First Pride parade takes place since Executive parties deemed ‘not welcome'
The first Pride parade in Northern Ireland has taken place since large swathes of the LGBT community banned Stormont's Executive parties from marching for 'betraying' them.
Omagh Pride held the first march since the 'politician ban' after the Executive voted to introduce an embargo on the sale and supply of puberty blockers to under-18s.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
As UK households struggle with energy bills, staff at industry watchdog Ofgem enjoy 'woke' quizzes and Pride movie nights at 4.30pm on a Tuesday
Officials working for energy regulator Ofgem have spent thousands of pounds on ' woke ' events including movie nights and quizzes during working hours, the Mail can reveal. At a time when Britain has been hit with some of the highest energy prices in Europe, the quango tasked with regulating such matters has a host of 'staff networks' given money to hold gatherings over the past year. They included a 'Pride Movie Night', which started at 4.30pm on a Tuesday last July, as well as an 'End of Pride Quiz' which ran from 4pm to 5.30pm later that month. Another gathering organised by the LGBT + network was on 'Perspectives from Rainbow Regulators' which ran for almost 90 minutes on a Thursday afternoon last September. The quango also held an event on the 'art and history of black hair' which lasted 75 minutes on a work day in October. In total, Ofgem has spent £66,954 of the internal HR Equity, Diversity and Inclusion budget on staff networks since 2021, although funding was stopped in May 2024. The figures were revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the TaxPayers' Alliance and shared exclusively with the Mail. Ofgem has come under fire in recent years over the cost of bills, its handling of the prepayment meter scandal and its failure to prevent suppliers going bust. Joanna Marchong, of the TPA, said: 'It's beyond parody that as Brits face some of the highest energy prices in the world, our energy watchdog is spending time on woke movie nights and quizzes. 'Ofgem has repeatedly failed billpayers with its endless meddling in the energy market, which has both added to the costs of bills while also failing to prevent major firms from going bust. 'It's clear that there is a complete lack of focus on the core priorities of the organisation.' An Ofgem spokesman said: 'Our workforce reflects the communities we serve, offering a wide range of experiences and skills which helps to support our work as an effective energy regulator.' The spokesperson added: 'Staff networks are no longer funded centrally following the introduction of the EDI Expenditure rules last year.' Firms are spared green levy Thousands of businesses will be exempt from paying green levies in an industry shake-up, the Prime Minister will announce. Sir Keir Starmer will vow to slash energy bills for more than 7,000 firms by up to 25 per cent from 2027 when he launches his industrial strategy today. The ten-year plan to promote growth will see some firms exempted from the Renewables Obligation and Feed-in Tariffs. Manufacturers have previously warned energy costs are much higher in the UK than overseas. Government sources insisted the move would not be funded by raising taxes or household bills. Sir Keir said last night the plan would deliver 'long-term certainty' for British businesses.
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Man (34) charged after viable device thrown inside Belfast Islamic Centre
Political leaders have condemned the 'frightening' attack A 34-year-old man has been charged in relation to an attack on the Belfast Islamic Centre. The PSNI said on Sunday that he has been charged with a number of offences including attempted arson with intent to endanger life, attempt to cause an explosion, making explosives with intent to endanger life and criminal damage. He is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday (June 23), and was initially arrested under the Terrorism Act. Police also previously said they were treating the incident as a potential hate crime. A viable device was thrown inside the building on the University Road in south Belfast on Friday night and a window was smashed. Kashif Akram said the attack, which happened shortly after 10pm last night, had caused much distress. He told the Belfast Telegraph that the centre had to be evacuated, disrupting evening prayers. Political representatives branded it a sinister attack and said it must be strongly condemned. The First Minister and deputy First Minister have said there is no place for violence here as they ask everyone to refrain from any disorder, violence or threat to others. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said: 'There can be no place for the hatred we have seen, the pain it has caused and the devastation it has left behind. 'The Executive speaks with one voice - we appeal for calm and we are united in condemnation of all violence.' The deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly said: 'All violence is wrong and we must not see the terrible scenes of disorder repeated. People have the right to protest, this does not extend to violence or threat. No one should be subject to sectarianism or racism. 'Everyone in Northern Ireland – regardless of background or belief– should feel safe and supported. The Executive is united in condemnation of violence that has taken place.' Anti-racism protest takes place in Belfast South Belfast MP Claire Hanna said she was 'appalled' at the attack. 'I am hugely relieved that no one was seriously injured, but this was a frightening and disturbing experience for the centre's users and for all of us who value a peaceful and shared society,' she said. Ms Hanna added: 'Belfast is an open and welcoming city. No one should ever feel unsafe in their place of worship.' SDLP MLA Matthew O'Toole said it was a 'cowardly attack' and 'yet another stark reminder of the very real and growing threat of race hate in our society'. Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said: 'This attack was again designed to cause fear among people inside the centre, who were at prayer at the time. 'Nevertheless, I am thankful for the intervention of a nearby passer-by and for the work of the police. Those were much more reflective of the true spirit of Belfast, where most people rejoice in diversity.'
