Writing for Belfast Live, Robert Murtagh, National Officer for the FDA in NI, argues that the impartiality of the civil service must not become collateral damage in a rising political temperature.

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On Monday, the Assembly returns after summer recess. The summer is often used as a time to recharge and reset, a time when politics goes a bit quiet, while the government machine ticks over quietly in the background.

However, it’s fair to say that there has been no let-up in politics this Summer, from a new Prime Minister in Westminster, a new Health Minister, the re-emergence of the Drumcree dispute, a cattle cull at Fivemiletown, and discussions without outcomes on the budget and subsequent limits on NI department spending, leading to questions on whether Stormont will even last.

If this summer is anything to go by, we are in for a difficult eight months until the election in May.

Rising political tensions between parties ahead of an election is nothing new nor is it specific to NI. However, the impact in NI is much starker; we all know our system of government is very different, with parties ideologically opposed to each other forced to work together as a result of our power-sharing arrangements.

With a list of issues as long as Lough Neagh, from agreement on a budget and public sector pay awards, A5, Casement Park, SEN reform or the Good Jobs Bill, there is limited time and bandwidth to deliver on the programme for government commitments before the election.

Political point scoring between parties, particularly between those in the Executive, will make resolving these thorny issues even harder, and while parties will scramble to attribute blame when delivery falls short, it is as inevitable as rain in winter that a finger will be pointed at civil servants. There is already regular commentary that the civil service is ‘bloated’ and that it suffers from a ‘silo-mentality’. Criticisms that are often repeated, yet never really hold up under scrutiny.

It’s an immutable fact that civil servants in NI operate in a system that was never designed to deliver the most effective form of government, yet this is precisely what is asked of them.

Giving the civil service a kicking has become a favoured pastime for some commentators and even some politicians. There have been occasions recently where MLAs have engaged in criticism of officials that is both personal and insulting. We’ve seen an MLA baselessly accuse officials of “lying” to a Stormont committee and, disgracefully, a few MLAs backing a call from a lobby organisation for officials to resign within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing that MLAs shouldn’t scrutinise civil servants.

Civil servants aren’t perfect, and things can go wrong. However, as the political heat begins to boil and MLAs do their best to secure their seats, it is incumbent that mudslinging and vilification aren’t conveniently packaged as ‘scrutiny or accountability’. Officials who appear before the Assembly do so to answer serious questions about policy, operational delivery, and to account for use of public money; they are not there to be political spokespeople for their Minister – that’s what party press officers are for.

I don’t believe that most MLAs necessarily set out to do this, and politics must allow for open debate and discussion. This can sometimes be emotional; after all, government affects almost every facet of people’s lives. But we must never allow emotion or political point-scoring to undermine the fundamental principle that underpins the civil service, impartiality.

Officials serve the government of the day, whatever party/parties that comes from, without fear or favour. It is this principle that means officials cannot defend themselves publicly, nor can they (or should they) express a political view. But it isn’t just civil servants who have a responsibility to uphold that; there is also an obligation on Ministers and MLAs, and this starts by respecting the role of civil servants and ensuring scrutiny and accountability is proportionate, evidence-based and balanced.

I am concerned that the febrile political atmosphere that is likely to continue or get worse will see officials caught in the middle. For this reason, I have written to the Speaker of the Assembly, Edwin Poots, to ask him to remind MLAs that when officials appear before the Assembly, they do so as part of their professional duties, and the right to respect and dignity in the workplace still applies, and impartiality must not be brought into question.

A former senior civil servant told me recently, ‘Government is hard, government in NI is harder’. Officials are not naïve to the political environment we operate in, but if we want government to even have a chance of succeeding between now and May, we must keep civil servants out of the political crossfire.

The impartiality of the civil service must not become collateral damage in a rising political temperature.

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The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) marked its 25th anniversary in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, with all the trappings a diplomatic milestone demands.

There were 21 heads of state and government present for a ceremonial “family photo” and two-page Bishkek Declaration on September 1. A further 28 agreements included “strengthening multilateral partnership in nuclear safety and nuclear security”.

On the face of it, the SCO appeared to be a confident bloc speaking with one voice for roughly a quarter of humanity, while representing between 23% and 25% of global GDP.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation countries:

The real picture, however, is far less flattering. A quarter of a century in, it remains primarily a forum for multiple parallel bilateral engagements and deals between leaders. So far, so functional.

