SDLP Demands Executive Action and Accountability After Race Riots

The SDLP Opposition has announced it will demand immediate and coordinated action from the Northern Ireland Executive following the "appalling riots" of the past week, which have seen racially motivated violence erupt in areas including Ballymena, Larne, Portadown, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry, and Coleraine.

Opposition Leader Matthew O’Toole MLA stated that the SDLP will seek accountability for the events, pushing for:

• Greater resources for the PSNI: Calls will be made for the Finance Minister to work with the Justice Minister to increase PSNI numbers beyond recently promised short-term funding.

ª Enhanced hate crime legislation: The SDLP will press the Justice Minister to update outdated hate crime laws, a priority previously stated but with no significant progress since Stormont's return. Recent PSNI figures show a significant increase in race-motivated incidents and crimes in the past year, with race incidents being the fourth highest recorded since 2004/05. The Justice Minister has previously indicated plans to bring forward a "statutory aggravation offence model" for hate crime within a forthcoming Sentencing Bill.

• Timelines for refugee integration and racial equality strategies: The Opposition will demand clarity from the First Ministers on when they plan to seriously engage with what the SDLP describes as an "epidemic of race hate" in Northern Ireland, given their responsibilities for good relations and racial equality. The Refugee Integration Strategy was quietly published by the Executive Office on May 29, 2025, after being "long, long overdue" – a commitment first outlined in 2005. However, there are concerns that it lacks measurable actions and robust accountability. Similarly, the Executive's Racial Equality Strategy 2015-2025 has been deemed to have failed, with a recent independent review in December 2024 highlighting a lack of action plan and budget.

The SDLP will also explicitly demand accountability from the Communities Minister for what they describe as his "irresponsible and inflammatory posts" concerning the housing of vulnerable people at Larne Leisure Centre just hours before the premises was attacked by arsonists. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and others have called for the Minister's resignation following these social media posts, which publicly identified the location being used to house families displaced by racist attacks in Ballymena. The Minister, Gordon Lyons, has defended his posts, stating the information was already public and that he was clarifying rumors about permanent housing. Furthermore, the SDLP will be writing to the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Independent Reporting Commission to request public clarity on the involvement of loyalist paramilitaries, either formally or informally, in the violence of the last week, as well as in other surges in racially motivated violence, including the riots in Belfast last summer. While the PSNI has stated there's no evidence of loyalist paramilitary orchestration in the recent violence, reports from human rights groups like the Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) point to a "degree of paramilitary control" and links to areas with significant loyalist activity.

"The violence we have seen over the past week has shamed this society," said Matthew O’Toole. "Now the real test of our devolved institutions is whether they can act on the heinous events of the past week. The Executive cannot simply let the events of the past week slide by with the kind of inaction and passivity which has become their trademark – people’s lives are at stake and the SDLP Opposition will be pressing for meaningful action to protect those people and tackle hate in our society."

Alliance Party Mourns Passing of Former Leader Sean Neeson

The Alliance Party is mourning the passing of its former leader, Sean Neeson. Alliance Leader Naomi Long today paid tribute to Mr Neeson, who served as the party's leader between 1998 and 2001 and was a long-standing public servant for East Antrim.

Mr Neeson was first elected to Carrickfergus Borough Council in 1977, where he later served as Mayor. He then became an MLA for East Antrim, holding the position until 2011.

"My thoughts and prayers today are with Sean's family and friends,” said Mrs Long. "But today, Alliance has also lost a part of our history. Sean showed leadership at a time when the party needed it, and we will always be grateful to him for that."

Mrs Long described Mr Neeson as a dedicated public servant known for his effectiveness. "Known for getting things done, Sean was a dedicated public servant who delivered for everyone in Carrickfergus as a Councillor and then the wider East Antrim area when he became an MLA, a role he was delighted to take on."

She added that Mr Neeson's commitment to the Alliance Party and Northern Ireland remained strong in his later years. "In later years, Sean's passion for Alliance and Northern Ireland as a whole continued, and I was delighted he was well enough to join us at Conference just last year," Mrs Long concluded.

Sinn Féin MP Urges End To 'Absurd' 5G Mast Attacks In West Belfast

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey has issued a strong condemnation of recent attacks on 5G masts in west Belfast, urging an immediate end to what he described as an "irrational and absolutely absurd" campaign. His call follows confirmation of a third incident targeting the infrastructure in just one week.

"This continued campaign is irrational and absolutely absurd," stated the West Belfast MP. "These attacks are self-destructive, self-defeating, and amount to an attack on the entire community."

Mr. Maskey highlighted the severe consequences of such actions, emphasising the disruption caused and the danger posed. "They are causing serious disruption, endangering lives, and this futile behaviour must stop immediately," he asserted.

The MP confirmed his ongoing engagement with the police regarding the incidents. "I will continue to speak with police to ensure they are doing all they can to identify those responsible and hold them to account," he added.

The repeated targeting of 5G infrastructure in the area has raised concerns about essential service provision and public safety.