News

When flag protests were at their height, many observers both here and across the globe, shook their heads and despaired of Northern Ireland. 

The decision by Belfast City Council to grant planning permission for a sports ground on open land in West Belfast creates an uneasy precedent and is out of step with planning policy elsewhere, Scope reports. 

Scope examines further evidence that the government's flagship Transforming Your Care programme is not just stalled but going backwards. 

Scope examines a ground-breaking research project which aims to address the negative stereo-typing of young people by the media. 

Upper Bann is just getting back to normal again after an election campaign that ended in acrimony with allegations of racist abuse.

Earlier this month the Office of First Minister deputy First Minister released information that it was ordered to by the  Information Commissioner revealing the salaries paid to the special advisors working for the First Minister.

Now that the dust has settled on the General Election and the victory champagne has gone flat, Scope looks at the section of the electorate nobody is talking about: the people who did not vote. 

As cuts deepen should the sector lie down and take it, disappear into silos, with everyone fighting everyone else for scraps, or is there a better way? 

In the latest in our series on abortion Scope examines the impending court case which could force the Assembly's hand on reform. 

Just imagine the uproar if the education department withdrew a school’s funding two months before the  end of term leaving A Level and GSCE students without teachers, and the rest of the pupils scrambling for places elsewhere. 

Scope meets Paul Mullan, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Northern Ireland. 

Scope analyses the fall-out from the Wells affair and concludes we should not be writing off the DUP just yet.

Independent MLA John McCallister calls for a realignment of politics in Northern Ireland and has some harsh words for the Make it Work campaign. 

David Smyth of the Evangelical Alliance, writing exclusively for Scope, challenges those currently calling for changes to Northern Ireland's abortion law

Scope analyses the bizarre recent conduct of the Department of the Environment and suggests this is a text book example of how not to implement cuts. 

Scope stops off in South Belfast to examine politicians on social media and stumbles across the politician who out-tweets Obama.  

We could all end up paying a very high price for cuts to Early Years services, Scope explores the implications.

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

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

Scope editor Nick Garbutt on why Labour should stand in Northern Ireland.