UUP considers DUP invitation to unionist co-operation talks
REBECCA BLACK, Sunday Life, January 18th, 2026
The Ulster Unionist Party will consider an invitation from DUP leader Gavin Robinson to take part in talks on unionist co-operation.
Mr Robinson told DUP members in an email he had invited UUP leader-elect Jon Burrows to discuss areas of co-operation.
In the past, some parties have agreed to step aside in specific constituencies in a bid to maximise the unionist vote and secure seats.
Sinn Fein has the most MLAs in the Assembly, entitling the party to nominate a first minister, while the DUP nominated the deputy first minister.
Sinn Fein also secured the highest number of votes of any party at the 2024 Westminster election, securing seven seats ahead of the DUP's five.
A UUP spokesperson said its new leadership team will consider any request to meet “judged against what is best for Northern Ireland and its people. We remain committed to advancing the interests of the Union through constructive dialogue that benefits all”.
They said the party has “engaged in previous talks on unionist co-operation with our unionist colleagues, repeatedly in good faith”, adding: “We know all too well when others are engaging in good faith or when self-preservation is on their mind.
“We are also mindful that decisions taken over the last 20 years by some within unionist leadership have failed to deliver for the Union, but rather have championed the largest of strategic mistakes. That history informs our desire to offer the electorate a clear choice.”
Sinn Fin’s fervent desire
In his email, Mr Robinson referred to what he called Sinn Fein's “fervent desire to bring about the removal of Northern Ireland from the UK”.
“As leader of the largest unionist party, I am determined to make every effort to ensure that unionism does not squander the narrow window of opportunity that exists to prepare for the future,” he said.
“I support and want to reflect the desire across the grassroots of unionism to see unionist representatives and their political parties working together to promote the Union, to stand up for all those who want to get on with their lives and who want to see our country prosper.
“The truth is that if unionism has more seats, it will have more power to get things done. The opposite is also true... I stand ready to act in the widest interests of the pro-Union cause.
“I have written to the incoming leader... setting out our position and inviting him to meet.
“I look forward to working with Jon Burrows to see how our parties could co-operate and work towards building greater support for the Union and to test how we might best strengthen pro-Union co-operation.”
Pacts might save some seats, but unionism needs a better strategy
SUZANNE BREEN, Sunday Life, January 18th, 2026
He won't officially take up the job for another fortnight, but already the UUP's next leader has received a 'Dear Jon' letter.
Gavin Robinson has written to the man set to succeed Mike Nesbitt, seeking a meeting on unionist co-operation.
The DUP leader hopes to reach an agreement which would lead “to the election of more pro-Union members at local government, Assembly and Westminster elections”.
Such a pact would be hugely popular with unionist voters. A LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph last year found that 86% wanted either a full merger of pro-Union parties, or a pact for the 2027 Assembly election.
So Robinson's sentiment is clearly in keeping with the mood in his community. But there are also selfish reasons at work too.
The DUP was on just 18% in the last LucidTalk poll for the Belfast Telegraph. Sinn Fein support has slipped in the past year due to its performance at Stormont, which is failing to wow its base. Yet, on 25%, it remains comfortably ahead of the DUP.
Despite its dip in the polls, the republican party has the ability to get its vote out, and its supporters are far more loyal than those of any of its rivals.
Sinn Fein currently has 27 Assembly seats to the DUP's 26 but, 15 months ahead of the election, Michelle O'Neill's party would appear to be in a better position than Robinson's to increase its tally.
Marginal Seats
It has a strong chance of a third seat in South Down, as well as second seats in Upper Bann and East Londonderry.
A seat in Lagan Valley is also a possibility given boundary changes, although that's more of a stretch.
The DUP's best chance of a gain is in West Belfast where boundary changes help unionism. However, the TUV's Ron McDowell would also be a serious contender if he chooses to run there.
Gavin Robinson's party will also hope to win back the second seat it lost in North Antrim in 2022. But the TUV will be aiming to build on Allister's Westminster success and return two MLAs in the constituency.
The DUP's Foyle seat is at risk to nationalism or People Before Profit due to boundary changes, and the party is also worried about Trevor Clarke in South Antrim.
Some insiders believe it's almost impossible for the DUP to become the largest party in the Assembly again. But, even if destined for second spot in Stormont in perpetuity, it is determined to maximise the number of unionist ministers at the Executive table.
A pact would be most valuable for Westminster. In 2024, Northern Ireland elected 10 non-unionist and eight unionist MPs. There has been talk of an agreed independent unionist candidate in East Londonderry where the DUP seat is very vulnerable.
