£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 But over 20 years later, Stormont is still giving away millions through this outdated policy.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 John O'Dowd to scrap the rates exemption for big businesses.

Belfast Pride have made the right decision to drop Citibank as a sponsor of this year's festival. Now, we are asking them to make it their policy to never take money from fossil fuel companies and banks now and in the future. We demand that Belfast Pride signs our Fossil Free Pride Pledge, and commits to: • Adopt a publicly available ethical sponsorship policy • Not to accept sponsorship from or partnership with fossil fuel companies • Not accept sponsorship from or partnership with financial institutions funding fossil fuel companies With the climate crisis disproportionately affecting LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities across the globe, committing to become a Fossil Free Pride is a vital and urgent act of queer solidarity. Climate wreckers have no place in queer spaces: If we have no Pride in fossil fuels, there can be no fossil fuels in Pride.

Every summer, flags go up on lampposts across Northern Ireland. They hang around for months becoming an eyesore, and many glorify illegal paramilitary groups. This year we've seen an increase in flags in shared areas like the Westlink motorway, at supermarkets and outside the PSNI training centre at Garnerville. No one takes responsibility to take them down. The flying of flags needs to be clearly legislated for so the issue can be tackled once and for all.

Around 66% of us in Northern Ireland use oil heating compared to 4% in the rest of the UK. But Liz Truss's government is allocating only a measly £100 to those of us who use oil heating. It won't even touch the sides. She’s saying that gas prices have increased more dramatically than oil. But the price of oil is over one and a half times what it was last year, and this is literally a drop in the ocean of what is needed to prevent people not being able to heat their homes this winter.

We, the public, patients, parents, carers and workers are standing up to support our underfunded public services and underpaid public servants. While the Secretary of State uses your pay award as political football, we support your action for better pay and services - because we all depend on them.

Holy Family is a vital cornerstone of the community, playing a central role in the lives of local families.  The current conditions jeopardise both the children's health and ability to learn. Without urgent attention, these issues will only worsen, further compromising the wellbeing of the pupils and staff. 

All human life is precious. No matter where we come from, we all deserve to live free from violence and to put our children to bed, knowing that they will wake up safely. The world has been horrified by the loss of life that has taken place in Israel and Palestine over the last week. Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right government have launched a vicious, all-out attack on civilians trapped inside Gaza and is planning on bombing the people there, nearly half of whom are children, to extinction. The killing of so many innocent people by Hamas sent shockwaves throughout the world and we grieve for all the lives unjustly lost. But here more than anywhere, we know that this response will lead only to more death, loss and horror. At times like this, we must hold fast to our humanity. We in Northern Ireland know all too well the devastating impact of cycles of violence, and how they reverberate across generations. We call on you to do all you can to stop the war and the slaughter of innocent civilians in this conflict. A future of peace and safety, grounded in justice, freedom and equality for all, is the only option.

We know that nearly 50% of households in NI are living in fuel poverty and the situation only looks likely to get worse. Choosing between heating and eating is very much a reality for around 100,000 homes in Northern Ireland. High energy prices, inflationary pressures and the cost of living crisis are squeezing households budgets like never before. We need the NI Executive up and running urgently to ease the pressure facing businesses, households and our NHS. Let the DUP know that it is time to end the boycott.

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

Getting an appointment is going to get a whole lot worse. Recently, the EU has banned amalgam fillings from January next year, and because of post-Brexit arrangements, that means a ban in Northern Ireland too. Amalgam fillings are a huge part of the work dentists do on the NHS here, particularly those in the poorest areas. The costs of using other materials are eye-watering, and that means only one thing. NHS dentistry in Northern Ireland will be a thing of the past. People in Northern Ireland have the worst oral health inequality in the UK and the highest proportion of filled teeth. If these amalgam fillings can’t be provided on the NHS, it will mean people in agony, going without treatment - and it’ll be the poorest who suffer most. But there is a way to change this. The ‘Stormont Brake’ gives the Assembly the power to stop EU laws like this one, that would have a detrimental impact on people here. We demand that Minister Robin Swann starts the process to make sure that dentists can continue to provide NHS dental services throughout NI.

Citibank is one of the dirtiest banks in the world. Israel is one of its most important markets. Citibank has facilitated the purchase of weapons by the Israeli military and we are seeing the devastating results of this. Already the second largest funder of fossil fuels in the world, it is giving more money to fossil fuel companies such as BP who are exploiting the war on Gaza to drill for gas off Gaza's coast. Over 25,000 people have been killed over 100 days of Israel's onslaught in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands are at risk of disease and starvation as Israel refuses to allow aid to enter. Despite this mass suffering, Israel is planning to extract the natural resources off the coast of Gaza through licensing, drilling and extraction. This is all underpinned by funding from Citibank. We know that only outside pressure can stop Israel. Citibank has its main European offices in Belfast and Dublin, and has received over £40 million in public money from Invest NI. We need to take a strong stand across this island against Citi profiting from Israel's brutal attack on the people of Palestine.

From the Causeway Coast to Newcastle, NI Water have discharged sewage into coastal bathing waters across NI for 8,993 hours in 2023. According to the new analysis from the Belfast Telegraph, those pipes are releasing untreated sewage directly into or close to bathing waters that are protected by law. Not only that, NI Water is only monitoring a fraction of the pipes. NI Water needs to first come clean on the amount of sewage it is pumping into our waters. Analysis found in bathing waters in Newcastle found a pipe near the central promenade discharging for 1,532 hours! Testers are discovering forms of bacteria found in human intestines and poo. Swimmers, kayakers, coastal walkers and everyone in society deserve clean and safe bathing water. It is time for NI Water and Minister John O'Dowd to start protecting our waters and livelihoods.