26 October 2026

Playing today’s game of aggrieved victimhood should be called out as sectarianism

Brian Walker on October 26, 2026, 7:00 pm

| Readers 3491

While the unionist parties may be trying out a new game at Stormont portraying restraint as strength rather than weakness, what is the temper of the times among the people? Will something far worse that Drumcree be repeated on the Ormeau Road, where the Orange Hall is bang in the busy built up area and the parade route takes them over the bridge past the site of one of the worst atrocities of the Troubles – followed by reactions including …

After Garvaghy recklessness has a price: Burrows and the new unionist competition

Mick Fealty on October 26, 2026, 11:45 am

| Readers 5650

A misty road lined with ancient, bare trees

For a generation, unionist parties competed on who looked toughest. The Garvaghy Road standoff suggests that has changed. Jon Burrows has made restraint look like strength, and the DUP now faces pressure from both sides. A game-theory look at how the three unionist parties responded.

Chambré Weekly Bulletin

Chambré Public Affairs on October 26, 2026, 10:46 am

| Readers 253

The Executive remains without an agreed Budget as talks continued this week. While the parties maintain that NI is underfunded, they have until January to come to a settlement, otherwise NI Secretary Chris Bryant MP has threatened to withdraw an offer of £1.5bn over the next three years. Although the DUP and Alliance signalled that talks were making progress, First Minister Michelle O’Neill said a balanced Budget is “impossible” on current funding. Sinn Féin are also taking a hard line at the …

No Matter Who Wins, the Palestinians Lose.

Obelisk on October 26, 2026, 7:00 am

| Readers 1115

There are few foreign countries whose elections are of interest to us. We don’t follow the elections in Japan or Greece or Mexico all that much. We do follow those in France and in Germany given the impact they can have on us due to proximity and their importance to the European project. And we are most definitely keenly watching the upcoming elections in the United States as many folks are hoping that President Trump is politically crippled by the …