by RuthDE | Jul 13, 2026 | 2026, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, June
It was shortly after Jeffrey Donaldson was elected to parliament in May 1997 that David Trimble suggested a meeting with him. Published: 25 June 2026 Trimble, whom I had known a bit and got on with since 1986, had been leader of the Ulster Unionist Party for almost...
by RuthDE | May 8, 2024 | 2024, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, May
“Ireland’s difficulty is England’s opportunity,” said Arlene Foster with a grin as she introduced me on GB News on Sunday morning. Published: 6 May 2024 Arlene was jokingly inverting the old rallying cry of Irish nationalists that ‘England’s difficulty is Ireland’s...
by RuthDE | Feb 24, 2023 | 2023, Daily Mail, February, Journalism
An old friend from Omagh, an ex-member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary called me to tell me of the attempted police killing. Published: 23 February 2023 An old friend from Omagh, an ex-member of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) — the predecessor of the Police...
by RuthDE | Aug 30, 2022 | 2022, August, Belfast News Letter, Journalism
My late friend David Trimble saved unionists from having joint authority imposed on them because he fought nationalism, constitutional and violent, intelligently and imaginatively — despite the attacks from his own side. Published: 30 August 2022 He also benefited...
by RuthDE | Jun 15, 2022 | 2022, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, June
I’m a bit of a politics nerd, but being an historian by trade, I’ve always been interested in the long view. Published: 14 June 2022 Often I find myself comparing contemporary politicians with those of the past, which is why I find myself so impatient with media...
by RuthDE | May 10, 2022 | 2022, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, May
I couldn’t stand Piers Morgan until he lost his job on Good Morning Britain for telling the truth about Meghan Markle Published: 10 May 2022 Then I overlooked his crassness, praised his moral courage and wished him well in his new job with Talk TV. But the honeymoon...
by RuthDE | Jun 21, 2021 | 2021, Daily Telegraph, Journalism, June
As polls show many voters rejecting tribalism, the two main Unionist parties are likely to be devising a joint strategy Published: 19 June 2021 It’s easy to laugh at Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party: its followers are almost all Christian and socially...
by RuthDE | Jun 8, 2021 | 2021, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, June
I was delighted for two reasons on Sunday afternoon when I saw this tweet from the Northern Ireland Office. Published: 8 June 2021 “Secretary of State @Brandon Lewis has announced Trevor Ringland MBE as the UK’s first Special Envoy to the United States on NI. He will...
by RuthDE | Jun 7, 2021 | 2021, Daily Telegraph, Journalism, June
With goodwill, there is a solution that avoids a hard border either on land or in the sea Published: 5 June 2021 The briefing war between the EU and the UK led to headlines this week saying that Brexit Minister Lord Frost thinks the Northern Ireland Protocol is...
by RuthDE | Jun 1, 2021 | 2021, Belfast News Letter, Journalism, June
What a moment in the politics of Northern Ireland! Published: 1 June 2021 Just now, the DUP, Alliance and Sinn Fein should be very nervous. Now I know that at the moment some of the most bitter enemies of Edwin Poots are members – or about to be ex-members – of the...
