many years, including through the Policing Board.”
Ms Kilpatrick made clear that she did not believe the Irish News had misrepresented her comments, rather that some people had subsequently sought to mischaracterise what she had said.
Committee member and DUP leader Gavin Robinson asked Ms Kilpatrick if she acknowledged it was a “regrettable situation” that a bereaved relative had felt the need to take her court.
He also told her he disagreed with her original remarks.
She responded: “You say you disagree with what I said. I am unclear which bit of it you disagree with, because I have not said what I'm accused of saying, which was to malign the RUC or any RUC officer. Quite the contrary.
“I did not say, and it does not appear in that Irish news article, what you said I said. There's not much more I can say. The litigation will be defended.”
Lyons unable to quantify savings on logo removal
JOHN MANLEY, Irish News, November 6th, 2025
DUP minister Gordon Lyons has said he’s unable to quantify the money saved by the removal of trilingual logos from most of his department’s official correspondence – despite claiming the move was designed to reduce costs.
In September, The Irish News revealed that the Department for Communities had introduced new guidelines that meant Irish and Ulster Scots would only be used where the subject matter relates to either, or when issues of culture and identity are addressed.
The move has echoes of former education minister Peter Weir’s 2016 decision to adopt a policy that in his department’s correspondence “the principal language is English”.
Sinn Féin MLA Maolíosa McHugh asked Mr Lyons via a written assembly question to detail any savings achieved from the removal of the trilingual logo from application forms and other official departmental documents.
The minister’s response said: “It is not possible to quantify potential future savings – the guidance is applied as part of the normal replacement cycles.”
Previously, when quizzed on the removal of the trilingual logos, the communities minister said it was important to ensure “we are saving public money”.
Mr McHugh accused Mr Lyons of “failing in his responsibility to develop an Irish language strategy”.
“To date, he has failed to publish one, but he clearly has his own strategy for the Irish language – a strategy to prevent the development of Irish and work against its ongoing growth on this island,” the West Tyrone representative claimed.
“He (Gordon Lyons) clearly has his own strategy for the Irish language — a strategy to prevent the development of Irish and work against its ongoing growth on this island.
Top Nama figure tells fraud trial he has no idea what law firm did for £15m fee at the centre of case
SAM MCBRIDE, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
WITNESS EXPLAINS TO COURT THAT HE WASN'T EVEN TOLD COMPANY WAS INVOLVED IN DEAL
One of Nama's most senior figures has said he has no idea what work a law firm did for a success fee of £15m for the deal in which the Republic's bad bank sold all its Northern Ireland loans.
Prosecutors allege that much of the fee major US fund Cerberus paid to law firm Brown Rudnick involved fraud, with two-thirds of the money destined for two prominent Belfast business figures now on trial at Belfast Crown Court.
Frank Hugh Cushnahan (83), of Alexandra Gate in Holywood, is charged with fraud by failing to disclose information, and fraud by false representation.
His co-accused, former solicitor Ian George Coulter (54), of Templepatrick Road in Ballyclare, faces two charges of fraud by false representation, and charges of making or supplying articles for use in fraud, removing criminal property, and transferring criminal property.
Both men deny all the charges.
On the 13th day of a trial likely to last for months, the jury heard from Nama's chief commercial officer, John Collison, who at the time of the transaction in 2014 was Nama's deputy head of asset recovery.
The Crown alleges that Coulter and Cushnahan improperly worked to help major US investment fund Pimco to buy Nama's northern loans.
In March 2014, Pimco told Nama it was walking away from the process over its lawyers' concerns about proposals to pay €6m to Cushnahan, who had until recently been a paid Nama adviser.
Brown Rudnick had been working for Pimco up to that point. But yesterday it was revealed in court that the very next day, another major US fund, Cerberus, suddenly employed Brown Rudnick.
Under cross-examination by Greg Berry KC for Coulter, Mr Collison said he wasn't told that until after the deal.
Mr Collison said that Nama had been “very focussed on speed — getting this transaction done quickly”.
Mr Berry asked: “You've listed as the legal advisers to Cerberus a firm called Linklaters… were you aware prior to April 3, 2014, that Brown Rudnick were involved with Cerberus?”
The witness said: “No… we weren't made aware of that” and it only became clear when the deal was being announced publicly.
Mr Berry asked: “Was any reason given to you why Brown Rudnick appeared to be in the shadows?”
