All the week’s politics news in one email! 📬 ✅ Concise summaries ✅ Direct links to full articles ✅ Sent every Sunday evening Stay informed: nielects.com/newsletter

Adam Copeland has been announced as the DUP's new councillor for the Cusher DEA on Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. buff.ly/qUwJID5

Executive Ministers attend third meeting of East-West Council alongside NI Secretary buff.ly/AGPrlMz

Gavin Robinson has invited new UUP leader Jon Burrows for talks on unionist co-operation. In a letter to DUP members, he said he “looks forward to working with Jon Burrows to see how our parties could co-operate and work together” buff.ly/Ejdm9B2

🚨 NEW: UUP confirm that Jon Burrows is the sole candidate for the leader position, having met the nomination threshold of 35 signatures from at least nine constituency associations. Full statement 👇

🚨 NEW: Jon Burrows will be the next leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, after Robbie Butler confirmed he will not be running for the position. Mr Butler is currently the deputy leader of the UUP.

Robin Swann (UUP, South Antrim) has secured a government seat on the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee. He joins Gavin Robinson, Claire Hanna and Sorcha Eastwood as NI MPs on the committee.

Jon Burrows launches Ulster Unionist Party leadership campaign, Diana Armstrong running alongside him to become next deputy leader nielects.com/news/2026/01...

Ulster Unionist Party to select new leader at end of January nielects.com/news/2026/01...

Apologies - not been very active on here lately! Our multi-platform publishing tool is now back up and running, so let us know if you would still like updates on @bsky.app!

The UUP has announced that party leader Mike Nesbitt is to step down from the position. Party officers will shortly outline the process for the new leadership selection. Nesbitt said he could not commit to being in full-time politics until the end of the next mandate in 2032, when he turns 75.

🚨 NEW: Northern Ireland Assembly Voting Intention SF: 25% (-1) DUP: 18% (+1) TUV: 13% (=) UUP: 12% (+1) AP: 11% (-1) SDLP: 11% (=) GRN: 4% (+1) PBP: 2% (=) AON: 2% (=) OTH/IND: 2% (-1) Changes with Aug 25 Via @belfasttelegraph.co.uk @lucidtalk.bsky.social

🚨 NEW: Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald is facing a legal challenge over her decision to exclude NI from trade talks between the UK and Israel. [@Independent/@DavidYoungPA]

🚨 NEW: The DUP have tabled a call-in petition on Economy Minister Caoimhe Archibald's decision to instruct her officials not to engage with the UK Government's trade talks with Israel. Full statement below 👇

🚨 NEW: SDLP councillor Margaret Anne McKillop has resigned from the party, claiming they 'celebrated loss of unborn life' at their recent conference. [@irish_news]

Remember, you can sign up for the NI Elects newsletter to receive a weekly round-up of all politics news! 📰 Every Sunday at 7pm straight to your inbox 📷 Sign up: buff.ly/3ZuSIYU

First Minister Michelle O’Neill has branded the attack on Sinn Féin’s Newry constituency office, used by Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and Newry and Armagh MP Dáire Hughes, as “cowardly.” buff.ly/ChTs4S4

SDLP Councillor Garbhán McPhilips quits the party due to what he described was a ‘toxic atmosphere’ buff.ly/Wtkhmi3

🚨 NEW: Parties unite against digital ID scheme announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer buff.ly/lL6czqL

DUP: Aaron Elliot replaces Keith Elliot as Fermanagh councillor buff.ly/rDkHbZ7

SDLP: Aurla King replaces Gareth Sharvin as Downpatrick councillor nielects.com/news/2025/09...

🚨 NEW: Paul Givan has told his officials to scrap the current transgender guidance at schools in Northern Ireland. Read his statement in full ⬇️

The Assembly returns from recess today. Here is the order paper: - Appointment of Mark McEwan as Standards Commissioner. - Committee appointments. - Question Time: The Executive Office & Education. - Private member motions from @duponline & @allianceparty.

Fleur Anderson has been sacked as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland as part of Keir Starmer’s reshuffle. She has been replaced by Matthew Patrick, the Labour MP for Wirral West, who was first elected in last year’s general election. nielects.com/news/2025/09...

🚨 NEW: Luke Meenehan has replaced Conor Maskey as a Sinn Féin councillor for the Castle DEA (District Electoral Area) on Belfast City Council. nielects.com/news/2025/09...

🚨 NEW: Former senior police officer Mark McEwan is set to be appointed as the new Assembly Commissioner for Standards.

