Stormont Is ‘Nasty & Directionless’: Alliance MLA Kate Nicholl on Fixing Northern Ireland Politics

Is Stormont broken — or can it still be fixed?In this episode of Stormont Sources, Alliance MLA for South Belfast Kate Nicholl delivers one of the most candid insider accounts yet of life inside the Northern Ireland Assembly.Kate reflects on:Entering Stormont during collapseBalancing politics, motherhood, and public serviceWhy Assembly politics feels “nasty” and directionlessThe toll dysfunction takes on public trustWhy committees work — but the Chamber often doesn’tStructural reform, data-driven policy, and long-term thinkingWhether she will run again in the next Assembly electionWe also debate:🔹 Unionist Unity — can the DUP, UUP and TUV really cooperate?🔹 Gavin Robinson’s olive branch to new UUP leader John Burrows🔹 Whether a single unionist Westminster party is realistic🔹 Succession planning inside the DUP🔹 Why Stormont struggles to deliver legislation🔹 Listener questions on committees, scrutiny and reformWith David McCann, Tim Cairns (former DUP Special Adviser), and Michael McKernan (former SDLP Special Adviser), this episode goes deep inside the personalities, structures and failures shaping Northern Ireland politics.📌 Stormont Sources is Northern Ireland’s most-listened-to political panel podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.