On the night of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement referendum, Northern Ireland’s chief electoral officer, Pat Bradley, was approached by Ian Paisley, who was convinced the government would interfere with unopened ballot... Read more »

Plans to make it easier for pubs to open until the small hours will not offset the “toxic” combination of high costs and hard-up drinkers staying at home, industry figures have predicted,... Read more »

Viewed through the Westminster prism, UK electoral politics seems a five-party contest. The narrative has been well aired in the conference season. The three established parties – Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats – are... Read more »

Rishi Sunak has been appointed as a senior adviser by the US technology companies Microsoft and Anthropic. The former British prime minister’s pair of new jobs emerged on Thursday in letters published... Read more »

Bridget Phillipson is pushing the prime minister and chancellor to scrap the two-child benefit cap entirely in next month’s budget, with the education secretary telling the Guardian the evidence is clear that... Read more »

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth, has said next year’s Welsh parliament elections will be a two-horse race between his party and Reform UK. Ap Iorwerth said voters could choose... Read more »

China has tightened export controls on rare earths and other materials critical for advanced tech manufacturing as trade negotiations continue with the US. It processes around 90% of the world’s rare earths,... Read more »

Emma SimpsonBusiness correspondent and Emer MoreauBusiness reporter PA Media All victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal seeking compensation will now be entitled to free legal advice, the government has announced.... Read more »

Luke SprouleBBC News NI Mid Ulster reporter BBC The Environment Minister says it’s important that different agencies worked together to tackle wildfires People who deliberately light wildfires in Northern Ireland have been... Read more »