What the SCO has never become in 25 years is a body able to adjudicate the disputes its members bring to the room – still less, the ones they wage outside.

At its best, the SCO has been something narrower: a vehicle for bilateralism which lets its most powerful members strike deals and settle scores. As they often do this in very public ways, the messages they send more often than not are for domestic consumption, to present themselves as staunch defenders of strategic national interests.

Take the plenary address by the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi. With Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif at the same table, Modi declared that “there can be no place for double standards” in dealing with terrorism, and that “terrorism can never be a strategic asset for anyone”. He further called for dismantling “the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens”.

Modi did not need to name Pakistan to make it clear who he was aiming his remarks at. Everyone in the room – and at home – will have recognised this as the language India uses to criticise Pakistan for its alleged support of transnational terrorist networks.

The added benefit of the SCO summit for Modi was that he was able to deliver this criticism directly into Sharif’s face.

Modi then made a second point, noting that it is essential to “respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”. Without saying it directly, this worked as a rebuke for Russia’s war against Ukraine, China’s Belt-and-Road corridor through Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and for Pakistan’s claims to territory that India considers its own.

A statement like that not only makes Modi look good at home. It also offers something for India’s partners in the west – who can read it as a criticism of Russia. And it helps shore up India’s traditional role as a champion of the global south – including against Chinese or Russian aspirations in this regard.

Modi also had a more direct message for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, which he delivered in person and on the record. “Every day spent in war pushes humanity backwards,” he told the Russian president after their customary hug, before emphasising the need to move “from an endless war towards an end to the war”.

While there is a more constructive, less antagonistic bilateral relationship between India and Russia compared with India and Pakistan, it was a notably pointed line. All the more so as it was delivered in public to a fellow leader of a bloc built partly around the idea that its members offer each other unconditional solidarity against the west.

This is not the first time Modi has publicly called on Putin to end the war. He also condemned the deaths of Ukrainian children in a Russian missile strike just as the two leaders had a bilateral summit in Moscow in 2024.

Putin scurries for support

Putin came to Bishkek with the busiest bilateral schedule of any leader. Across the two days of the summit, he met with Modi, Xi Jinping of China and Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran – as well as the presidents of Tajikistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and the attending non-SCO members Turkey and Armenia.

Impressive as this may seem, it is hardly a sign of strength. Because of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant against him, Putin’s personal diplomacy is confined to venues like the SCO and sometimes the Brics – the organisation of emerging economies which began with Brazil, Russia, India and China, but has since expanded considerably in size and influence.

This is hardly a good look for the leader of a would-be great power that has also suffered recent setbacks in its influence and leverage elsewhere in the world, from Syria to Venezuela to Mali.

Three leaders, three agendas

Xi, by contrast, was strikingly selective. His only confirmed bilateral meeting was with Putin. This can be seen as a possible signal that Beijing increasingly views the SCO as a lower-value event than its own direct channels with individual capitals, or forums such as Brics.

It was striking that Xi then headed straight to Cairo for his first state visit in a decade to Egypt, a country that has been a member of the enlarged Brics since 2024. That organisation’s summit begins in New Delhi on September 12.

So, each of the organisation’s “big three” leaders extracted something different and specific from the summit. But none of that depended on the SCO functioning as a collective voice.

This doesn’t suggest the SCO is meaningless. Its summits generate bilateral engagements and agreements, and opportunities for members to project non-western solidarity to their domestic and international audiences.

But Bishkek’s real anniversary message was not the declaration its leaders signed. Rather, it was the way in which the organisation’s three dominant leaders, Xi, Modi and Putin, used the forum to pursue three entirely separate agendas – and left having resolved none of the issues that divide them.

Last week Holly gave birth to twins Georgie and Marley four months early

Holly Ditchfield, who shot to fame on Married At First Sight UK, has revealed her newborn twins have died.

Last week she announced she had given birth to twins Georgie and Marley four months early. Holly and partner Aaron Summers welcomed their two sons after just 23 weeks of pregnancy.

They were immediately cared for on a neonatal intensive care unit but today, Holly announced both twins had died within hours of one another, reports the Mirror.

