Stormont Sources

Stormont reform is back on the table — and not everyone’s happy about it.

Former First Minister Arlene Foster warns that calls for change could “tilt the constitutional balance”, while former SDLP leader Mark Durkan says reform was always part of the plan.

So… is this sensible modernisation — or a power shift in disguise? David McCann, Tim Cairns and Michael McKernan unpack the facts.

⚖️ Unionist fears of change
🏛️ What reform could actually mean
💷 Why MLA pay has everyone running for cover

Plus:
🔥 Martin McGuinness’s 2009 condemnation of dissident republicans — and what it tells us about political leadership
🤝 Has Northern Ireland ever truly embraced reconciliation?
🧱 Are politicians just “managing division” rather than healing it?

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Like, subscribe, and let us know — is Stormont due a shake-up?
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This week on the one year anniversary special of Stormont Sources, David McCann is joined by Tim Cairns and Michael McKernan to break down the political storm following comments from former UUP councillor Lindzi McLaren suggesting Irish unity may be “inevitable.”
Her remarks come just days after SDLP Leader, Claire Hanna argued that while Irish unity is desirable, it is not inevitable. So who’s right?

We also examine UUP leader John Burrows calling on the Irish government to apologise for its role during the Troubles — a call rejected by Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

In this episode:
Is unionism facing an identity crisis?
Are hardline voices reshaping the debate?
Does the Irish government owe an apology?

David, Tim and Michael also reflect on a year of Stormont Sources and look back at some of their favourite moments.

🎧 Stormont Sources takes you inside Stormont and the decisions shaping Northern Ireland.

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WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 (start with Stormont)
Email: [email protected]
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In this episode of the Stormont Sources podcast David McCann, Tim Cairns, and Michael McKernan discuss the recent £400 million loan from Westminster to Stormont, the implications of this financial aid, and the ongoing political turmoil surrounding Keir Starmer's leadership in the UK. They also address listener questions regarding the potential for a united unionist party and the future of Northern Ireland's political landscape amidst calls for electoral reform and discussions on partition.

🎧 Stormont Sources takes you inside Stormont and the decisions shaping Northern Ireland.

📩 Get involved
WhatsApp: 0333 404 6507 (start with Stormont)
Email: [email protected]
👍 Like, subscribe & turn on notifications for weekly Northern Ireland politics.
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Two years after devolution returned, has the Stormont Executive actually delivered for Northern Ireland?
David McCann is joined by former Special Advisers Tim Cairns (DUP) and Michael McKernan (SDLP) to assess the record of the O’Neill–Pengelly Executive — from childcare and health waiting lists to major project delays, civil service power, and whether Stormont ministers are really in control.
They debate:
Has the Stormont Executive achieved anything significant?
Why major Northern Ireland projects keep stalling
Are civil servants running departments instead of ministers?
Is Stormont about to rush bad legislation before the next election?
Why the political tone at Stormont is deteriorating
The controversial suspension of TUV MLA Timothy Gaston
Did the Assembly overreact — or is political conduct getting worse?
With the next Assembly election approaching, is Stormont finally finding its footing — or drifting again?
PLUS: Inside discussion on how policy really gets made behind the scenes in Northern Ireland departments.
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In this episode of Stormont Sources, David McCann, Michael McKernan and Tim Cairns analyse the two stories dominating Stormont this week — from a revealing LucidTalk poll to the political fallout over Gordon Lyon's controversial Facebook post.

- The LucidTalk poll explained: winners, losers and warning signs
- Why Alliance and the SDLP are fighting
- What Jon Burrows’ leadership means for the Ulster Unionist Party
- Has the Is pre-election phase already begun at Stormant?
- And did Gordon Lyons' Facebook post really cross the line?
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