Your News Letter on Monday August 19 2024

Doug Beattie will stand down as Ulster Unionist Party leader later today, the News Letter understands. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

Jon Burrows Jon Burrows 🇺🇦 says: "It is right the driving is investigated like a private citizen’s would be (many members of the public get fines for minor traffic infractions). But the PSNI has rightly assessed that even if the officer did get such a ticket, he won’t be sacked"

I wrote this after NI recorded the coldest temperature in the UK one night last week, 3.9 Celsius in Katesbridge: not far above freezing and a reminder that autumn is near. Today was grey and damp all day, an even more stark reminder that summer is going newsletter.co.uk/news/environme…

A great pic on our front page of Mark Cavendish and Michael Dunlop Michael in the Isle of Man. Here is the story link newsletter.co.uk/sport/motorcyc…

Ten+ years ago it was clear that unionist politicians were far more religious etc than their voters. I wrote in favour of a liberal unionist movement. But this shouldn't mean compromise on key principles. Here's a good article by Owen Polley on the topic newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/c…

My article at weekend on the Ulster Unionists Ulster Unionist Party said it's nonsense to say UUP & The SDLP are finished, as their rivals/critics repeatedly say. Up to a quarter of voters in each election back them. But it is hard for small parties to find leaders: newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/b…

A fabulous, historic result for local football newsletter.co.uk/sport/football…

Danny Kinahan Danny Kinahan quits as veterans' commissioner. He says: “There is a feeling among some veterans in Northern Ireland that they have been forgotten and that they do not enjoy the same protections as their counterparts in Great Britain" newsletter.co.uk/news/people/no…

An extraordinary September temperature! Hotter than Barcelona is due to be tomorrow. And today in NI will again be glorious ... newsletter.co.uk/news/national/…

Welcome to your Weekend News Letter. Available now

This glorious burst of weather (it has been cloudless already for hours in Belfast) lets us forget briefly where we are in the calendar newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/c…

The vast cost of public sector pensions isn't even on Stormont's radar. State employee recipients of these ultra generous schemes have been made immune to the altered personal pension provision that everyone else has to face due to soaring life expectancy newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/c…

The temperature in Northern Ireland on Friday and Saturday, 27Celsius + 26C, was v unusual for September, almost the UK's hottest on those days and NI's hottest temp this year. It was hotter than parts of Spain and California. Yesterday was back to normal newsletter.co.uk/news/people/no…

A great letter. Andrew Neil has been an outstanding reporter, writer, commentator, editor, broadcaster, interviewer, businessman. His flaws are trifling against that record. The Spectator isn't just an excellent magazine, it helped stop overseas govt ownership of major UK media assets

Fascimating debate so far. Kamala coming across well in demeanour, laughing gently at Trump. Despite her often rehearsed tone, she is speaking with a confidence I wasn't expecting after a low profile as VP. His anger's making him articulate, no rambling. A gripping first half