NEWS

Northern Ireland’s defence sector is set for a major expansion following the launch of a £50 million Defence Growth Deal, aimed at boosting start-ups, strengthening supply chains and creating highly-skilled jobs across the region. The investment, announced by the UK Government, is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and emerging defence technology companies break into the defence supply chain, while accelerating innovation and long-term economic growth.

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC A call for urgent Government action on lobular breast cancer research has been made by Jim Allister KC MP , who warned that patients are continuing to receive treatments not designed for their specific disease due to decades of underinvestment. The North Antrim MP said that while recent engagement between Ministers, senior scientists and the Lobular Moon Shot Project is welcome, it has so far failed to deliver the decisive commitment needed to

William Irvine, UFU President, Richard King, The Andersons Centre, Ian Stevenson, NI Dairy Council, Colin Smith, LMC, Glenn Cuddy, UFU deputy president, and Michael Haverty, The Andersons Centre. Northern Ireland’s farming families are shouldering an estimated £96 million in indirect costs every year  as a result of bovine Tuberculosis, according to a landmark new independent report launched today, laying bare the scale of a crisis that continues to hit farm profitability, fa

Monday in the House of Commons, North Antrim MP Jim Allister challenged the Prime Minister on announcing a cut to fuel duty to relieve pressure on drivers, farmers and businesses across the UK Motorists, farmers and businesses across Northern Ireland facing soaring fuel costs were given no immediate promise of tax relief on Monday after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government’s main focus remains reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing global supply pressures. T

North Antrim MP Jim Allister Households, farmers and haulage operators across Northern Ireland could soon see Westminster pressure mount for emergency tax relief on soaring fuel costs after North Antrim MP Jim Allister formally moved to bring the issue before the House of Commons. With diesel in Ballymena now reaching 189.9p per litre and unleaded climbing to 154.9p per litre, Mr Allister has this evening, Sunday 12 April, written to the Speaker of the House of Commons seeki

Mounting anger over soaring fuel and fertiliser costs across Northern Ireland has prompted fresh political pressure on Westminster, as planned fuel protests loom and Stormont’s First Minister and deputy First Minister jointly urge the Prime Minister to intervene without delay. The developing row comes as households, businesses, farmers and hauliers across Northern Ireland face intensifying financial strain, with rising fuel and energy prices deepening the wider cost-of-living

Factory floor, Wrightbus Ballymena Ballymena-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus is taking a leading role in a new UK Government-backed project exploring whether autonomous vehicle technology could help tackle some of the most urgent challenges facing public transport, including chronic driver shortages, rising costs, and the pressure to decarbonise services. The zero-emission bus manufacturer has been selected as lead partner in ASPIRE, one of just eight projects chosen under t

Motorists across Northern Ireland facing persistently high insurance premiums are being told that work is continuing at Westminster to tackle the costs driving prices upward, after South Antrim MP Robin Swann welcomed an update from the UK Government on the progress of its motor insurance taskforce. The latest response, issued by Minister for Local Transport Lilian Greenwood MP, confirms that the taskforce is concentrating on reducing claim costs by tackling inefficiencies w

Millions of workers across Northern Ireland and the wider UK can now access sick pay from the first day they are off work, as a major overhaul of employment rights came into force on Sunday. The changes, introduced under the Employment Rights Act, mark one of the most significant shifts in workplace protections in recent years, affecting more than 18 million employees across the UK. From 6 April 2026, workers who fall ill no longer have to wait until the fourth day of absence

Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street) Prime Minister Keir Starmer has used his 2026 Easter message to place hope, renewal and community support at the centre of his remarks, while acknowledging the anxiety being felt by many families amid conflict abroad and ongoing pressures at home. In a message issued ahead of Easter, the Prime Minister described the Christian festival as “a celebration of hope, new life and renewal”, setting the tone

The Ulster Farmers’ Union has written to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland warning that rising agricultural input costs, driven by renewed global instability, are placing increasing pressure on farm businesses and could threaten food production across Northern Ireland. Representing around 12,000 farm families, the Union said ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are creating fresh volatility in the cost of essential farming inputs,

Prime Minister Keir Starmer holds a press conference on the situation in the Middle East in 10 Downing Street. (Pictures by Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street) UK will not be drawn into the conflict in the Middle East, the Prime Minister insisted today, as he moved to reassure households facing fresh anxiety over fuel prices, energy bills and wider economic uncertainty. In a significant Downing Street address on Wednesday, the PM said the war — now entering its second mont

More than 6.9 million families across the UK are set to receive a boost in Child Benefit payments from next week, with HM Revenue and Customs urging parents in Ballymena and beyond to make sure they are claiming everything they are entitled to. From 6 April, payments will increase to £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child — equivalent to £1,406.60 a year — while each additional child will bring £17.90 per week, or £930.80 annually. The increase means families will recei

The UK Government has issued its first national guidance on screen use for children under five — as mounting evidence suggests early childhood is being reshaped by digital habits long before many children reach school. The scale of change is striking — and accelerating. Children are now typically introduced to screens by around nine months old. By age two, daily use has surged to an average of 127 minutes — more than double the recommended maximum of one hour. And the consequ

Millions of UK workers who rely on their cars for their jobs could soon see long-overdue financial relief, as HM Treasury confirms a review of approved mileage rates ahead of a future Budget. The announcement, issued by the UK Government, comes after more than a decade without change—despite rising fuel, insurance and maintenance costs leaving many workers covering the gap themselves. Rates unchanged since 2011 Approved mileage allowance payment rates have remained frozen sin

A major new UK Government strategy published today (Wednesday 25 March 2026) has warned that another pandemic is inevitable — and outlines how the country, including Northern Ireland, must prepare for a potentially far more complex global health crisis. The Pandemic Preparedness Strategy: building our capabilities sets out a decade-long plan to strengthen resilience across all four nations, with a strong focus on cross-border coordination, faster response systems, and protect

Northern Ireland will be fully included in the UK’s landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, following a firm Government commitment secured during a House of Commons debate led by South Antrim MP Robin Swann. The former Health Minister pressed for clarity on whether the legislation would apply equally across all four nations, warning that consistency is crucial to protecting public health and avoiding divergence within the UK. ‘Common-sense’ legislation for future generations Speakin

North Antrim MP Jim Allister, speaking in Parliament A new European court ruling on gender recognition has sparked fresh constitutional concerns in Northern Ireland, with TUV leader Jim Allister  warning it could override a landmark UK Supreme Court decision. The North Antrim MP has raised urgent questions with the UK Government after the European Court of Justice ruled in favour of a transgender woman in the so-called Shipova case—potentially setting up a legal clash with do

Oil tanker Finance Minister John O’Dowd  has criticised a new funding package aimed at helping households with rising heating oil costs, warning the support could amount to just £35 per home in Northern Ireland. The Minister said the £17.2 million allocated for heating oil support in 2026/27 is “disappointing and falls far short of what is needed” , given the region’s heavy reliance on oil for home heating. His comments follow confirmation from the UK Government that funding

Families across Northern Ireland are set to receive a share of a new £50 million support package aimed at helping households struggling with soaring heating oil prices. The UK Government has confirmed that £17 million will be allocated to Northern Ireland, where reliance on heating oil is significantly higher than in other parts of the UK, leaving many families exposed to sudden price spikes. The announcement comes as kerosene — the fuel used in most home heating oil systems