We've the chance of a lifetime to write the first page of a new Ireland. Before last week's chaos I sat down with BelTel's Suzanne Breen to talk about my journey in politics, the experiences that have shaped me and the work ahead to build a new Ireland. www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politic...

The horrific attack in North Belfast last night, and the disgust we feel about it does not justify the reported attack on the Fire Service already this evening, nor the images of a Glider in flames on the Newtownards Road. This city does not want any more violence.

There’s an ongoing industrial fire in Belfast docks. Best advice for residents at the moment would be to keep windows and doors closed. Grateful for the work of the NI Fire & Rescue Service.

If Doug Beattie is “too moderate” then the rest of the UUP must be to the right of Genghis Khan. Wild.

I have many wonderful features in my constituency but none of them are a mould castle.

A New Ireland. Free from Farage. Our chance to build something new.

DUP Politicians and Loyalist bloggers cheering on Reform. Have they learnt nothing?… Farage led Britain will turbocharge the momentum towards a United Ireland. People here do not want to be governed by such a charlatan.

Every vote counts…

For too long the Freedom of Belfast has been an honour that hasn’t recognised enough of the contributions women have made to our city, its people and its progress. I’ve been asking for some time why this was and why nothing had ever been done to rebalance it.

When Street Art meets Street Meeting! Nice to be out in the sun talking to neighbours this evening.

Last night’s Council was a distraction - an attempt by Stormont’s lead parties to distract from their failure to deliver. SDLP proposed an amendment, which would’ve changed the outcome, but only Greens backed us - had Sinn Féin voted for it, it would’ve passed & ended DUP‘s attempt at distraction.

The Flags, Identity, Culture & Tradition Commission made proposals on how we can deal with controversial identity issues here. Up until today Alliance said they supported these moves - in a surprising u-turn tonight they voted down our proposal supporting them in Belfast City Council.

I’ve been off my feet a little this week with a sinus infection but hoping to be back at it tomorrow, when I’ll be meeting the Education Authority and other organisations at the Knockbreda High site, to try and get a resolution to the ongoing anti-social behaviour and fires.

I know it’s rare that I‘ll praise the Infrastructure Minister but she wrote to Council offering to fund the nature-sympathetic lighting of some routes in parks, where they connect w/ Belfast Cycle Network. Locally = Ormeau. Tonight I made proposal that we prepare the business case for this funding.

Translink fare freeze just isn’t enough in the current crisis. Fuel costs are going to continue to bite for some time to come. There’ll also be continued supply pressures. Infrastructure Minister should be working to find a way for a temporary reduction in fares to take some pressure off workers.

I reported NIHE for the unlawful removal of trees on Mt Merrion Ave. I asked NIHE to stop removing trees & replace those they’d already torn down. Investigation was opened & last week I got an update from Council’s enforcement team to confirm new trees have been planted & investigation has closed.

This was the kind of stuff the OG JC flipped tables over.

Jonathan Buckley was keen today to blame the fuel crisis on anyone else but his hero Donald Trump, who started the war in Iran. It’s worth continuing to remind people in Upper Bann and beyond that he’s a cheerleader for the person responsible for driving everyone’s bills up.

Fair play to Cllr. John Gallen who has worked to ensure that Lisburn & Castlereagh are getting involved with Fleadh Cheoil. This is going to be one of the biggest events in Belfast’s recent history & thanks to John’s work communities in Newtownbreda, Four Winds & Carryduff will be part of it.

34yrs ago today Joe Hendron won West Belfast. A crucial moment in the quest for peace & a New Ireland. It demonstrated that Nationalists didn’t believe violence would achieve our aims & forced people back to negotiating. The Good Friday Agreement would’ve been possible without this victory.

Lots of reasons to have issues with the Church’s institutions, but JD and Trump threatening Rome for standing against war is totally bonkers. Starmer still going ahead with the reciprocal State Visits for Trump?

There is an ongoing security alert in Orangefield Park. People are asked by the PSNI to stay away from the area.

Dept Education are refusing to act against anti-social behaviour at Knockbreda High site. I asked them to secure it, to prevent weekly fires - they said no. This site should be home for Forge Integrated but the Exec cancelled funding. Wynchurch & Knockbreda residents are left dealing with the ASB.

