Scope Articles

Gender quotas? Do me a favour - politicians are all the same anyway

23 Mar 2015

Political commentator Alex Kane explains why quotas for female politicians will never get his vote.

Saving the Festival is like nailing legs to a cadaver and telling it to walk

23 Mar 2015

Tom Collins who had oversight of the Belfast Festival at Queens for 11 years explains why he believes it cannot be saved.

BIG new youth fund has fresh focus

Conor Largey benefitted from Big Lottery support

19 Mar 2015

Collaboration with youth at every stage is a new requirement for any groups looking to access some of the Big Lottery's new £50m pot aimed at Empowering Young People.

A lost opportunity: how the public sector could grow the economy by promoting innovation

19 Mar 2015

The public sector currently spends £2.7 billion a year. Scope examines how this massive spending power could be used to grow the economy and produce better services

The case for gender quotas in politics

The statue of Boudica at Hyde Park Corner in London

16 Mar 2015

In the past week female representation in politics has been at the forefront of debate. But has a new Stormont report moved anything forward - and was it wrong to rule out quotas? Scope examines the issue.

Lagan Valley MLAs on Twitter: what's the worst that could happen?

15 Mar 2015

The Shakespearean horror of one MLA's destruction through salvation dominates our latest social media overview, as Scope turns to the greater Lisburn area (no doubt a big influence on the bard).

Sticking to the knitting: the real threat to charities

13 Mar 2015

Scope examines how government is undermining the independence of charities.

East Belfast MLAs on Twitter: the calm before the storm

4 Mar 2015

Scope visits East Belfast soon to be the scene of a ferocious General Election contest to check out its MLAs online activity.

Self Harm: The Inner Scream

27 Feb 2015

An alarming report about the extent of self harm in Northern Ireland has just been published. Scope looks at the facts.

Phil Flanagan MLA: an apology

26 Feb 2015

In a recent article Scope described Phil Flanagan MLA as a “bad boy of Twitter."

Analysis: new age discrimination laws will discriminate against children

25 Feb 2015

Policy makers responsible for Northern Ireland’s long awaited age discrimination legislation are themselves being accused of age discrimination.

Playing Our Part: how the BBC is redefining charity appeals

25 Feb 2015

BBC Northern Ireland has been breathing new life into its most venerable institution, the charity appeal. Scope reports.

Opinion: spare the fireworks, change some minds

Photo courtesy of National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Field Office

23 Feb 2015

Public discourse is peppered with bombast. It has no use and dilutes the quality of debate - if you want people to rethink their opinions then pick your words more carefully.

Fermanagh and S Tyrone: a silent Minister and a Twitter "bad boy"