In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “My beautiful boys, Georgie & Marley. It has been the hardest, most heartbreaking, yet most magical 9 days of our lives. At 1pm on 03/09/2026, our darling Georgie peacefully passed away. Then, at 5am on 04/09/2026, his beautiful brother Marley followed him.

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“My boys both took their final breaths in the arms of me and their daddy. There is no greater privilege, and no greater pain, than holding your children as they leave this world.

“They gave us the most precious week of our lives. A week I would live over and over again, just to have those moments with them. To hold them. To look at them. To love them. To be their mummy and daddy.”

Holly said “nothing could prepare” her for losing her children in a heartfelt post.

“My boys are together again now, just as they should be, and I pray with all my heart that they are finally at peace. Nothing could ever prepare you for losing your children.

“Nothing prepares you for having to walk your babies to a mortuary. We have seen and faced more in these 9 days than I ever imagined possible, and my heart feels completely bruised,” she wrote.

“My body feels different. It feels like a part of me is no longer here, because a part of me truly isn’t. I miss my boys more than words could ever explain.

“I would have given absolutely everything to have watched Georgie and Marley grow, to hear their voices, watch them take their first steps, and see the beautiful lives they deserved to have.”

Concluding, she wrote: “But for 9 precious days, they were here. They were ours. They were loved beyond measure. And they will forever be our beautiful boys.

“Please, I ask everyone to respect how incredibly difficult this is for me and Aaron right now. We are trying to process a pain no parent should ever have to know.

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“Georgie & Marley, thank you for giving us the most precious 9 days of our lives. You will forever be our sons, our babies, and the biggest part of our hearts. Until we meet again, my beautiful boys. Mummy & Daddy love you forever.”

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at childbereavementuk.org or you can call them on 0800 02 888 40.

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This ended up being a fairly quiet Deadline Day for United. After adding Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to the squad earlier in the summer, they opted against making late moves despite appearing to require improved defensive depth. Joshua Zirkzee was subject to a late loan proposal from Everton, but this was rejected.

Swansea City play host to Wrexham at the Swansea.com Stadium this evening in Championship action.

These two played a dramatic encounter the last time they met in SA1, with the home side scoring two late goals to stun their opponents.

Swansea are flying high this time around, having earned 10 points from their opening four games. They currently sit top of the pile and could extend their lead over Middlesbrough with a win over their north Wales rivals.

Wrexham, meanwhile, got their campiagn up and running with a 3-0 win over Millwall in midweek.

Swansea have made three changes for this clash, with Jay Fulton, Moussa Yeo and Melker Widell all starting from the off.

For Wrexham, Phil Parkinson has made five alterations of his own, with Kieffer Moore starting from the bench. New signing Callum O’Hare, however, makes his full debut.

Tonight’s game is being shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Swansea City: Vigouroux; Key, Lissah, Welsh, Tymon; Fulton; Yeo, Widell, Eustaquio, Eom; Idah

Subs: Fisher, Seelt, Cabango, Stamenic, Just, Vipotnik, Parente, Opoku, Ronald

Wrexham: Patterson; Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle; Imray, M.James, Whiteman, Longman; Rathbone, O’Hare; Smith

Subs: Ward, Ekomie, Worrall, Windass, Cadamarteri, Kabore, Moore, Vyner, O’Brien

Kick-off is at 8pm and you can follow live updates below.

We’ll reveal the winning National Lottery numbers right here for both Saturday night’s Lotto and Thunderball draws. Tonight’s Lotto jackpot stands at £6.8m, while the top prize on Thunderball is £500,000 – and the latter is not shared, the lucky winner has it all to themselves.

The winning National Lottery Lotto numbers are drawn at 8pm while the Thunderball numbers are drawn shortly after. We’ll have those all important results live below. The National Lottery says it creates over nine million winners each week, with an average of seven new millionaires.

The biggest ever Lotto winner was created in April 2016 when an anonymous player banked £35m. A single ticket won £26.4m on the New Year’s Eve lotto in 2016.

A married couple from the Vale of Glamorgan won £1m on the Lotto just last month. The couple in their 60s, said they played the same numbers for decades. For the biggest stories in Wales first sign up to our daily newsletter here

The King and Queen were greeted by thousands of spectators at the famous Highland Games event before travelling to Balmoral to meet Andy Burnham

The King and Queen basked in the Highland sunshine at the annual Braemar Gathering before heading off for talks with the Prime Minister.