Gregory Campbell beat Sinn Fein's Kathleen McGurk by just 179 votes. While a united unionist candidate might just about hold on, it's only a matter of time before the seat is lost. There's currently a 47%-43% unionist-nationalist voting divide.
The history of both Fermanagh-South Tyrone and North Belfast shows that demographic trends mean that even a single unionist candidate can hold back the tide only for so long.
HISTORIC
The figures suggest that in Lagan Valley, one DUP-UUP-TUV backed candidate could reclaim the seat from Alliance. A 60% unionist vote was split between those three parties in 2024.
However, Sorcha Eastwood hasn't put a foot wrong since her historic victory.
Her approach has been to make friends, not enemies. She has a reach significantly beyond her party's and will fight ferociously to keep her seat.
Given that there often appears to be increasingly few policy differences between the DUP, UUP and TUV, a pact would make sense.
But Jon Burrows will be no rollover for Robinson in any discussions. He's keen to grow his party and, in some Assembly constituencies, that would be at its bigger rival's expense.
Although very open to unionist co-operation, the incoming UUP leader will be determined to get a good deal for his own team.
Rebuilding UUP with policy overhaul
While Alliance has been most in his line of fire in his short Assembly career, he will surely start to increasingly challenge the DUP's record — both in government and as the largest unionist party — as he attempts to rebrand and rebuild the UUP.
Jim Allister also won't be a pushover for Robinson when it gets to the business end of negotiations. In LucidTalk's poll, DUP supporters were the keenest on unionist parties merging or agreeing a pact (95%), followed by UUP (80%) and TUV (72%) voters.
Given those figures, Robinson has nothing to lose on pursuing such an agreement. More is at stake for Allister who will be aware that a significant section of his base distrusts the DUP. Any new TUV MLAs are also likely to be at the DUP's cost.
In a message to party members yesterday detailing why he had written to Burrows, Robinson explained that unionism's collective voice and clout “will be stronger” if it works together.
“If unionism has more seats, it will have more power to get things done,” he said. “The opposite is also true: a divided and fractious unionism without co-operation will cost seats and our collective influence will diminish.”
The DUP leader is absolutely right. He referred to Sinn Fein's “fervent desire to bring about the removal of Northern Ireland from the UK”.
He spoke of the need to “work towards building greater support for the Union”. But the very best way of doing that isn't an electoral pact. It's making Northern Ireland a comfortable place for those beyond the traditional base.
It's not getting in a tizzy about Irish language signs in Grand Central Station; it's considering a new emblem for Northern Ireland, not immediately opposing one; and it's facilitating a redeveloped Casement Park, not trying to stymie it.
If the DUP wants to preserve the constitutional status quo, that's the collective conversation it should be starting in unionism.
Tributes to Mickey Brady after death of former Sinn Féin MP
BBC, Northern Ireland, January 17th, 2026
Mickey Brady served as MP for Newry and Armagh from 2015 to 2024
Sinn Féin has paid warm tributes following the death of its former MP Mickey Brady, saying the party and the people of Newry have "lost a giant of the community".
The former welfare rights adviser served as MP for Newry and Armagh for almost a decade and was also a former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said he always put "the needs of ordinary people first" and had given a "lifetime of service" to his community.
Deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said Brady "gave his time generously to everyone who sought his help".
Confirming his death in a party statement, McDonald described him as a "friend and comrade", saying she had learned of his passing with "deep sadness".
She said he was a committed Irish republican who had "dedicated his entire life to the people of Newry and Armagh".
"Long before he ever held elected office, Mickey was already known across the community as someone who stood with and by the people," McDonald said.
"His work in welfare rights and housing advice changed thousands of lives, quietly and without fanfare, year after year."
She added that he brought the same values with him when he entered politics.
"He believed completely in the peace process, in reconciliation, and in a united Ireland built on equality and respect for all," McDonald added.
"He was also a gentle soul – warm, witty, and unfailingly generous with his time. He treated everyone with respect."
Sinn Féin described Mickey Brady as an "Irish republican of deep conviction"
Civil Rights activist
Brady was a civil rights activist from the Ballybot area of Newry city.
Before he became a politician, he spent more than 25 years helping vulnerable people who struggled to access housing and benefits in his native Newry.
"All too often the only thing that stood between a family and destitution was an intervention by Mickey Brady," said his party colleague, Dáire Hughes.
Brady was working for the Confederation of Community Groups just before his first election to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.
