We have documents showing that Invest NI has given over £11 million pounds of public money to two companies based in Crumlin, Newtownabbey and Dunmurry that make parts for F-35 war planes - the very ones which are raining bombs down on Gaza. Crumlin and Newtownabbey based company RLC Group, and Dunmurry based company RFD Beaufort Limited are named by Campaigns Against the Arms Trade as manufacturers of parts for the F-35 fighter jets. And what’s more, the UK arms industry produces 15% of every one of those jets that are made, including the 39 being used by Israel’s to bomb Gaza. There’s a real chance that our money has been used to support companies involved in aiding Israel. But here’s the thing - we don’t know for sure. Because, despite Freedom of Information requests and journalists asking questions for us - Invest NI won’t tell us if those companies are supplying Israel. Economy Minister Conor Murphy, who is in charge of Invest NI, needs to come clean, and reveal if our money is being given to companies aiding the slaughter in Gaza.

On February 8th 2024, the UK government blocked a British Phonographic Industry (BIP) funding award that would help Belfast rap trio Kneecap to expand their music in global markets. Their application was approved and signed off by an independent selection board, but he UK government overruled this decision. A spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch cited that the UK government "didn't want to hand out UK tax money to people that oppose the United Kingdom itself." The British government blocking arts funding for a group because they aren't pro-union goes against the very essence of the Good Friday Agreement, artistic freedom and free speech. No government should be removing funding due to an artist’s position on constitutional the future of the north.

It's been 40 years since the first integrated school was started here, but in 2022 only 7.5% of schools here are integrated schools - bringing together children from all backgrounds - Catholic, Protestant and other. But there is overwhelming demand: 71% of people here believe our children should be educated together. Stormont has commissioned a new Independent Review of Education that could change everything - but we need you to tell them integrated education matters to you so that they make recommendations to promote integrated education! Now's your chance to speak up! Email the panel members now and tell them that you want to live in a future where all our children are educated together, promoting reconciliation.

£73 million. That’s how much Stormont exempted companies such as Coca-Cola, Moy Park and Kingspan from paying rates last year. While the rest of us fork out an average of £1,180 per year for our household rates bill, Stormont gives big businesses massive giveaways. This is incredibly unfair. Rates should be fully collected from multi-million pound companies and invested in shortening our waiting lists, cleaning up our polluted rivers and loughs, our struggling schools and many more. But it won’t happen if Stormont won't make them pay. Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK that gives away money like this. The policy was abolished in England in 1963 and Scotland in 1995. And in 2003, Stormont promised to phase out the derating policy following a public consultation. But over 20 years later, Stormont is still giving away millions through this outdated policy. We, the undersigned, call on Minister Caoimhe Archibald to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.

In 2023, 25 years after the Good Friday Agreement, only 8% of NI kids go to integrated schools despite huge demand. Right now, the Department of Education has a public consultation on their 'Action Plan' and anyone can comment. Tell the Department of Education - we want a REAL Action Plan for integrated education.

Young people across the UK and Ireland currently live in an electoral postcode lottery. 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland and Wales are allowed to vote in local and Parliamentary elections, while their peers in Northern Ireland cannot.  Scotland and Wales join a host of other nations across the world which have chosen to extend voting rights to their young citizens, including: • Austria • Brazil • Cuba • Ecuador • Parts of Germany • Greece • Malta • Nicaragua, and more! Young people living in Northern Ireland feel disenfranchised and unsupported by our political system. Lowering the voting age to 16 will give our young people a democratic voice, ensuring that their voices can be heard on the issues that matter to them.  Why now? Recent comments by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer in support of votes at 16 have sparked some heated public debate on the issue. Many of the arguments put forward have been based on assumptions about young people's behaviour, maturity and competence. But we no longer need to rely on assumptions - we can look at the international evidence!  1. Young people are capable and engaged  - when faced with situations that require unhurried, deliberate consideration - 'cold cognition' - 16 year olds demonstrate judgement as mature as that of adults. In the weeks and months before an election, young people have time to use their cold cognition skills, gathering evidence and talking to their friends, family and peers before making an informed decision. 2.  Many young people are political activists and campaigners - globally and locally, 16 and 17 year olds have campaigned for climate action, better mental health services, RSE and much more. 3. Young people have minds of their own - it's true that in most European countries, young people tend to support left-leaning parties in higher numbers than adults. But just like adults, young people hold a range of views and opinions from across the political spectrum (see trends in Austria, Germany and Scotland) 4. Younger voters are lifelong voters - at age 18, many young people are in a transitional phase of life - leaving school, starting uni or work, moving out of the family home or their hometown. They might not be familiar with local issues and candidates, or with voting registration systems and requirements. These conditions can dampen rates of voter turnout. But at the ages of 16 and 17, young people are more likely to in environments with strong socialisation influences, like the family home and school. Evidence from Scotland shows that when they are given the right to vote, 16 and 17 year olds turn out in greater numbers than those aged 18 - 24! 5. Respect for fairness and equality - young people aren't just citizens of the future - they're full and equal citizens now! At the age of 16, young people in NI can work, pay taxes, provide care for loved ones, get married and serve in the Armed Forces. They're an active and valuable part of society - why shouldn't they have a say in how things are governed? The importance of education When 16 and 17 year olds are granted the right to vote in Northern Ireland, it is vital that this is accompanied by plans to develop high-quality civic education. Deliberative political literacy education can help to mitigate inequalities in political knowledge, confidence and participation from the earliest possible stages. Schools and youth organisations have a crucial role to play in empowering, supporting and encouraging young people to engage meaningfully with politics.  Credit for Image: Bulat Silvia

