Minister proposes to increase Postgraduate Tuition Fees Loans
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has launched a consultation seeking views on the future level of Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loans for students.
Rural Business Development Grant Scheme 2025/2026 Opens for Applications
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA has today announced that a Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (RBDGS) will open for applications on Thursday 25 September 2025.
£16m investment in Allstate workforce to drive global digital transformation
Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has announced that Allstate Northern Ireland is investing £16 million to upskill and reskill its workforce in Derry and Belfast.
State visits are honours – Trump doesn’t deserve one, say Green MPs
In response to Donald Trump’s upcoming second state visit to the UK, Dr. Ellie Chowns MP has filed an Early Day Motion (EDM):
“That this House believes that US President Donald Trump does not deserve the honour of a second UK state visit; notes the shadow of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein hangs over the visit; condemns plans for US F-35 military jets to to be part of a flypast with the Red Arrows during the visit, because F-35s are used by the extreme-right Israeli Government to commit genocide against civilians in Gaza; applauds those taking part in peaceful protests against this visit and the US President’s authoritarian playbook, that includes using the office of President to enrich himself and his family, racism, dehumanising and using cruel and unlawful enforcement tactics against immigrant communities, misogyny, eroding the reproductive health rights of women and girls, banning books, deploying wartime and emergency powers during peacetime, and attacking the US civil service, the judiciary and universities; and calls on the UK Government to show courage and to defend the democratic values and norms under grave attack from the 47th President of the United States.”
The EDM is supported by Carla Denyer MP, Sian Berry MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Shockat Adam MP, Brian Leishman MP, and Iqbal Mohammed MP.
Ellie Chowns said: “Donald Trump has used his office to enrich his family, fan the flames of racism and xenophobia, erode reproductive rights, deploy wartime and emergency powers during peacetime, and attack democratic institutions. State visits are honours; Trump doesn’t deserve one.”
New poll suggests Greens could hold balance of power in Senedd
The latest Barn Cymru poll suggests the leader of Wales Green Party, Anthony Slaughter, could end up with the casting vote after next May’s elections to the Senedd. The poll also suggests a further collapse in Labour’s support, registering just 14%, and 11 out of 96 seats, with Plaid Cymru on 38 seats.
Anthony Slaughter, who is predicted to win the new Caerdydd Penarth seat, said:
“This poll shows what we’re hearing on the ground, that Labour are in a total collapse and voters are looking for real change, after the lies Keir Starmer told them last year.
“Last month, we saw a taste of this where Greens won a council by-election in Labour’s former heartland of Grangetown.”
According to a calculator built by academic experts, a 2% swing to the Greens could see the party win 3 seats, and hold the balance of power.
Slaughter continued: “A clear majority of Welsh voters don’t want Reform running Wales. The new proportional voting system means people can vote for what they believe in, not for the least worst option.
“By giving Greens the casting vote in the Senedd, voters can rely on us to make fixing the cost of living our number one priority.”