“We hear a lot about minority rights and human rights. What about majority rights?” - Alliance Party Belfast City Council Leader Michael Long, in opposing Irish Language rights in a debate in Council tonight.

Insanity from DfI.

Tonight Alliance joined the DUP in an undemocratic, and in my view underhanded, manoeuvre to force Belfast City Council to adopt the British Armed Forces Covenant. The SDLP has consistently warned that this covenant risks creating a hierarchy of access to public services and a hierarchy of victims.

On BBC Radio Ulster this morning the Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party said Naomi Long was the most popular leader amongst “unaligned” voters. The polling would suggest the opposite - tied with Matthew O’Toole as Leader of the Opposition and Claire Hanna, SDLP Leader, ahead.

Very sad news from Kent. I survived meningitis twenty years ago this Spring. It is an incredibly scary experience for anyone to go through, but I’d encourage people to act fast if they think they, or someone they know is experiencing the symptoms.

Áthas mar chineál friotaíochta. It was lovely to join dear friends and new friends alike at St. Pat’s for All earlier this month in Queens, New York.

I’m sure I’m not the only person to notice an Irish political party is mocking all their graphics up to look like @joedotie.bsky.social graphics? I’m presuming that’s so that the Meta algorithm puts them in front of more people 😅

They paid a lot of people good wages to do the job effectively, thank you for coming to my socialism talk

Carolan Rd needs a solution to its traffic problems. Previous interventions by DfI haven’t helped. Today I met with Principals of Forge Integrated & Wellington College to agree some actions & I’m now writing to the Infrastructure Minister to ask for her assistance to protect children and residents.

Another delay from the Infrastructure Minister in delivering Glider. East & West Belfast have benefited massively from Glider, with a huge increase in passenger journeys & footfall, yet communities in North & South Belfast are once again expected to wait for the infrastructure we desperately need.

I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is

🚦 Earlier today @otoolematthew.bsky.social and I met with senior Department for Infrastructure Engineers on the Knockbreda Road. We expressed our extreme frustration at the prolonged delay in delivering the crossing, which will allow us to open the gate in to Cherryvale.

“They’ll grow out of it” I don’t know how many times I heard that growing up about gay people. Very happy in my life as a gay adult, and that I didn’t try to suppress reality in order to “grow out of it”. Wishing the same for Trans folks.

So much dysfunction at the heart of the Stormont Executive, yet the two largest parties in Government are arguing over whether a billboard has planning permission or not…

💕 Happy Valentine’s Day ✨

💕 Happy Valentine’s Day ✨

Glad we were able to work with other parties tonight to move ahead with the Belfast Pitches Strategy. SDLP, Greens & Sinn Féin voted for a proposal that would see GAA provision committed to, alongside provision for soccer & other codes. It’s disappointing that Alliance & Unionism couldn’t join us.

Disappointing tonight that the DUP & Alliance joined together in City Hall to try to pitch Music & the GAA against each other. That’s not the approach that will lift up Belfast. It’s not the approach that has worked in the past. Much more work to be done to build an inclusive and vibrant city.

We’ve been campaigning to get the worst part of the Ormeau Road resurfaced. Now the Minister has promised a resurfacing scheme from the Rosetta Roundabout to the junction at Forestside. We’ll be keeping the pressure up to make sure it happens.

There is an ongoing scoping exercise by Belfast City Council to identify major event spaces in the city, which will tie in to our emerging major events strategy. It’s disappointing to see people who voted FOR more pitches last week coming out against them this week. This process is far from over.

The weather as soon as I go to leave the house:

DfI have done the first in a series of temporary patches of the potholes I raised with them on the Ormeau Road. These are just until they do a full resurfacing scheme that the Minister has told me will happen this summer - I’ll be keeping the pressure up to make sure this happens!

Break out your fruit wine and toast to one of the greats tonight 😭

Just two folks who believe in building an independent, equitable new future for their countries, inside the European Union ☺️

So done with this rain.

We have to get any planning application right for the Good Shepherd Centre. I won’t be opposing housing in the middle of a housing crisis, but I will be opposing unnecessary tearing down of trees to be replaced by cars. There’s some good news for Carolan Rd in plans to permanently close the gate.

Bins update. A lot have been missed today, and will have to be lifted tomorrow or later this week. If your bin has been missed today, let me know. I’d also appreciate anyone letting me know if the contents of bins end up all over the street, so that we can get those areas flagged for cleansing.