🚨 NEW: Colum Eastwood has ruled himself out as a candidate in the Irish presidential election, according to BBC News. [@BBCNewsNI]

🚨 NEW: Northern Ireland will “not be at the forefront” of actions by a Reform UK government to deal with immigration, Nigel Farage has said. [@PA]

Tributes paid to former Ulster Unionist MP Martin Smyth buff.ly/FZA4mwq

🚨 NEW: Northern Ireland Assembly Voting Intention SF: 26% (=) DUP: 17% (-1) TUV: 13% (+1) AP: 12% (-1) UUP: 11% (-1) SDLP: 11% (=) OTH/IND: 3% (+1) GRN: 3% (=) PBP: 2% (+1) AON: 2% (=) Changes with May 2025 Via @lucidtalk.bsky.social @belfasttelegraph.co.uk

🚨 NEW: Chancellor Rachel Reeves is in Belfast today, where she has visited Studio Ulster, and will visit Thales' Castlereagh site later today. She will meet with Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Finance Minister John O'Dowd this afternoon.

🚨 NEW: Sinn Féin has selected Ruaídhrí Lyttle to replace Anne Marie Fitzgerald on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council. He dropped out of the 2023 local election after it was revealed by the Sunday World that he told police he would “shoot them with a machine-gun”. buff.ly/1b0g1h4

The new Commissioner for Victims and Survivors for Northern Ireland has been appointed. Joe McVey will take up post in October 2025 for four years, replacing Ian Jeffers, who stepped down in 2023. nielects.com/news/2025/08...

🚨 NEW: Former senior PSNI officer Jon Burrows has been selected by the Ulster Unionist Party to replace Colin Crawford as their MLA in North Antrim. nielects.com/news/2025/07...

🚨 NEW: A historic new trade deal with India is set to deliver £50 million for the Northern Ireland economy. nielects.com/news/2025/07...

🚨 NEW: The voting age will be lowered to 16 before the next general election, Downing Street has today announced. nielects.com/news/2025/07...

🚨 NEW: Veterans Minister Alistair Cairns is expected to resign over government plans to repeal the law that granted Troubles-era veterans immunity from prosecution. [@thetimes]

🚨 NEW: DUP Councillor Linda Clarke has been suspended for three months after failing to declare an interest whilst her husband was addressing the planning committee of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council. buff.ly/H5s7wcU

🚨 NEW: Paul Givan responds to the findings of the Strategic Review of the NI Curriculum by Lucy Crehan “The Review was clear, Northern Ireland needs a new curriculum which is purpose-led, knowledge-rich, continuous and coherent, specific and focused, flexible and inclusive"

The Assembly is now in summer recess until 31 August.

🚨 NEW: Andy Allen MLA has quit as UUP Chief Whip, and the party are struggling to find a replacement to take on the role. [@news_letter]

🚨 NEW: Finance Minister John O'Dowd has confirmed that the Northern Ireland Executive has agreed on allocations of over £118 million as part of the June monitoring round. Health and Education will receive the majority of the funding. Story below 👇

🚨 NEW: The GAA has sent the Department for Communities an invoice "worth thousands of pounds" for their PR costs between October 2024 and February 2025. [@utvnews]

🚨 NEW: Aaron Thomas Curragh (34), from Whincroft Road, Belfast, has been given a 31-month sentence, which he will spend half of in custody, and half on licence, after he sent death threats to dFM Emma Little-Pengelly. [@utvnews]

🚨 NEW: MLAs have voted to set up a new panel to decide their salaries. The TUV and PBP criticised the bill in the Assembly, saying it will likely lead to a pay rise for MLAs. [@BBCNewsNI]

🚨 NEW: UUP MLA Colin Crawford has announced he is stepping away from politics “This has been a difficult decision, but I know in my heart it is the right one for myself and my family" He had been at the centre of internal party tensions after replacing Robin Swann in N.Antrim

Michelle O'Neill has called for Gordon Lyons to resign after he posted on social media about Larne Leisure Centre housing those that have fled their homes due to riots. DUP leader Gavin Robinson has said that Lyons will not be resigning.

🚨 NEW: UK Government announces £50m contribution to Casement Park in spending review.

🚨 NEW: DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has said a death threat has been made against him in recent days. [@newsoncool]

🚨 NEW: Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council has now appointed their new Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Amanda Grehan (Alliance) will be their first female Mayor, and Hazel Legge (UUP) will be Deputy Mayor. Full list below 👇 nielects.com/news/2025/06...