Mr Collison said: “No, we were just advised at that point that they were retained as the strategic advisers to Cerberus.”
The barrister asked: “Do you know what they actually did?”
The witness said: “No.”
Mr Berry highlighted that they'd got a “substantial fee”; the witness agreed, but said he didn't know what it was for.
Frank O'Donoghue KC, for Cushnahan, told the jury that Mr Collison's boss, Ronnie Hanna, will not be giving evidence in the case.
Mr Collison said that when Mr Hanna approached him to say there was an approach from Pimco, the idea of selling its full Northern Ireland loan book “wasn't really part of our agreed strategy”.
He said Nama made it “clear from the start” that it would have to openly market the loans, rather than sell privately, as Pimco wanted.
He said the Irish state body's view was always that if it didn't put assets on the open market, “no one could prove there wasn't someone who would have bid more”.
Nevertheless, he said that “they were telling us what we wanted to hear — that they had the money and could transact very quickly”.
Due to developers' personal guarantees and cross-guarantees, where one company was on the hook for another's loans, Mr Collison agreed with the barrister that “the domino effect here could have been quite catastrophic if [the loans were] placed in the wrong hands”.
He said that “the board didn't want to lose Pimco… they were the only player on the pitch at the time”.
When asked about senior Pimco figure James Gilbert's evidence that, as late as January 2014, he was still expecting a private sale, Mr Collison said: “I think he hoped” for that, but there was” no ambiguity” around the issue in conversations with Nama.
On January 8, 2014, Nama opened the sale process to others. Mr Collison said that when Mr Gilbert was told, “it was like the air being let out of a balloon. He wasn't happy.”
Asked about why Mr Gilbert believed they could buy the loans privately, Mr Collison said that “he didn't get that from us”.
Mr O'Donoghue put it to him that Nama “strung along” Pimco, something Mr Collison rejected, saying that Pimco was a huge firm which wouldn't have spent what it did on trying to do the deal unless it was serious about it.
He said that a month after being told it would be an open process, Pimco continued to spend money on due diligence “as earnestly as the other bidders who got involved in the process”.
Mr O'Donoghue suggested that the real reason Pimco withdrew wasn't Cushnahan's success fee, but that it didn't like competition and the reserve price was higher than it had hoped.
Mr Collison said: “That's not what they conveyed to us… I can't agree with that. I just don't understand why they'd waste a month of their time… The time to tell us that would be late January or early February.”
The trial continues.
People in Northern Ireland are earning more, and Stormont is spending more – but no free lunches for juries
Sam McBride, Northern Ireland Editor, Belfast Telegraph, November 6th, 2025
Hello,
Being on the mailing list for Stormont departments’ press releases doesn’t often mean gripping reading, but it makes for a varied inbox.
Yesterday, the Department for the Economy informed me that its accounts have been “disclaimed” by auditors (not good), on Monday the Department for Infrastructure announced that work on fixing Kilrea bridge is likely to take until next year (worse, if you live in Kilrea), while last week the Department of Education publicised minister Paul Givan’s visit to a school in Jerusalem (of which you’ve been hearing a lot, and will be hearing more next week when the Assembly debates a no confidence motion in him).
Some of these releases are gloriously nerdy (don’t all rush to the Northern Ireland Business Register and Employment Survey Statistics 2023, fresh off the press) and many of them never make the news.
But a fortnight ago, one of Stormont’s statistical releases caught my eye. It reported that the median gross weekly earnings for a full time worker in Northern Ireland was (by April) £713 – a 7.4% rise on the same time last year.
That’s not only the second highest annual pay increase on record, but is a better position than the UK increase of 5.3%. The average UK weekly pay is now £728, just slightly above that of Northern Ireland.
But the far lower cost of living here means that someone earning the Northern Ireland figure and living here would be better off. We have cheaper housing, cheaper council tax, no water charges, cheaper public transport costs, cheaper high-quality education, and on and on.
Even after being adjusted for inflation, real weekly earnings in Northern Ireland rose almost three times more than the UK figure.
None of this means that Northern Ireland is a society without severe poverty. Nor is this unique to this side of the Irish border. The Republic is booming economically yet has vast inequality; on Monday night I was in Dublin and saw a woman methodically searching through bins outside Trinity College.