At the start of the pandemic, student nurses were being paid to staff wards and make up the staffing shortfall in the NHS. Since September these payments stopped, despite the current wave of Covid19 putting Northern Ireland's hospitals under pressure like never before. Students Nurses work 37.5hrs per week on clinical placement at the rate of £2.86 per hour under the current bursary of £430 per month. This does not meet basic cost of living standards. Paid less than the national minimum wage. Northern Ireland bursary has not been increased whereas Scotland's bursary is increased year to year. The majority of students still have to work part time on top of placement to be able to live month to month. Due to covid placement areas students are restricted to where they can work if at all Students are working in Covid wards and are at the same risk of as a paid member of staff. Students do not receive sick pay. Many students have incurred costs from covid-19 pandemic from moving out of home due to vulnerable family members at risk. No support available. These student nurses are the future of our NHS. They deserve to be paid for the risks they are taking at the frontline of this pandemic.

This is the largest adult safeguarding investigation in the UK of its kind. The PSNI has examined CCTV footage and has so far established that there have been more than 1500 criminal assaults on patients in a 6 bed ward in a time period of 6 months. Two weeks ago yet another staff member was sacked from the hospital for abuse on a patient. The abuse is continuing. There can be no tolerance of abuse and it is critical that the individuals and institutions responsible should be held to account. That includes those who were directly responsible for the abuses but crucially also, the institutions and individuals responsible for systemic failures or whose action or inaction otherwise permitted the abuse to occur. These people were in the care of the state and are amongst the most vulnerable in society.

Randox received £23 million in public funds through Invest NI in 2018, and benefited from a research partnership with our two universities QUB and UU. Now they are selling at an extortionate price (£120 per test) at a time when people are worried about food and job security and how they'll keep a roof over their heads. Meanwhile our NHS is struggling as they don't have enough tests so that key healthcare professionals can continue to do their vital work on the frontline of the fight against this global pandemic. Demand that Randox releases the Covid-19 tests free of charge to the NHS and stops profiteering from this crisis. See: https://www.randoxhealth.com/product/coronavirus-covid-19-home-testing-kit/ and: https://www.randox.com/tag/invest-ni/

With the impending uncertainty of Brexit and following a commitment from the Irish Government to stand up for the rights of citizens in the North, opening a passport office would improve infrastructure, service delivery, investment and confidence. 2017 saw over 82,000 passport applications come from the North alone. The call to open an office is supported by a broad range of community organisations, political parties and media outlets, and would go some way in meeting the growing demand for passport applications and renewals from the Six Counties.

Mobuoy dump is beside the River Faughan, which supplies 60% of Derry's drinking water. Experts say the Mobuoy site may contain 1.6m tonnes of waste. If the dump is not properly cleaned up soon, then the river could be contaminated, making our water undrinkable. Even though the site closed in 2013, people are still illegally dumping at the site! The minister responsible for waste in NI, Andrew Muir has yet to come up with a recovery plan for the site. The only suggestion his department has provided is to give local residents bottled water if the river becomes impacted. It is time for the Minister to get a grip of the situation: secure the site, clean up Mobouy and ensure clean and safe drinking water for the people of Derry.

There is a great deal of concern from parents, teachers, principals and elected members of the Northern Ireland Assembly about the current private system of transfer tests and particularly during this pandemic year.