Charles and Camilla were welcomed by thousands of spectators at the celebrated Highland Games event before making their way to Balmoral to meet Andy Burnham.

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The sun emerged from behind the clouds and the rural setting burst into life as crowds descended on the venue in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, famous for its royal connections.

A variety of competitions were on display, from cross country racing and tug of war to caber tossing, the high jump and Highland dancing.

The audience stood to welcome the royal couple before singing the national anthem.

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Pipers and drummers received thunderous applause from the crowd as they paraded around the games arena.

The Queen was given a heather posy by 11-year-old Highland dancer Ally Dey.

Compere Robert Lovie said during the royal arrival: “We are greatly honoured that your majesties have graced us with your presence today, which enriches this gathering and all that Highland Games and culture represents, and I know I speak for everyone – both in your beloved Royal Deeside and from the family of Highland Games officials and competitors – in sending you both our warmest and most loyal good wishes.

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“Today, in the fine autumnal splendour of this Highland village, we present the finest of athletes, sportsmen and women, dancers, pipers and drummers and a proud showcase of talent from your majesty’s armed forces.”

Protesters began arriving in the Kent town at 7am with traffic blocked and ferries delayed

Motorists told how they were left in fear as a mob of masked protesters stormed Britain’s cross channel port today.

Around 300 men, dressed head-to-toe in black, blocked a key road to the Dover crossing while chanting “stop the boats” and “whose streets? our streets”.

It is believed the balaclava-clad horde was orchestrated by Patriotic Platform, a far-right group founded by convicted criminal and xenophobe YouTuber Danny Tommo.

Ferry passenger Toby Mackenzie was petrified when his car was surrounded. He wrote online: “Pretty much left me fearing for my life. Happy that I didn’t drive through them to protect myself. Generally fearing for my life.”

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P&O Ferries were delayed for up to an hour, with passengers who missed their sailing offered alternative slots.

Traffic on the A20 was stuck in four mile tailbacks, causing delays of at least 45 minutes to reach the port.

Frustrated travellers slammed the demo. One wrote online: “Was stuck on a boat in Dunkirk for over an hour and a half, which also means I will miss my hospital appointment for a potential life-threatening illness this afternoon. Stop the boats? Wrong ones!”

Lania Tkaczyk, who was staying at the town’s Premier Inn, said: “We were stranded this morning and have only just been able to leave. It was quite intimidating seeing the men head-to-toe in black.”

Kent Police later revealed no arrests had been made in the “spontaneous protest”.

Appearing to take credit for the action, Tommo, a friend of far-right activist Tommy Robinson – real-name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – shared footage and posted: “It’s time! Protect our country! And more importantly our women and children! This is our warning!”

He previously said his aim is to create “a patriotic army that is able to take control of the United Kingdom”.

Robinson also posted: “Simultaneously at different locations acrossDover patriots have mobilised to close down the port.”

Nick Lowles of anti-racism charity HOPE not hate said: “Since the riots of 2024, Tommo has repeatedly spoken about the need to take to the streets and take direct action.

“Despite warnings from HOPE not hate, the authorities have failed to act – they’ve allowed him to agitate, organise and mobilise large groups around the country. Today is clearly the consequence of the inaction from the police and we fear that without decisive action things will only get worse from here.”

Protesters began arriving in the Kent town at 7am. Traffic coming in and out of the port was blocked. By lunchtime, police had moved the crowd away from the port area and guided them toward the Dover Priory railway station.

Some locals leaning out of flats waved and applauded as they marched past.

Labour MP for Dover and Deal Mike Tapp, a former soldier, said: “I am fed up with idiots coming to Dover to cause disruption. Go home. Enjoy your weekend, get a job.” In 2016 Tommo, 37, admitted attempted kidnapping and was sentenced to two years in prison after taking part in an armed attempt to abduct a man during a drugs-related dispute.

And this year he became involved in direct action around Dover, targeting migrants arriving by small boats.

He pleaded guilty last month to entering a restricted area of the harbour in March without lawful authority.