But it does mean that not everyone here is uniquely disadvantaged. There are some people who are struggling, some who are doing well, and some who are making money hand over fist.
Yet to listen to Northern Ireland’s politicians, you’d think we all lived the lives of medieval peasants. In their world, almost no one could afford to pay any more in tax, but almost everyone needs more money spent on the public services they use.
On Saturday, I wrote about some other recent figures from the Fiscal Council. Its data shows that Stormont has never had it so good in terms of the money it is given to spend.
Stormont is now spending a staggering £32billion every year – and that figure doesn’t include expenditure by local councils, or by other public bodies not under Stormont’s control.
The amount of money now going to Stormont is staggering
This is only partly explained by inflation; even when taking into account how money has devalued, the sum is still vastly higher than a decade ago. Public spending soared during covid – and has just kept rising.
Yet MLAs claim that “British austerity” means a £5,000 bill to put in a few bollards to pedestrianise Hill Street has to be delayed – or that Kilrea Bridge is failing due to the big bad Treasury in London, rather than decisions taken by local ministers in Belfast.
This infantile populism was worn out a decade ago; now, it’s utterly pathetic. Stormont ministers are presiding over largesse, not austerity.
Ministers and civil servants have squandered billions of pounds of public money. The Audit Office has scores of reports setting out the ingenious ways in which they’ve managed to incinerate Bank of England notes.
Yet on Tuesday, Finance Minister John O’Dowd delivered a populist pre-Budget wish list for Rachel Reeves. He demanded that VAT be cut for hospitality, that more be invested in childcare, that there be an end to "further austerity measures", that there be more money for the community and voluntary sector, and so on.
He also suggested Stormont should get more tax-raising powers, even though it has refused to use the tax-raising powers it already has to bring in the money it claims is so desperately needed.
John O’Dowd reading out his budget wish list to a largely empty Assembly chamber
This is akin to my boss announcing that he’s going to slash the cover price of the Belfast Telegraph while hiking the salaries for all our staff.
Readers and staff would no doubt be briefly delighted; who among us would refuse a salary increase or the chance to buy something more cheaply?
But that satisfaction would quickly turn to disappointment as the company’s inability to balance the books would see staff sacked in desperation to keep the business afloat, quality would then drop, readership would decline, and cover prices would then have to go back up for what by then would be an inferior product.
Yet Stormont ministers think they’re immune from the laws of nature. They believe they should be able to spend more than ever before while escaping accountability for how much they’ve wasted and blame their own failures on someone else not sending them even more money to waste.
Speaking in the Assembly yesterday, O’Dowd said it was important that in the Chancellor’s Budget – which is likely to see most of us asked to pay significantly more tax – the tax burden “falls on those with the broadest shoulders”.
This was preposterous coming from Stormont’s finance minister. This is the very minister, and the very Executive, which is consciously and deliberately deciding to do the opposite.
These ministers have decided that the rates system – the main local tax under Stormont’s control – forces the poorest householders to subsidise the rates bills of the wealthiest.
Indeed, Sinn Féin said it would be wrong to make the wealthiest pay their full rates bills. That is a valid policy choice – if voters like it, they can vote for those who supported it. But to be simultaneously pro-taxing the rich and anti-taxing the rich is absurdly incoherent.
All of this has a real world impact. On Monday, I was back in court for the resumption of the Nama trial after the half-term holiday.
The judge revealed that jurors – many of whom are young and who are giving up months of their lives to hear a complex case – had written to her to ask that they be provided with hot food for lunch as winter looms.
Stormont had quietly ended meals for jurors after covid, forcing them to bring in a packed lunch. Despite the judge’s intervention, the Courts Service – over which Stormont has control – refused to even allow jurors a microwave or a toaster, claiming this would be a health and safety problem.
Juries are, as Madam Justice McBride (no relation) said in court on Monday, a crucial part of ensuring justice is both done and seen to be done. For those of you who have served on juries, I’m interested in your experience of the food, and more broadly about how you felt you were treated by the justice system.
As you will know, there are strict rules on not disclosing anything said in deliberations before reaching a verdict, so please don’t tell me about that or the cases you were involved in.
However, if you could provide the year that would be helpful. You can either email me in confidence – newsletters@belfasttelegraph.co.uk – or send a message in complete anonymity by clicking the thumbs up or thumbs down signs below, which will take you to a box where you can type in a comment.
That’s all for this week. See you next week.
