A reader has asked the following question: Are there any plans in the pipeline which would see a change in the consociationalist coalition towards a government and official opposition system within the Northern Ireland Assembly? The system of government used in Northern Ireland was established in the Northern Ireland Act 1998, signed by both the [...]

I would like to know how many members are required to attend the various sessions and debates and how we can find out whether and how they voted. It seems that there is no accountability and if a member fails to attend there is no record or consequence. On 22nd June there was a vote [...]

A reader has submitted the following question: Why is the Northern Ireland  ‘Local’ Assembly debating the current situation/crisis in the Middle East? I cannot see the relevance of our elected Local Assembly Members wasting public money and time to discuss something that does not have a bearing on the people of Northern Ireland. Our Assembly [...]

This is a question submitted by a member of the public using the ‘Ask a question‘ page. If the Draft Public Assemblies, Parades and Protests Bill (Consultation Document) is passed it will mean the introduction of one of the most draconian pieces of legislation in NI in decades. The draft legislation published by the First [...]