As an assembly member (MLA), he served on Stormont's health committee and as deputy chair of the Department for Social Development committee.
In 2015, he left his Stormont role for Westminster to represent the Newry and Armagh constituency, something he said made him "immensely proud".
However, under Sinn Féin's long-standing policy of abstentionism he never took his seat in the House of Commons.
During that election campaign he received three death threats within 24 hours, including a warning that a bomb had been left at his family home.
No device was found and Brady vowed he would not be intimidated, but he added it was a "terrifying experience" for his neighbours in Newry.
Brady retired from elected politics in 2024 after announcing he would not be standing for re-election to Westminster.
‘Giving younger people a chance’
At the time, he told the Irish News it was "time to give younger people a chance" but added he hoped to continue working voluntarily in the sector.
Brady is survived by his wife, children, step-children and grandchildren.
In her tribute, O'Neill said Brady had dedicated "more than five decades of his life to community and political activism".
"His door was always open to people right across the community, and he gave his time generously to everyone who sought his help," she said.
The first minister and Sinn Féin deputy leader added she would remember her "dear friend" for his "sharp wit and endless stories".
"He had a rare ability to lift spirits and bring smiles wherever he went," she added.
After his retirement, Brady was replaced by Dáire Hughes, who successfully defended the Newry and Armagh seat in the 2024 Westminister election.
Following Brady's death, the current MP said he was "utterly devastated" and would "miss his friendship, advice and guidance".
He said much of Sinn Féin's support in the area was "due in huge part to Mickey Brady" and added the late MP would be "forever remembered".
"He's a Newry institution, a proud Ballybot man, the people's champion," Hughes told BBC News NI.
"The outpouring of grief and loss is a reflection of the esteem in which he's held."
Hughes said Brady was "still doing case work" in the office up until the week before Christmas.
"He was still helping people," he said.
Colum Eastwood, former leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) said he was "very sorry" to hear of Brady's death.
"We served together on Stormont committees and I can tell you no one knew more about the benefits system and improving it for those most in need," he said.
Coke king funds ONH boss's property portfolio
SUNDAY LIFE INVESTIGATIONS, January 18th, 2026
CRIME BOSS LEADS CHARMED LIFE AS OTHERS TARGETED FOR DEATH MAJOR DEALER'S PROTECTION MONEY HELPS ONH THUG TO BUY THREE NEW-BUILDS IN BELFAST AS WELL AS LUXURY VILLA IN SPAIN
Protection money from a major drug dealer helped fund a dissident republican's property empire which includes a Spanish villa and three new-builds in west Belfast.
Crime boss Joe Kearney handed over tens of thousands of pounds to the ONH (Oglaigh na hEireann) thug, who cannot be named for legal reasons, in return for being allowed to operate a cocaine distribution network from his home in the Twinbrook estate.
Because of his regular ONH payments, the 44-year-old was not targeted by the terror gang which murdered his drug lord pals Jim 'JD' Donegan and Sean Fox.
Kearney was due to be sentenced at Belfast Crown Court last Friday on multiple counts of drug dealing and money laundering, however his case was put back because of the ongoing barristers strike.
Earlier in the week an application by the PSNI to confiscate £250,000 found stashed around his west Belfast home in July 2020 was mentioned at Belfast Magistrates Court.
The cash is believed to have been earmarked for drug dealers in the Downpatrick area who Kearney supplied with cocaine, with a portion set aside as ONH protection money.
Crime chief Kearney, who goes by the 'Quiet Man' nickname in underworld circles because he keeps a low profile, is understood to have handed over more than £50,000 to ONH prior to his arrest.
IMPRESSIVE
The protection money was paid directly to the dissident group's boss in the Colin area, who used it to amass an impressive property portfolio which includes a Spanish bolthole and at least three west Belfast new-builds.
The same individual also drives a top-of-the-range car and owns other assets that could be considered luxurious despite living off a tradesman's salary.
When ONH split in 2024 he sided with what is known as the 'McDonnell faction', which has been blamed for the attempted murder of ex-ONH prisoner Sean O'Reilly in west Belfast last year.
Convicted terrorist Tony McDonnell, who is alleged to lead the faction named after him, denies any involvement in criminality.
Sean O'Reilly belongs to the rival ONH group led by his cousin and convicted ONH member Carl Reilly. Since the gun attack on O'Reilly both groups have taken part in shows of strength and demanded the other surrenders.
