It was encouraging to see Irish political leadership from Simon Harris, Mary-Lou McDonald, and @cianocallaghantd.bsky.social. It was gratifying to hear all three cite my work on the subvention as well as the work of my colleagues in Ulster University, the ARINS project and ESRI's Seamus McGuinness.

The Dáil is currently giving statements on the fiscal implications of a United Ireland, Táinste Simon Harris opened with a positive message that well received by Mary-Lou McDonald who spoke after. Both referenced research by myself and others from DCU and Ulster University on the all island economy

Says the country with “Lord Lebedev of Siberia” awarded a life peerage by the PM who went against the advice of security services when appointing him 😆

The abhorrent racism aside, Burnham is right that there is something quite desperate about Reform's recent activity. See also Zia 'white people are the biggest victims of racism' Yusuf's recent posts

Spotted in Listowel.

God The Telegraph is ghoulish. 26 innocent and unarmed civilians being shot by the UK Armed Forces gets parsed as "something went badly wrong", then gives Bob Stewart free rein to give out about military reputations being undermined.

Has any major media platform called this invasion an invasion yet?

Glanced at this headline and thought “what? he wants a border poll! “ www.bbc.com/news/article...

Thoughtful article in the Belfast Telegraph from @sjamcbride.bsky.social The Irish Govt must prepare for a sudden referendum, possibly called in bad faith and at short notice by a Farage led Government www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/comment/opin....

Crossing the EU border between Bosnia & Herzegovina, & Croatia, I was struck with what we might have faced on the land border in Ireland, without the Protocol. Two passport checks, everyone on buses had to get out, have photo taken, finger-prints. Queues. No fresh meat or cheese from BiH into EU.

This is now becoming faintly ridiculous. How many times can someone 'take responsibility' for appalling outcomes while facing no consequences for them? 'Neither left nor right' might make sense if we knew direction we're headed in. Which we don't. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It would be very interesting if some other polls repeated this question. While no one has suggested that a united Ireland would be outside the EU, it would be interesting to see if reminding people that Northern Ireland would immediately rejoin the EU at the point of unity, has a consistent impact

Interesting update! Have spoken to EMI about this: • Their NI sample is conducted by Lucid Talk, without identifying EMI • Blind sample (n=1200) was 45% Catholic, 40% Protestant, 15% other • However: questions have an obvious EU lens - people will answer Qs about unity through the lens of Europe

Writing for the European Research Council @erc.europa.eu magazine was a first, and this article looks at how research can play a positive role even on sensitive issues, in avoiding the type of ill-informed referendum we saw ten years ago in the UK on Brexit. erc.europa.eu/news-events/...

So @jderbyshire.ft.com asked @philgordondc.bsky.social if the Iran war is the US’s Suez moment. He said no, but then pithily and pitilessly sums up how it has been a comprehensive strategic failure. Oof! www.ft.com/content/0cbc...

Palestinian student Elias Amro overcame significant personal challenges to graduate top of his class at DCU and develop a groundbreaking AI-powered app. Read more via RTÉ News: launch.dcu.ie/3OglSt0

"allowed a bull to become trapped between a pillar and concrete wall where it died, records state." Jesus www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

It's always the ones you suspect the most... "He was fined €6,250 in connection with a number of offences including leaving an animal with its head trapped, not providing water, not burying carcasses and not feeding animals a wholesome diet." www.independent.ie/irish-news/f... #Spéirghorm

Protecting human rights on a shared island: Achievements, challenges and prospects @arinsproject.bsky.social www.tickettailor.com/events/royal...

China in Africa: investment and trade work well when there’s strong oversight, and badly when there isn’t. Piece by Dr Vincent Tawiah, Associate Professor of Accounting at DCU Business School, for The Conversation UK. Read more: launch.dcu.ie/410dFvK

President Catherine Connolly has warned the catastrophic consequences of violating the UN Charter cannot be ignored. 🧵 [1/2]

President Catherine Connolly said the war in the Middle East constitutes 'deliberate assaults on international law' and affirmed Ireland's constitutional commitment to peace jrnl.ie/6978670

The real threat to democracy doesn't come from 'family voting'. It comes from the losing side refusing go accept they've lost

Reacting to Labour's devastating loss to the Green Party in Gorton and Denton, Keir Starmer claims that only Labour can unite communities. I agree. He convinced Muslims to vote for a white working class woman representing a party led by a gay Jewish man.

