Brian Pope

Letter of the Day (Bel Tel) Saturday 22 March. @RoryStewartUK thought you might be interested in a few thoughts on the current power struggles, big tech, and the relatively small risk of a dystopian future.

Absolutely delighted for my old school pal Ricky Warwick, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award this evening at the Ards International Guitar Festival. @irish_news @BelTel @News_Letter In any career, there’s no greater honour than being recognised by your peers.

Every measure you list involves spending wealth. You don’t list one measure that creates wealth. And if you don’t create wealth you will soon run out of it to spend, which is already happening (hence all your extra taxes and borrowing).

This Easter, I am hoping & praying for peace in the Middle East. The wider impact of the war in Iran on the global economy could be far-reaching, particularly for the world’s poorest nations & communities. Also concerned about rising fuel costs back home on the most vulnerable.

My favourite part of last night’s @BelTel_Business Awards was the £50k pitching competition. A highly innovative company from Bangor, Vikela, won; it designs and produces 3D environmental body armour. A very enjoyable evening—despite my rather serious expression below!

Check out my latest article: Want Potholes Fixed? Stop Bombarding Government Departments with Questions! linkedin.com/pulse/want-pot… via @LinkedIn

@NewtonEmerson Hey Newton, Sinn Fein must have been reading your latest article in the Irish News on the NI Water funding crisis! It's a step forward, but voluntary contributions might result in a post code lottery where the more disadvantaged areas are left behind.

Voluntary developer contribution - a cute move, likely to end up as the de facto standard.

What a win, well done Ireland!!!!!!!

People often ask me why I got involved in politics and the reason is quite personal, but the next question is- why the Alliance Party? And truthfully, it's because my identity is so multifaceted. I saw myself and my family right across the political spectrum and so I chose a party that I felt represented that. I didn't want to choose between one or the other. That's what I try to show and what I platform in my work as MP for Lagan Valley, I'm not the only person who feels that way. 16 years later, the party is growing and I'm an MP! There's so much more that unites us than divides us, our mission is to proudly champion that and unite people and communities and something i and my colleagues do all day every day 💛

The Day the UAE dreaded: Under attack from barrage of Iranian missiles. UAE says it has intercepted several but some getting through. Civilian killed by fallen debris after an explosion. Multiple explosions could be heard in Dubai, commercial hub of the UAE, and Abu Dhabi, the oil-rich capital. An explosion heard near Dubai Marina, a dense residential area popular with tourists.

How they line up, courtesy of the Bel Tel. 🏈🏈🏈🏉🏉🏉💯☘️☘️

Popping up to say our new arrival came safely into the world 🌍🩵 Born in water with incredible midwives by my side at the wonderful Manchester Birth Centre. It really helped me before giving birth to hear others positive stories, so more on that on my insta. We’re smitten xx

@burnerstreaming @afneil Of course it is, he doesn't care about Europe as they don't vote in US elections obviously. He's got the world talking about this, I think that's a pretty big distraction, besides what else has he got to gain from making these outrageous remarks?

@BrianPope100 @afneil Is it? After pissing off most of Europe with his pointless Greenland schtick (he only got what he already had) he then pissed everyone off some more.

Not sure if the typically myopic US media has quite clocked what an angry shitstorm President Trump has stirred up abroad with his callous, ungrateful, inaccurate gibe about America’s NATO allies staying away from the Afghan frontline. He’s managed to unite pretty much everybody against him, even his hitherto supporters on the populist right. Even Keir Starmer!

@burnerstreaming @afneil You could be right, but it's still one heck of a distraction!

@BrianPope100 @afneil He might have done, but I suspect that even in the US, there will be more people who think his comment is in bad taste, IE vets who are generally keen on him, than there are that think hes right, IE the MAGA crowd that will vote for him whatever.

@RoryStewartUK We need to remember that DJT only ever talks to his American audience and supporters, international facts are irrelevant. Looking through this lens sadly makes more sense of what he says.

Trump is concluding that Europe and the UK are too weak and divided to ever resist him. But appeasing someone like Trump is senseless. Every demand you meet only weakens you + emboldens Trump to humiliate and extort more. Greenland is just the start.

@afneil Andrew, what's your view on whether China etc will join the new Board of Peace? Surely the other major powers wouldn't be interested in joining a replacement body for the UN which will leave Mr Trump with the final decision on contentious issues or situations.

Well 1,061 certainly didn’t stay ‘a little back’. That’s the number of non-American NATO troops who were killed in support of US actions in Afghanistan. He really is ungracious, ignorant and uncaring on such matters. Especially unbecoming from someone who managed to avoid military service himself.

We insult the young by telling them to save for a deposit by buying fewer coffees. It's doubly insulting in Northern Ireland, where there are no houses to buy because better-off homeowners won't pay the price of one coffee a month to fix the water system. irishtimes.com/opinion/2026/0…

@Donnell98828N @afneil I will give you that - there was certainly an element of art of the deal going on but it wasn't very successful as, despite what he said yesterday, he's not got anywhere near what he wanted. Sounds similar to what they were permitted to do anyway under the current arrangements.

@BrianPope100 @afneil The Art of the Deal…z

After telling Davos that he wouldn't use force to acquire Greenland, President Trump says he won’t impose tariffs on several European nations because he’s reached the “framework of a future deal” on Greenland and the Arctic region with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. That ‘deal’ will most assuredly NOT involve Greenland becoming part of America. It will an agreement to improve NATO defences/military resources in the High North that NATO has long been anxious to do, including a ramping up of the US presence in Greenland. God he sure knows how to waste everybody’s time!!! What a palaver and all for nothing.

@Donnell98828N @afneil I don't think so. He clearly backed down in the face of determined opposition.

@BrianPope100 @afneil What U turn was that? He played them like a violin.