Brown O'Connor Communications Weekly Look Ahead: Week Commencing 17 May 2021

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Forward Look

  • The DUP Leadership election will take place today at 11am, with only party MLAs and MPs able to vote. Edwin Poots MLA and Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP are in the running for Party Leader, with Paula Bradley MLA, Gregory Campbell MP and Paul Frew MLA contesting the Deputy Leader position. Results are expected by 5pm.

  • The Belfast Telegraph reports that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP plans to run in the 2022 Assembly election and hopes to become First Minister if he is elected DUP leader.

  • An Taoiseach Micheál Martin will meet Prime Minister Boris Johnson today at Chequers. The two leaders are expected to discuss recent unrest over the Northern Ireland Protocol and wider British-Irish issues.

  • A host of relaxations to the Covid-19 regulations will be subject to ratification next week. If agreed on Thursday, from the 24 May the stay local message will be removed, indoor group exercise will resume, extracurricular activities will be allowed in schools, outdoor gatherings will increase to 500, and the tourism sector, indoor hospitality and indoor tourism attractions will open. Competitive sport will be able to commence from 31 May. While theatres, concerts, conferences, and exhibitions will be able to resume from 21 June subject to risk assessments.

  • The Executive agreed to use the Irish Cup Final as part of a study to inform the future safe return of spectators to venues. The cup final on 21 May at Mourneview Park Football Stadium will be used as a learning event. Up to 1,000 fans will be able to sign up to attend.

  • Steve Aiken MLA has confirmed that he will stand down as leader of the UUP. Doug Beattie MLA has declared that he will be standing for the leadership. Robbie Butler MLA has ruled a leadership bid out. Nominations will close on Monday.

  • The Prime Minister has announced that there will be an independent public inquiry with legal powers into the Government’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. He confirmed the Government will coordinate with devolved administrations before finalising the terms of the inquiry. The inquiry is due to start in spring 2022.

  • The Government laid out its legislative agenda for this parliamentary session at the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday. The Queen outlined that the Government will introduce legislation to address the legacy of the past in NI, introduce the Northern Ireland (Ministers, Elections and Petition of Concern) Bill to implement aspects of the New Decade, New Approach deal, and introduce the Dissolution & Calling of Parliament Bill to repeal the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011. To view a full breakdown: LINK

  • Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney TD has said that there is pressure on the EU and UK to come up with solutions on the Northern Ireland Protocol by June, ahead of the marching season. This comes as Brexit Minister Lord Frost called on the EU to show pragmatism regarding the Protocol, saying it is “hard to see” that it is sustainable as it is currently operating.

  • The next Lord Mayor of Belfast will be Alliance Party Cllr Kate Nicholl. She will succeed the DUP’s Frank McCoubrey at a Council meeting on 1 June.

  • Pam Cameron MLA is to introduce an Autism Private Members’ Bill to amend and strengthen the current Autism Act.

  • SDLP Cllr Mary Durkan has announced that she will stand down from Derry City and Strabane District Council on Monday. Her replacement will be announced in the coming weeks.

  • The international documentary film festival, Docs Ireland will return to Belfast from 16-19 June 2021 with a series of online events in which industry professionals will hear from rising stars and documentary film makers. For programme and ticket information: LINK

  • Question Time will take place for the Executive Office and the Finance Minister on Monday. The Health Minister will face questions on Tuesday.

  • Education Minister Peter Weir MLA will brief the Education Committee on Wednesday on assessment, restart, and contingency planning. The Finance Committee will also meet to receive oral evidence from Graham Brownlow of Queen’s University Belfast on a Fiscal Commission for Northern Ireland.

  • The Economy Committee will receive an update on the UK Exit from the European Union from department officials on Wednesday. Department officials and the Victims and Survivors Service will also brief the Executive Office Committee on Wednesday on Historical Institutional Abuse.

  • On Thursday, departmental officials will brief the Health Committee on the Health and Social Care Bill. The Communities Committee will receive a briefing from the Independent Review Panel of Charity Regulation NI on the independent review of charity regulation.

  • This year’s BelTech conference will return on June 10 and 11. The two-day event will feature industry leaders from a range of disciplines including CEO of Nextdoor Sarah Friar, Expleo Global Head of DevOps Graeme Clarke and OutSystems Delivery Lead Neueda Emma Neill. To register: LINK

Other Stories this week

  • The Prime Minister and NI Secretary, Brandon Lewis MP, have apologised to the relatives of those killed in the Ballymurphy shootings in August 1971. This followed an inquest that found that the ten people shot dead during an Army operation were entirely innocent.

  • Following the party’s local election results in England, Labour Leader Keir Starmer MP announced a reshuffle of his Shadow Cabinet. Louise Haigh MP kept her role as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  • Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA launched her department’s ‘10X Economy: An Economic Vision for a Decade of Innovation’ plan. The document identifies 10 guiding principles which underpin the Department’s work to position the economy amongst other international small economies. They include supporting a greener economy, inspiring the future generation to thrive, delivering improved outcomes for all and increasing innovation. To view: LINK

  • Patricia O’Lynn has temporarily replaced Claire Johnson as Special Advisor to Justice Minister Naomi Long MLA.

  • The Private Members’ Climate Change Bill, sponsored by Green Party MLA Clare Bailey, passed its Second Stage in the Assembly this week. It moves now to Committee Stage.

  • Hydrogen NI launched this week. It is a clean hydrogen membership group that contains organisations with an interest in developing Northern Irelands clean hydrogen economy.

  • Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA launched a major Civil Service external recruitment campaign for 500 positions at Executive Officer grades based in Departments at a number of locations immediately.

  • Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon MLA confirmed her intention to proceed with the Enniskillen Southern Bypass scheme having considered environmental information and consultation responses.

  • A planned North-South Ministerial Agricultural meeting could not go ahead this week as Minister Edwin Poots MLA boycotted the meeting in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol.

  • The Irish Times has reported that a bipartisan group of US Congress members has written to President Joe Biden urging him to appoint a special envoy to Northern Ireland in order to support the peace process.

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