Over the past eighteen months, the political science consensus on the nature of Labour's vote has been absolutely correct - and yet also completely ignored by pundits and strategists who continue to get it wrong.

@martamiori.bsky.social and I have been writing, since 2024, about why Labour's 'Reform' challenge and emphasis was based on a misunderstanding of Labour's vote. Here for anyone interested: politicscentre.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

The number of people living in emergency homelessness accommodation has surpassed 17,000 for the first time - the figure stood at 17,112 at the end of January 2026, including 5,319 children. The overall figure is up 10.6% in the last twelve months. @virginmedianews.bsky.social

Following up some of my morning thoughts: "Labour’s basic electoral problem comes from the fact that left-leaning voters are indeed choosing to vote against rather than for parties. The problem is that progressives aren’t just voting against Reform. They are now actively voting against Labour."

Keir Starmer's attempt to paint the Greens as extremists yet again reveals his intolerance of political difference. His instincts are illiberal and authoritarian.

Labour MP Ian Byrne: "The lines from the PM and Cabinet today essentially labelling the Green Party as extremist is appalling, desperate and frankly embarrassing. "It also makes very clear that the leadership has zero understanding of where it has been going wrong."

The current argument of the British right is that Muslims turned out in "blocs" with "family voting" to cast their ballots for a party led by a gay Jewish man, and this shows that multiculturalism has failed, voting is "sectarian" and we are in a crisis. Hmmmmmm.

“Can you imagine explaining being afraid of UEFA “disciplinary measures” to an orphan amputee who lives in a tent?” ~Aoife Moore The Irish News ☕️🥐

Remember when Rutte said Europe should stop dreaming about defending itself? Moritz Graefrath and I wrote an answer to that claim in @warontherocks.bsky.social. warontherocks.com/2026/02/brea...

Communities on Ireland's west coast say they will fight to safeguard their traditional seaweed rights against what they describe as a "corporate takeover "of their livelihoods.

I spent my childhood inside of American concentration camps. I know one when I see one. And that is what ICE is building.

First article of 2026 out. "India’s security approach and its space in global politics", with Vidushi Kaushik (lead author), @dublincityuni.bsky.social, in Revista UNISCI, Universidad Complutense de Madrid - issue focused on India's new role in Global Politics. www.unisci.es/indias-secur...

We all dread the arrival of our monthly electricity and gas energy bills And the govt task force hasn’t bothered their backsides www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2026...

If you're a victim of repeated flooding, you need to start looking at land use upstream. One of these sponges up vast amounts of water, releasing it slowly, the other does not. One reduces flooding, the other *increases* it. Without addressing this core driver, it'll just keep on getting worse.

Downing Street has rejected the prospect of rejoining an EU customs union after an official from the bloc said Brussels would have an “open mind” to discussing it

More than 12,000 homes are needed in Gaeltacht communities to meet EU minimum standard, an analysis on a new website has suggested. jrnl.ie/6943165t

Around Banbridge tomorrow night? I will be in the Town Hall at 7pm, with Prof Colin Harvey @cjharvey1.bsky.social of QUB. Talking about my research on the UK subvention and the possible economic costs and benefits of a united Ireland. Report here all-islandeconomy.com/analysing-th...

A good read. Instead of discount on rates, follow Manchester’s example and double rates on empty units, 4 times normal the following year, then 8 times- followed by CPOs if landlords do not pay. Rents drop, units, and houses get filled. Everyone benefits (except the existing institutional landlords

Jeffrey Epstein sent money to Mandelson’s husband after prison release, emails reveal

Al Jazeera denounces YouTube's submission to the ban of its broadcast in Israel and calls for adherence to international conventions.

For the Irish times to publish this article, without mentioning that Ray Bassett argued that the Republic should have seriously considered leaving the EU, is to seriously mis-represent this quote. The truth is the opposite. The UK Govt was reckless about Northern Ireland and the EU was positive