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
PSNI: Extra £200m funding could be "gamechanger' says Naomi Long
The expected allocation of an extra £200m for the Police Service of Northern Ireland could be a "gamechanger" for the organisation, the justice minister has said. Naomi Long said it would "allow us to rebuild police numbers which is the most important thing we can do".In January, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said it needed £200m over five years to recruit hundreds of new officers and bring its headcount to 7,000. On Friday, First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the finance minister was "very happy to sign that off" but added his recommendation must be approved by the Executive. The PSNI is seeking to increase its workforce from its current all-time low of about 6,200 officers to 7,000 to the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Long said she had been working on the business case for some time and agreed real progress had been made. "I think this is potentially a gamechanger for us in terms of being able to rebuild".Long pointed out the PSNI currently has a £20m gap in its budget because of pressures like overtime and said recruiting more officers could fix that issue. "If you have a right-sized force you can actually reduce the amount of overtime individuals are working and make some savings there," she explained. "So I think this a really good opportunity to put the PSNI on a sustainable footing."The justice minister said the recruitment investment would improve public safety and also allow officers to "get their rest days" and "look after their health".She added funding was necessary to stop officers leaving their jobs "because they are under such personal strain as a result of having to work extended hours". Rioting pressures for police The recent rioting in Northern Ireland exposed the pressure the PSNI is facing with its current workforce responded to several consecutive nights of violent disorder which began two weeks ago in Ballymena, County Antrim, and spread to other towns and cities. The violence started on Monday 9 June, hours after two teenage boys appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in two 14-year-old boys spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and ages and their solicitor said they would be denying the charges.A peaceful protest was held in Ballymena later that day, but after that demonstration dispersed, rioting broke the course of the next few days, 64 officers were injured while policing disorder in Ballymena, Larne, Portadown, Belfast and Londonderry. The PSNI sought support from Police Scotland, which deployed officers to Northern Ireland under what is known as mutual aid arrangements. Long also requested and received an additional £5m from the Northern Ireland Executive to meet the costs of policing the riots. She said the riots were a "drain on the resources of PSNI". "I put in a bid very early during the riots in Ballymena for additional resources for PSNI because we knew that they may need to call on mutual aid. "That's £5m to police those riots and most of that £5m, if not all of it, will have already been spent."The minister explained the PSNI needs £7m to cover its first year of recruitment under its business case and the rioting bill would have been better spent on that. "It's hugely frustrating at a time when our justice system is so stretched that we have people not just putting pressure on the resources of the PSNI, but destroying their own communities at a cost to everyone in our society because that will all have to be repaired and rebuilt." Last month, the Police Federation said that the PSNI had been told Stormont could not find the money for a £200m plan to increase officer Chief Constable, Jon Boutcher, said the "consequences of not getting the PSNI back on its feet will be dire".At that time, Long criticised the Police Federation remarks as "inaccurate and extremely unhelpful".
