The BelTel

David Graham is a former DUP councillor, and a former advisor to education minister Peter Weir. He has been a teacher and has worked for both Linfield and Rangers. He is also a political commentator.  Recently he has been writing about the need for the unionist parties to bring in fresh talent.  He joined Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel to discuss unionist politics, how to fix Stormont and Northern Ireland, and whether he expects a border poll.  

Top civil servants had debated whether to effectively admit that Bloody Sunday was not as Lord Widgery's whitewash had claimed.  Documents uncovered in the formerly secret Kew Files reveal much debate among officials as to how they should deal with the legacy of the 14 deaths against the backdrop of the nascent peace process.   In one of these files is a heartfelt handwritten letter to the Prime Minister, John Major; it is a plea for justice.  It was written by Kathleen Kelly, mother of Michael Kelly, who died after being shot by Paratrooper Soldier F.    Ciarán Dunbar is joined by our Northern Ireland editor, Sam McBride. 

The murder of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel remains one of the most disturbing crimes in Irish history. In May 2018, Ana was lured from her home by a local boy. Three days later, her body was found in a derelict house – naked and violently assaulted.Two boys, just 13 years old at the time of the killing, were the youngest in the State to be tried, and convicted, of murder. Eight years on, Irish Independent court reporter Eimear Cotter reflects on the horrific murder of Ana Kriegel and the public outrage that followed. 

Five years ago, the DUP was in largest party in Northern Ireland, lurched to open civil war. The party had been led by Ian Paisley for 37 years – but an unprecedented outbreak of factional politics saw three different leaders in just 50 days.  The middle one, Edwin Poots, lasted a total of just 33 days. To explain the background to the DUP’s woes and their long-term effect, Ciarán Dunbar joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s political editor, Suzanne Breen 

An access hatch on the inlet to a culvert in which Noah Donohoe was found should have been locked six months previously, an inquest into his death has heard. But the jury also heard the storm drain was in good condition and had no history of unauthorised accessThe 14-year-old’s body was discovered in north Belfast on June 27, 2020, six days after he went missing. A post-mortem examination found the likely cause of death was drowning. The inquest into his death, which is being heard before a jury, is now in its 14th week.  Liam Tunney reports. 

There is a very senior, well-paid civil servant, working in the higher echelons of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. Only a handful of officials work at that level and with every one of these individuals we are entitled to know who they are, what they do and what they are paid – but not when it comes to one man. Or is it a woman? We don’t know. The Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor Sam McBride has discovered a top-mandarin that we know nothing about - a secret civil servant. The taxpayer is not allowed to know what they do, not allowed to know how much they are paid and not even allowed to know what their name is.  Sam McBride joins Ciarán Dunbar on the BelTel to explain this bizarre story.  

Sinn Féin are still top of the polls north and south – but all polls show the party has lost ground. Many commentators think Sinn Féin have lost their direction and sense of purpose. So - has Sinn Féin really lost its mojo and what can it do about it?   Ciarán Dunbar is joined by politics lecturer and commentator David McCann to discuss what Sinn Féin will have to do to hold its ground ahead of the 2027 Northern Ireland Assembly elections.  

A report has lambasted ‘institutional misogyny’ in PSNI over failings in the Katie Simpson murder investigation. Police officers on the case were responsible for a catalogue of basic failures including not preserving evidence, missing forensic opportunities, dismissing key witness statements, failing to secure phones or even photographing her injuries. 21-year-old Katie from Tynan, Co Armagh, died almost a week after an incident in Lettershandoney. Police originally thought she had taken her own life. But a year later, Jonathan Creswell was arrested. Creswell’s trial ended in April 2024 after he took his own life following the first day of proceedings. The Belfast Telegraph’s Crime Correspondent, Allison Morris, joins Ciarán Dunbar.