Forward Look
The votes for the European Parliamentary Elections in Northern Ireland will be counted from 8am on Monday 27 May.
The Tánaiste, Simon Coveney, has said that he expects the Stormont Talks process to intensify over the next 2 weeks. He added that the Prime Minister and Taoiseach will receive recommendations on how the negotiations should proceed at the end of next week.
Mel Stride MP has been appointed as the new Leader of the House of Commons following the resignation of Andrea Leadsom. He was previously the Financial Secretary to the Treasury.
The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement Bill will not be brought to the House of Commons in the first week of June. Instead, a timeline for the introduction of the Bill is due to be set out after the House of Commons returns from Recess on 4 June.
Maria Caulfield MP and Mark Pritchard MP have officially been nominated as candidates to become the new Chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee. Maria Caulfield is currently on the Committee and Mark Pritchard served on the Committee between November 2016 and May 2017.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has advertised for a new Chief Executive. The closing date for applications is 3 June.
The Lord Chancellor is seeking to appoint lay members to the Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission.
The Attorney General for Northern Ireland is hosting a Constitutional Law Summer School in Belfast from 7 – 9 August.
EE will launch its 5G network in Belfast on 30 May.
The White House confirmed that US President Donald Trump will visit Ireland on 5 June following his three-day state visit to the UK.
Other Stories This Week
Former Sinn Féin MLA, Michaela Boyle, who left the position to become a Councillor, has been appointed as the new Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council.
Northern Ireland’s economy was the slowest growing of any UK region in the first quarter of 2019. Figures from the Economic Statistics Centre of Excellence put year-on-year growth at 0.7%, compared to an average UK growth rate of 1.5%.
Sinn Féin launched a new policy paper on ‘Towards a New Employment Model: Strengthening Workers’ Rights.’
Upcoming Key Political and Business Events
28 May, NILGA Elected Member Planning Training
29 May, Belfast Chamber Meeting the Supplier Seminar
30 May, NI Chamber Developing Your Growth Potential – High Performance Networking
30 May, Northern Ireland Tourism Awards 2019
30 May, Think People Consulting and Eversheds Sutherland, Managing Sensitive Issues in the Workplace
3 June, Economic Briefing with CBI Chief Economist
4 June, CBI Conference Series: Post-Brexit Economic Growth
Consultations
Belfast PCSP Strategic Assessment and Action Plan 2019/20 Belfast City Council. Deadline 29 May.
Timetable and Work Programme for the Preparation of the Northern Ireland Flood Risk Management Plan 2021-2027 Department for Infrastructure. Deadline 28 June.
Connect, Invest, Transform Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council 10 year investment plan. Deadline 30 June.
Draft Disability Action Plan 2019-20 Belfast City Council. Deadline 9 July.
A City Imagining – Cultural Strategy 2020-2030 Belfast City Council. Deadline 10 July.
Reshaping Breast Assessment Services Department of Health. Deadline 19 July.
Reshaping Stroke Care Department of Health. Deadline 19 July.