The ONH boss who cocaine baron Joe Kearney was paying protection cash to is accused of ordering the O'Reilly murder bid. He clashed with O'Reilly in a west Belfast service station in the days leading up to the shooting, with threats exchanged.
A dissident source told Sunday Life: “The ONH boss who was taking money from Joe Kearney has been hiding out in Spain since the attempted murder of Sean O'Reilly. He leads a very comfortable life and has a property portfolio worth more than £1m.
“All of it was funded by extorting money from drug dealers including Joe Kearney.
“It was because of Kearney's links to him and the fact he was paying thousands of pounds of protection money to ONH that he was never targeted for murder like JD Donegan or Sean Fox.”
Donegan was gunned down at the wheel of his £80,000 Porsche while collecting his son from school in December 2018.
Ex-Irish League footballer Fox was shot dead in 2022 while having a pint in the Donegal Celtic social club, the team for which he used to play.
ONH claimed responsibility for both murders, using the fact that the victims were drug dealers to justify the killings.
However, eyebrows were raised as to why Joe Kearney was never at risk despite living in the middle of the republican Twinbrook estate and being a much easier target than the others who were based in Lisburn.
Kearney was also out on bail at the time charged with international drug dealing offences connected to the EncroChat phone hack. He has since pleaded guilty to these and is awaiting sentencing.
Our source added: “After ONH split, both factions started briefing against each other and it came out about just how much money Joe Kearney paid the Colin area ONH boss over the years.”
Silence
Attempts by Sunday Life to talk to Kearney about his case have been met with silence, with the self-confessed drugs boss refusing to answer any questions or return our calls.
The sole director of two businesses, Colin Coffee Hub and Out N About Maintenance, Kearney has pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine, possessing cannabis with intent to supply and possessing £250,000 of criminal property.
He has further admitted having £43,000 “which constituted the proceeds of criminal conduct, namely drug trafficking”.
Kearney was arrested in July 2020 after police hacked the EncroChat phone network and watched for months while major drug dealers planned cocaine and cannabis shipments.
Raids on his home led to the discovery of £250,000 cash, which he alleged included £20,000 from a compensation claim, £30,000 from a house sale, and £18,000 from three winning football bets.
When Kearney first appeared in court, a prosecutor said: “The evidence shows that the applicant is a high-level drug dealer who is involved in the importation and supply of significant quantities of drugs, being cannabis and cocaine, as evidenced from the encrypted phone data.
“This is supported by the very large sum of cash recovered from his home, the quantity and value of the drugs recovered and the other paraphernalia such as the cash counting machine.”
English 'Pink Ladies' join Belfast anti-immigration rally at same time as Rally for Iran
NIAMH CAMPBELL, Sunday Life, January 18th, 2026
Members of a 'Pink Ladies' group from across England gathered in Belfast yesterday for an all-female anti-immigration rally outside City Hall.
Plans were put in place last month for the women to attend the event, alongside the Ulster branch of the 'Pink Ladies', which handed out pink knuckledusters and led anti-Islam chants at Belfast City Hall in November last year.
The 'Pink Ladies' initiative was first set up in England before spreading to other parts of the UK and Ireland.
While the stated aims of the various factions are to “protect the rights of women and children”, the group has been accused of anti-Islamic hate speech.
The NI branch of the group held a previous rally outside Belfast City Hall on November 8, at which a woman was recorded leading a chant of “f*** Islam”, while pink knuckledusters — classed as offensive weapons under UK law — were handed out in 'safety bags' to those in attendance.
The local group then put plans in motion to hold another rally at Belfast City Hall, where they were joined yesterday by other 'Pink Ladies' from the wider British group. “On 17 January 2026, we proudly welcome the British Women First Pink Ladies as we host our very first joint rally together,” one of the organisers wrote in a post on a private social media group in December.
A poster for the rally shows an AI-generated image of several women standing outside City Hall with the slogan: “for the women, for the children”.
Last Monday, a Belfast woman accused of handing out knuckle dusters at the November city centre rally failed in a bid to lift the ban on her posting about immigration issues on social media.
Robyn Barnes also remains under a prohibition on attending any anti-immigration protests, a judge ruled.
The 38-year-old, from Solway Street, is currently on bail charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
She faces a further count of selling or distributing a weapon, namely a knuckle duster. Barnes' partner and co-accused, Stephen Baker (45), is also on bail charged in connection with the same incident.
At the same time yesterday, activists gathered in Belfast city centre as part of a 'Rally For Iran', with the Iranian community here joining others in supporting those in the country who have seen their own protests violently quashed by the state.
