Share

cover art for Stormont election special: Seismic or not, a significant result for Northern Ireland

Inside Politics

Stormont election special: Seismic or not, a significant result for Northern Ireland

Freya McClements, Mary Minihan and Pat Leahy join Hugh to analyse the results of last week's Northern Ireland Assembly elections.


The major talking point is Sinn Féin taking the largest number of seats for the first time, while the Alliance Party's unprecedented success signals the importance of the middle ground in Northern Ireland.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Fintan O'Toole: What does Simon Harris stand for?

    56:43
    What sort of a politician is Simon Harris? What can we learn from his record? And what sort of a Taoiseach is he going to be? Columnist Fintan O'Toole joins Hugh Linehan and Jennifer Bray to dig into the presumptive taoiseach's record and the state of the Fine Gael party.
  • Simon Harris takes the reins of a party in trouble

    47:10
    Hugh is joined by Pat Leahy and Harry McGee to talk about the swift emergence of Simon Harris as Fine Gael leader and taoiseach-in-waiting. They look back at his career to date and identify a potential strategy to lead Fine Gael out of its current predicament. But first, more on the unexpected resignation of Leo Varadkar.
  • Why did Leo Varadkar choose this moment to go?

    35:26
    Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones join Hugh Linehan to discuss today's unexpected announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that he is stepping down.
  • 'Rishi Sunak can't do politics' - British broadcaster Iain Dale on why he may not vote Tory for the first time ever

    39:22
    British political pundit, broadcaster and podcaster Ian Dale joins Hugh to discuss the upcoming UK general election and the state of British politics. A Conservative supporter, Iain explains why he may not be able to vote for the party for the first time in his life. Iain and his co-host, the former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, are bringing their politics podcast For the Many to Dublin for a live show on Sunday, March 24th. Find out more here.
  • Gaza overshadows St Patrick's Day trips

    39:49
    Jennifer Bray and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to discuss the week in politics, including the annual migration of Ministers to foreign lands for St Patrick's Day. But with the crisis in Gaza on many Irish voters' minds, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has a balancing act in how he raises the issue with President Joe Biden. Also on the agenda: More fallout from the recent referendums, and how housing asylum seekers will be an issue in local election campaigns.
  • Referendum aftermath: a deep dive into the political repercussions

    01:02:46
    Last weekend's referendum defeats have jolted the political establishment. How could all major parties and many other players have got it so badly wrong - and does the failure reveal something deeper going on?To discuss this, Hugh is joined by Jack Horgan Jones, Theresa Reidy and Jane Suiter. They discuss the the impact of the results on Irish politics, the role and effectiveness of citizens assemblies, and whether opposition to 'wokeness' is a genuine force in Irish politics. Dr Theresa Reidy is a senior lecturer and head of department at the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork.Jane Suiter is Professor in DCU's School of Communications and director of DCU's Institute for Future Media, Democracy and Society.
  • ‘Two wallops’ for Government as No-No vote emerges strong

    31:39
    Although counting is still underway in the family and care referendums, the Government has already admitted defeat, with a No-No result looking like the only outcome. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar described the result as two wallops for Government, while Tánaiste Micheál Martin, said there is “no single reason” why the proposals were rejected, and a time for reflection will ensue. As the political blame game now begins, what will be the fallout from the defeat? Hugh Linehan talks to Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray.
  • Is Europe in a ‘pre-war phase’?

    39:37
    Pat Leahy and Cormac McQuinn join Hugh Linehan to look back on the week in politics:There were some interesting developments during the European People's Party (EPP) congress in Bucharest this week – Ursula von der Leyen was roundly endorsed for another five years as European Commission President, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told delegates that Europe was no longer in a ‘post-war epoch’ and that borders had to be defended. The panel discussed whether Ireland’s military spending will soon reflect this new sense of urgency.Also on the podcast: Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe’s refusal to meet demands on how to spend the continuing surge in corporate tax receipts has left some Cabinet members less than happy after a call to significantly boost the National Development Plan fell on deaf ears.And the panel compare the approaches of the Government and Sinn Féin when it comes to improving the lot of Northern Ireland. During his speech at the Alliance Party conference this week, Tánaiste Micheál Martin pushed the positives to be gained from the Shared Island initiative, whereas Sinn Féin’s line has consistently been improvement through a united Ireland.
  • Could angry farmers upend European politics?

    35:07
    Farmer protest movements are becoming an increasingly important part of the political landscape across Europe, from Poland, where they have been spurred by the lifting of tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural produce, to the Netherlands, where Government plans to cut nitrogen emissions have led to the rise of a significant new party, and most recently to Germany, where a threat to cut agricultural fuel subsidies has caused a furious reaction.It appears that European farmers believe they are being ignored, their needs set aside. The ripples of all this are being felt at across the EU in advance of June's Parliament elections. So what is exactly happening and how likely is it that farmers unhappiness could lead to new political parties in Ireland as well as in Europe? Hugh Linehan talks to Naomi O'Leary and Jack Horgan-Jones.