David Thompson

@NewsLetter_Pols

Political Editor, Belfast News Letter

Belfast, United Kingdom

Joined June 2024

446Following

1KFollowers

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 18

Things just got a lot worse for NHS Fife

DDennis Noel Kavanagh@Jebadoo2 · Jul 18

1/ A most unusual statement. Despite protesting they have no capacity to steer public opinion, NHS Fife try to do exactly that with an overly long ramble that varies between outright mendacity and “we’re saying this but not quite saying this libel”. This is called “being cute”

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 16

Bizarre fudge from the Bar of NI on attending Belfast Pride. They will march in the parade, but have written to organisers saying they’re not aligned with the political themes. Perhaps they were hoping they’d get banned too, but they didn’t. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The body representing barristers in Northern Ireland will officially attend this year’s controversial Belfast Pride parade – but claim that their participation does not demonstrate “alignment” with...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · 19 h

Health minister Mike Nesbitt announces £800k for Northern Ireland 'gender identity service' newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. Stormont’s health minister has committed £806,000 to a “gender identity service” for Northern Ireland – saying it will provide “much needed additional medical and nursing resources”.

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 22

The Law Society regulates solicitors in Northern Ireland, and says it is impartial and dedicated to upholding the rule of law Yet it has defended its decision to march in the Belfast Pride protest – a direct challenge to a ruling of the UK Supreme Court newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The legal body which regulates solicitors in Northern Ireland, and says it is dedicated to upholding the rule of law, has defended its decision to march in Belfast Pride – an event directly challen...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 21

Former home secretary @SuellaBraverman and @ArleneFosterUK unveil proposals for the UK leaving the ECHR - with the Windsor Framework as template for overriding opposition in Northern Ireland. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. A plan for how the United Kingdom could leave the European human rights framework has been unveiled, with its authors citing the Windsor Framework as an example of how the government could dismiss...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 21

NI Human Rights Commission has 'gone to ground' after chief's comments on former police officer's employment newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has been accused of ‘going to ground’ after comments by its chief commissioner, in which she said the position of a top legacy investigator was “untenab...

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David Thompson Retweeted

Nicole Lampert@nicolelampert · Jul 20

Horrid attack on the streets of London. A young lady was eating at a Jewish deli on Baker Street. This woman allegedly came up and asked if the restaurant was kosher and if the young woman was Jewish. When she replied yes, this is what happened. Her food was thrown on her.…

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 20

The BBC is under pressure to explain why it linked the Orange Order to the cancellation of a cross-community sports event over the involvement of the GAA. Goldsprings Orange Lodge and the TUV have filed complaints to the corporation over its reporting. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The BBC is being asked to explain why it repeatedly linked the cancellation of a children’s sports event involving the GAA to an Orange Lodge, despite apparently having no evidence to support the...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 18

The PSNI - which stopped marching in Pride in 2023 - is now reviewing its remaining involvement, such as having a stall and rainbow cars. It comes after a High Court ruling that Northumbria police broke impartiality rules by attending the event. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The PSNI has said it is reviewing its “proposed engagement” at Belfast Pride and other similar events in light of a court ruling on police impartiality and LGBTQ parades.

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David Thompson Retweeted

Nick Wallis@nickwallis · Jul 18

If you swallow an irrational, illogical ideology whole, it wrecks your capacity to act rationally and logically. Your systems start to break down. You go, organisationally, insane. But you can’t see it, so you keep self-harming, until you implode. share.google/RB5bSMISF0b9O2…

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 18

Why would they have done that at the start of it didn’t happen? It was the BBC that subsequently made the connection between the cancellation and the orange statement and then ran that apparently inaccurate line on every main show for two days.

mmcnick@McdadeNicholas · Jul 18

So why did they not make a statement until after to say this?

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 17

North Down Cricket Club says its decision over a cancelled GAA event was not influenced by the Orange Order. They made the decision on Monday morning – before any comment or statement from Goldsprings Orange Lodge in Comber. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. North Down Cricket Club has said it cancelled a cross-community children’s sports event involving the East Belfast GAA club before any comment or statement from Goldsprings Orange Lodge, and was not...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 17

Government to lower voting age to 16 for all UK elections - with 'intimidatory' practices in Northern Ireland's polling station to be stopped Political party representatives won't be able to note down who has voted as clerks will no longer call out names newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. Sixteen year olds across the UK will be granted the vote as part of reforms set out by the government to reform the electoral system – and has prompted calls for changes before the next Stormont...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 16

The PSNI hasn’t got a lodge and isn’t marching in the Twelfth. Nobody is questioning the right of individuals to take part in Pride, the question is about organisations corporately taking part in a highly politicised parade.

ttakeaguess@LibbyLibbys61 · Jul 16

Should members of the PSNI who are members of the loyal orders who parade every year with their collaretes, who should be seen to be unbiased in policing be disbarred from the orders & from marching . Surely if you’re questioning this, this should be questioning this too?

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 16

NI Civil Service attendance at Belfast Pride has again been questioned after a High Court ruling on police involvement. The court heard evidence that the Progress flag - waved by Jayne Brady - conveys support for contentious gender ideology. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) has been urged to clarify its role in Belfast Pride following a High Court ruling in England against a police force attending a similar event there.

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 16

A 'climbdown' by BBC News over a controversial podcast on the Supreme Court sex ruling has been welcomed. The broadcaster made a series of corrections to the episode of 'The State of Us' after complaints about accuracy and impartiality. newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. An episode of a new flagship BBC News NI podcast has had substantial changes made to bring it in line with the corporation’s editorial guidelines, after a range of complaints were made about...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 15

I once encountered a trainee primary school teacher who was *literally telling the children* that black people’s hands were lighter because they were last to some divine pool of whiteness and there wasn’t enough left. We can only pray she never qualified.

HHelen Joyce@HJoyceGender · Jul 15

When I was a child in Ireland, there was literally almost no one who wasn't white. The first time I saw a black person in person was when I was 14, when I visited London with my mum. Years later I met one of the vanishingly few non-white people my age born in Ireland - his…

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 15

Stormont's deputy First Minister @little_pengelly defends the Northern Ireland economy - and questions Sinn Fein ministers' commitment to growing it newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The deputy First Minister says comments by Mary Lou McDonald that Northern Ireland is “not economically viable” raises questions for Sinn Fein ministers in the Executive.

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 15

A public body's stance against former police officers investigating legacy cases is 'highly political and unhelpful' - @BeattieDoug says NIHRC chief Alyson Kilpatrick said an ICRIR investigator's position is 'untenable' given his former police role newsletter.co.uk/news/politics/…

NewsLetter_Pols's tweet card. The view of the head of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) that former RUC officers cannot be independent investigators on legacy cases has threatened the organisation’s credibili...

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David Thompson@NewsLetter_Pols · Jul 12

Meanwhile over at the Sinn Féin shop you can get a copy of the Irish Proclamation for £8.83 GBP.

SSinn Féin@sinnfeinireland · Jul 12

✊Hands off our rebel history and hands off the GPO! @MaryLouMcDonald

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