My sense of duty had me listen to a podcast of yet another prolonged whinge from Joe Brolly, football commentator and, God help us, these days a political pundit. Published: 30 May 2023 This was because of a conversation I had with a friend about a speech I’d...
One of my favourite moments from the past few days was listening to Lord Carrington. Published: 9 May 2023 The Lord Great Chamberlain had been explaining that one of his most important roles at the coronation was to present golden spurs — symbolising knighthood and...
I’m sorry that other commitments made me miss the Northern Ireland centenary celebrations on Saturday. Published: 31 May 2022 I am so not least because as this paper’s editor Ben Lowry put it — it’s been a “front-rank scandal” that this huge milestone has been given...
I have more sense than to try to predict what will happen in Thursday’s election, but I do know what I want to happen. Published: 3 May 2022 First and foremost, I want the bad guys to lose. These, of course, are Sinn Fein, that cancer corrupting Ireland, and any other...
I am now even more proud of being a columnist for this honourable newspaper, which revealed last week how and why it had successfully defended itself against an unjustified libel case. Published: 22 March 2022 “We were determined to fight this case,” wrote editor Ben...
I spent the best part of three days reading newspapers and posts and tweets and listening to hours of radio and watching video clips relating to the British government’s proposals to draw a line under Troubles crimes. Published: 20 July 2021 In phone calls, people...
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...
‘At today’s press briefing,” tweeted Sam Taylor, chief executive of the think tank These Islands, last week, “Sturgeon said she suspects that Scotland came very close to eliminating Covid over the summer, before it was (at least in part) re-seeded by travel from other...
Petition highlighting anti-Protestant bias at Queen’s should be supported, writes Ruth Dudley Edwards Published: 8 March 2020 I’m not much given to signing petitions, but I’ve signed one asking Queen’s University Belfast and the Queen’s...
A new book offers a moral solution to the legacy issue that is bedevilling negotiations, writes Ruth Dudley Edwards Published: 30 April 2018 Dear Secretary of State, You have been given the thankless job of trying to restore the Executive by squaring circles and...