A government spokesman commenting on yesterday’s events said: “The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to our democracy, but we condemn the behaviour in Dover and the travel disruption it has caused.”

The council is also considering changes to the way that taxis and private hire vehicles are tested

Taxi drivers in Peterborough could face having to replace older vehicles under proposed changes to the city’s licensing policy. Peterborough City Council is proposing to remove acquired rights that currently apply to vehicles licensed before July 26, 2022, also known as ‘grandfather rights’, in a bid to replace an ageing fleet.

It is one of a series of potential changes that could be made to the council’s Taxi and Private Hire Policy 2026-2031, which officials say could have a “significant impact” on the licensed trade. Financial checks for all new and renewal operator applications may be introduced too.

The council said these checks would help to establish whether operators have sufficient financial capacity to deliver passenger transport contracts, while also addressing risks related to money laundering and organised crime. Among the other proposed changes is that zero-emission vehicles could have a maximum licensing age of 18 years, while the existing ultra-low-emission vehicle category would be replaced with a hybrid category covering mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

The council is also considering changes to the way that taxis and private hire vehicles are tested. One option would be replacing the existing certificate of compliance system with an MOT-only model, with Aragon remaining as the council’s sole testing site.

Officers are also deciding whether to appoint a limited number of additional DVSA-authorised MOT testing centres, potentially giving drivers greater flexibility over testing appointments. These proposed policy updates follow changes to legislation, national standards and industry best practice since the current policy was introduced in 2022.

They have been influenced by a national move towards stronger taxi regulation and recommendations arising from the Baroness Casey review. A report written by Jacqui Harvey, head of the city council’s regulatory services, said: “The proposed policy changes are likely to have a significant impact on the licensed trade.

“The main areas of impact are expected to include the removal of grandfather rights for older licensed vehicles and the introduction of financial checks for all new and renewal operator applications. These changes are intended to strengthen public safety, improve regulatory oversight and ensure that licensed operators and vehicles continue to meet appropriate standards.

“Increased safeguarding of vulnerable passengers is paramount, particularly where taxi and private hire services are used to deliver passenger transport contracts or support other journeys involving children, young people, adults at risk or those who may be vulnerable due to their circumstances.”

The city council does not currently require CCTV to be installed or used in licensed vehicles, but Ms Harvey’s report stated that if CCTV became a legal requirement nationally, the council would adopt the requirement and update its licensing policy accordingly.

Licensing committee members will review the proposed revisions to the taxi policy on September 9 and determine whether a one-month consultation should proceed. Any responses will be brought back to the licensing committee before any final policy is considered by full council.

In response to the report, the Peterborough Private Hire Association said it supported:

• Removing the 105g/km CO2 restriction
• Recognising mild, full and plug-in hybrids
• More modern and affordable vehicle choices
• Removing the outdated critical-failure criteria
• Increasing vehicle-testing capacity

However, the association said it did not support:

• Reducing petrol and diesel private hire vehicles from 10 years to nine years without evidence or justification
• Reducing Hackney carriages from 15 years to 12 years-particularly when wheelchair-accessible vehicles are extremely expensive
• Removing grandfather rights from proprietors who purchased or financed vehicles based on the existing policy
• A £100 signage fine without a warning or reasonable opportunity to correct an innocent mistake
• Unclear financial and credit checks that could unfairly affect smaller operators

“We will be calling a meeting with drivers, proprietors and operators to discuss these proposals and agree our formal response,” the association said in a public statement. “The association will support genuine improvements, but we will firmly challenge unjustified restrictions and unnecessary costs being placed upon the trade,” it added.

Network Rail have said the delays will affect Great Western Railway services running between Maidenhead and Marlow.

Tickets dated for today, Saturday 5 September, will be valid for travel tomorrow Sunday 6 September at no extra cost.

You may use your ticket at no additional cost on the following operators:

• Avanti West Coast services between Birmingham New Street and London Euston
• CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Bristol Temple Meads
• Chiltern Railway services between Oxford and London Marylebone
• South Western Railway services between Salisbury / Reading and London Waterloo
• London Underground on Bakerloo and Jubilee lines

If your train is cancelled, you may travel on either of the two services before, or two services after, your original train. If these are peak services or less flexible, you can still travel with your original ticket, at no extra cost.