NEWS

The scene of the tragic incident in Ballymena on Monday. (Image: Steven McAuley, McAuley Multimedia) Political leaders have expressed their shock and sympathy following confirmation that the deaths of three members of the same family in Ballymena are being treated by police as a suspected double murder followed by a sudden death. Police confirmed on Tuesday that the victims were a 41-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and an eight-year-old girl who were found dead at a house i

(L-R) UUP party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, TUV Bannside councillor Anna Henry, and Alliance Party Braid councillor, Chelsea Harwood Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has condemned reported comments by DUP councillor Reuben Glover about girls’ clothing and an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, saying such views should have been “consigned to the 70’s”. Alliance councillor Chelsea Harwood has also called for an investigation and disciplinary action, descr

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson A safeguarding and accountability row surrounding Jeffrey Donaldson has deepened after the DUP confirmed it is commissioning a specialised independent review into issues arising from the former party leader’s conviction. Donaldson, a former DUP leader and one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures, has been convicted of 18 historical sexual offences against two women when they were children. He is await

Girls in Northern Ireland could soon be guaranteed the right to wear trousers to school under proposed legislation progressing through the Assembly, with North Antrim MLA and Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows describing the move as a matter of “common sense and personal choice”. The UUP leader and the party’s education spokesperson welcomed the Bill’s progress after supporting its Second Stage debate in the Assembly on Wednesday, July 1. The legislation seeks to ensure

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA has launched a sharp criticism of new PSNI search guidance issued by the Department of Justice, claiming it leaves frontline officers facing uncertainty in some of the most sensitive situations they encounter. The North Antrim MLA said the interim arrangements, introduced following the recent Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of sex, place too much responsibility on individual officers rather than providing clear operati

Northern Ireland farmers are being urged to engage with a major new consultation on future nutrient regulations, as political pressure grows on DAERA Minister Andrew Muir to prove the revised plans can actually be delivered on the ground. The revised Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2027-2030 has entered a 10-week public consultation period following nine months of negotiations involving farming organisations, environmental groups, the agri-food industry and government re

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows The appointment of a new independent behaviour adviser for Northern Ireland schools must lead to meaningful change in classrooms rather than simply creating another title, Ulster Unionist education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows has said. Responding to Education Minister Paul Givan’s announcement this week of a review of school behaviour policy and the appointment of behaviour expert T

Disgraced: Jeffrey Donaldson Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has formally requested the forfeiture of his knighthood and resigned from the Privy Council following his conviction on multiple sexual offence charges. The move was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon by his solicitor, John McBurney, who said letters signed by Donaldson had been sent to both the Cabinet Office and the Privy Council Office. In a statement, Mr McBurney said: “I have this afternoon issued a letter si

The Dark Hedges, County Antrim in June. (Image: Shirley Carson Photography) Causeway Coast and Glens DUP councillor Darryl Wilson has accused the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department for the Economy (DfE) of a “dereliction of duty” over the future management of the Dark Hedges. June’s meeting of the council’s Leisure and Development Committee received an update report from Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT). The report followed a motion tabled b

UUP Party Leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, and (inset) convicted former MP and DUP Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has called for sweeping changes to parliamentary pension rules, arguing it is “absolutely reprehensible” that former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson remains entitled to a taxpayer-funded parliamentary pension following his conviction for sexual offences against children. The intervention comes in the aftermath of Dona

Men in Northern Ireland diagnosed with prostate cancer could soon benefit from faster access to advanced diagnostic imaging closer to home, following confirmation that progress is being made towards establishing a local PSMA PET-CT scanning service. North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has welcomed confirmation from the Minister of Health that work is advancing to deliver the specialist service in Northern Ireland, a move that could spare some patients the need to travel elsewhere in

Guilty: Former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson The conviction of former DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson on multiple sexual offence charges has prompted immediate calls for his knighthood to be revoked, with political leaders across unionism describing the verdict as a profound betrayal of public trust and praising the courage of the women who came forward to give evidence. Donaldson was found guilty on all charges by a jury, bringing one of the most significant political an

Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA and Matthew Robinson The Ulster Unionist Party has announced that former Northern Ireland Conservative Party chairman Matthew Robinson has joined its ranks, in a move the party says adds significant legal, policy and political experience to its growing team. Robinson, a qualified lawyer holding both an LLB and an LLM, is also a Director at the Euro-Gulf Information Centre (EGIC). His arrival comes as the Ulster Unionists continue e

South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann is calling for a major tax intervention that he says could help struggling hospitality businesses survive mounting financial pressures, safeguard jobs and breathe new life into town centres across Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons urging the Treasury to introduce a pilot scheme that would reduce VAT on hospitality services in Northern Ireland from the cu

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party Leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Northern Ireland’s tourism industry, hospitality sector and town centres risk suffering unnecessary economic damage if a distorted image of the region continues to dominate headlines following recent disorder, according to Ulster Unionist Party Leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows. In a strongly-worded statement, Mr Burrows said the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie and the violence that followed had ri

Senior figures from the Ulster Unionist Party have met with the Secretary of State to press a series of urgent concerns arising from this week’s attack on Stephen Ogilvie in North Belfast and the disorder that has followed across Northern Ireland. The meeting took place on Thursday between Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA, North Antrim MP Robin Swann and South Antrim MLA Dr Steve Aiken OBE, and Secretary of State Hillary Benn. It comes amid heightened tensions fol

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA The father of North Belfast attack victim Stephen Ogilvy has made a direct appeal for false rumours about his son’s condition to stop, as the young man remains in intensive care following what has been described as a “horrendous” assault. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA said he spoke personally with Mr Ogilvy on Wednesday morning, June 10, following Monday night’s attempted murder investigation, and revealed the family

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA speaking on Tuesday in the Northern Ireland Assembly Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA has called for calm across Northern Ireland following a shocking attempted murder in north Belfast that has left a man in a serious condition in hospital. Speaking after raising the incident in the Assembly on Tuesday morning, Mr Burrows condemned what he described as a “barbaric attack” and warned against escalating tensions as graphi

Jim Allister says attack reflects ‘alien culture’, while UUP Leader Jon Burrows has secured Matter if the Day for the brutal incident to be discussed in The Assembly TUV leader Jim Allister has linked brutal knife attack in north Belfast to “unchecked immigration” and Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots accepted a Matter of the Day from Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows following the declaration of a PSNI critical incident. The chilling attack has left a man with serious injuries t

Pictured: South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann is set to host a public conservation event in Toome focused on protecting native swifts as concern grows over the future of the birds across Northern Ireland. The free event will take place between 1pm and 2pm on Friday 12 June at the Lock Keeper’s Cottage in Toome as part of the upcoming Great Big Green Week. Mr Swann will be joined by local swift conservationists, including representatives from the RSPB Antri