Alliance Welcomes UK Bid To Host Women's World Cup 2035

Alliance Sports spokesperson David Honeyford MLA has welcomed the Executive's decision to support the UK's joint bid to host the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2035, with Northern Ireland as a partner nation. Honeyford highlighted the "incredible opportunity" to host the largest and longest women's sporting tournament in history.

The Lagan Valley MLA noted the massive growth in female sport and stressed that hosting the tournament will serve to "inspire the next generation" of players, hopefully increasing local participation and creating new opportunities across the country. He confirmed that Alliance Ministers Naomi Long and Andrew Muir had supported NI's participation in the bid at the Executive level.

Honeyford emphasised that the event offers dual benefits, allowing Northern Ireland to be showcased on a world stage while delivering substantial direct economic and social benefits. He anticipates the tournament will enhance the economy through increased tourism and hospitality, create jobs, and promote long-term investments in sports facilities and infrastructure. He stated that sport has the power to unite people and communities and urged that NI must "seize these opportunities," particularly after the disappointment of the Men's Euro 2028 bid.

The UK's bid is currently the only valid expression of interest for the 2035 tournament.

UUP Criticise Alliance Over Border Poll Comments

Ulster Unionist deputy Leader Robbie Butler MLA has criticised the Alliance Party's recent call for the Secretary of State to clarify the conditions for holding a border poll on Irish unification. Butler claims the demand is more revealing of Alliance’s own shifting constitutional position than they intend. He highlighted the "irony" of a party that advocates for constitutional "neutrality" now seeking clarity on a process that would fundamentally alter Northern Ireland's place in the Union. Butler suggested that Alliance Leader Naomi Long’s previous statements about potentially "stepping back" from taking a position on a poll campaign are inconsistent with the party's current actions, which he suspects are part of a calculated strategy to appeal to both Unionist and Nationalist voters. He argued that the pre-election "fence sitting" appears to be a shift toward Nationalism.

The UUP MLA asserted that the Belfast Agreement already sets out the framework for a border poll—based solely on the Secretary of State's judgment of a majority preference for unification. He warned that going beyond this to stipulate electoral thresholds risks turning every election into a toxic constitutional battleground, undermining the foundations of devolved government. Butler concluded that Alliance’s ambiguity on the constitution should be removed, as their neutral position is tactical, not principled, and that Unionist voters are taking note.

School Repair Backlog Exposed By PAC Report – SDLP

SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA has condemned the findings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report into the management of the schools' estate, calling it a "total failure of leadership" at the Department of Education and the Education Authority. The report, chaired by SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan, reveals a "systemic failure" in the way Northern Ireland's school buildings are managed.

The PAC report highlights an estimated £800m backlog in repairs and maintenance, resulting in many schools being unsafe for pupils and staff. East Derry MLA Cara Hunter stated that children are currently being taught in classrooms with leaking roofs, poor heating, and outdated facilities, calling the situation a "scandal in 2025."

Hunter blamed the crisis on a lack of strategic planning, accountability, and preventative maintenance, resulting from "leadership paralysis and a culture of short-term thinking." She stressed that every child in Northern Ireland deserves to learn in a safe, modern, and inclusive environment, regardless of their postcode. The SDLP will now press the Education Minister to act immediately on the Committee's recommendations. Hunter is demanding the implementation of a new estate management strategy with clear timelines and a commitment to end the "cycle of neglect" to ensure every school is fit for purpose.