Episodes
After looking at the challenges facing both nationalism and unionism in the run up to the local council election, Mark is joined by David McCann, Deputy Editor of Slugger O'Toole, Suzanne Breen, the Belfast Telegraph's Political Editor and BBC NI's Political Editor, Enda McClafferty to discuss the issues confronting the 'other' parties as they prepare to contest 462 seats across 11 council areas.
Published 05/10/23
Mark Carruthers profiles the issues within nationalism with Dr David McCann, Jayne McCormack & Brendan Hughes ahead of the local government election.
Published 05/03/23
Mark Caruthers profiles the issues within unionism with Dr David McCann, Sam McBride and Gareth Gordon ahead of the local government election.
Published 04/26/23
World leaders past and present were at Queen's University this week to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. Mark Carruthers is joined by former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern,Tony Blair's former Chief of Staff, Jonathan Powell, Professor Monica McWilliams,and Ireland Professor of Poetry, Paul, Muldoon, to discuss how the currently stalled process might get back on track.
Published 04/19/23
Mark and guests chat about US presidential visits to Northern Ireland
Published 04/05/23
There was a lot of heavy-lifting done by a lot of people to make the Good Friday Agreement happen, but some key individuals shouldered more of the burden than others. Mark Carruthers is joined by David Kerr, the former Director of Communications with the UUP, his opposite number in the SDLP, Conall McDevitt, Kate Fearon who was the Women's Coalitions's Chief of Staff and Mark Simpson, who covered the negotiations for BBC NI .
Published 03/29/23
Recorded in front of a live audience as guests of the Imagine! Belfast Festival, Mark Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Breen, Political Editor of the Belfast Telegraph, Mark Devenport, former Political Editor of BBC NI and Gareth Gordon, Political Correspondent with BBC NI, to discuss the challenges of political journalism over the last 25 years.
Published 03/22/23
Mark Carruthers talks to writer Owen McCafferty, director Charlie Westenra and stars Dan Gordon and Andrea Irvine.
Published 03/15/23
Mark Carruthers is joined by the BBC's Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, Marianna Spring, BBC NI's Health Correspondent, Marie-Louise Connolly and Professor Deirdre Heenan to talk about their experiences dealing with online abuse and discuss what more platforms can do to try and stop it.
Published 03/08/23
Mark Carruthers assesses the Windsor Framework and whether the DUP will accept it with Gareth Gordon, John Campbell and Suzanne Breen.
Published 03/01/23
Mark Carruthers is joined by Bronagh Hinds, one of the founding members of the Women's Coalition, Dawn Purvis, a former MLA and leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Kathleen Stephens, the former US Consul General in Belfast and Liz O’Donnell, a former Progressive Democrat TD and Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs plus of course Mark Simpson who was the BBC Political Correspondent covering the negotiations.
Published 02/22/23
What are the big decisions facing the DUP & Sir Jeffrey Donaldson?
Published 02/15/23
Mark & guests discuss the recent anti-migrant protests in the Republic.
Published 02/08/23
Mark Carruthers speaks to MLAs Patricia O'Lynn, Diane Forsythe and Mike Nesbitt about what they've been doing while Stormont hasn't been sitting.
Published 02/01/23
Mark Carruthers looks back on the Good Friday Agreement with journalists Mark Simpson, David Davin-Power, Martin Fletcher and former NIO official Mary Madden.
Published 01/25/23
Mark Carruthers is joined by BBC NI's Economics and Business Editor, John Campbell, RTE's Europe Editor, Tony Connelly, Jess Sargeant from the Institute for Government, to discuss not the details of a potential deal but the process of getting all sides across the line.
Published 01/18/23
Mark Carruthers asks Jayne McCormack, John Campbell and Marie-Louise Connolly to predict what lies ahead this year.
Published 01/11/23
Mark Carruthers asks Tim McGarry, Enda McClafferty, Deirdre Heenan and Newton Emerson to cast their minds back to the highlights of 2022.
Published 12/20/22
Leo Varadkar returns as Taoiseach this weekend. Where might Micheál Martin go?
Published 12/14/22
Mark Carruthers asks Sheila Davidson from Together UK, former MLA John McCallister and Prof Jon Tonge what the future holds for civic unionism.
Published 12/07/22
Mark Carruthers asks Sir Malcolm McKibbin, Jayne McCormack and Newton Emerson how far civil servants can go without a government in Northern Ireland.
Published 11/30/22
Mark Carruthers speaks to political editor Enda McClafferty, columnist Fionnuala O Connor and former special adviser Brendan Mulgrew about the state of the SDLP.
Published 11/23/22
Mark Carruthers speaks to Sir David Sterling, Jess Sargeant & Sam McBride about the running of NI’s nine government departments in the absence of Stormont ministers.
Published 11/16/22
Mark Carruthers speaks to Simon Hamilton, Grace Boyle, Chris McCracken & Sophia Campbell about Belfast city centre's future - in the atrium of the UU's new building in York St.
Published 11/09/22
Mark Carruthers asks Political Editor Enda McClafferty, RTE's Northern Editor Vincent Kearney and Belfast Telegraph Political Editor Suzanne Breen if we're having an election.
Published 11/02/22