Jon Burrows MLA

25/10/2026

We stand between the 33rd anniversaries of two awful atrocities: the Shankill bombing on 23 October and the Greysteel massacre a week later, on 30 October. A terrible October in Northern Ireland’s history.

Nine people murdered on the Shankill. Eight at Greysteel. Many more seriously injured and families shattered forever.

Both attacks were utterly evil and wrong. Sectarian hatred made ordinary people targets because of their community or perceived religion.

Make no mistake: those responsible were no defenders of religion or faith. They were murderers.

I look forward with hope for Northern Ireland. I believe our best days are ahead. But neither I nor my party will ever allow the suffering of the innocent to be forgotten, or history to be rewritten. Terrorism was wrong, is wrong and will always be wrong.

23/10/2026

🔊LISTEN: On Nolan this morning, I spoke about the need for unionism to learn from past strategic mistakes and chart a more positive course for the future.

We were told the Irish Sea border was gone following the DUP’s Safeguarding the Union deal. It wasn’t. The Ulster Unionist Party warned from the outset about the consequences of Brexit, yet those warnings were ignored.

Collapsing Stormont again would only play into Sinn Féin’s hands, undermine confidence in Northern Ireland and hand power back to Westminster.

Unionism cannot continue making the same strategic mistakes and expecting different results.

We need to stop telling people to vote for one party simply to keep Sinn Féin out. 𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭.

That means getting unionism back on the front foot, fixing Stormont and delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

Unionism needs strategic, forward-thinking leadership. That’s what the Ulster Unionist Party is determined to provide.

23/10/2026

Every time Mary Lou comes to Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin’s ministers look like her supporting cast. Why are they not trusted to speak for themselves?

23/10/2026

🚗 You want to obey the law. You want to pay your car tax. But the system won’t let you.

Anyone else caught in Northern Ireland’s MOT merry-go-round?

You try to book your test and find the available appointments are months away. Then starts the endless checking for cancellations, hoping something appears at a centre you can actually reach.

People have jobs, families and responsibilities. They shouldn’t need to take on a second job refreshing the MOT booking website.

Then your car tax runs out. Without a valid MOT or an applicable exemption, you cannot renew it. The police arrangements for delayed MOTs do not remove your obligation to tax your vehicle.

I have heard of people being clamped after getting caught in this mess. People who wanted to do everything right, but struggled to get the test they needed.

Yes, there is a short-notice appointment process when your tax is about to expire. But motorists should not have to reach the brink before the system works for them.

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins needs to get these delays sorted and work with the DVLA on a workable solution that allows people awaiting a booked test to renew their tax, with proper road-safety safeguards.

Government should make it straightforward to comply with the law.

And while political attention is consumed by internal unionist divisions and the Drumcree saga, ministers must not escape scrutiny over the everyday services people depend on.

We need real competence, accountability and focus after the next election. Getting the basics right would be a good place to start.

Have you been caught between an MOT delay and a car-tax deadline? Have you faced enforcement action as a result? Let me know your experience below 👇

23/10/2026

People will be despairing at what they’ve witnessed on The View and at Stormont this week.

How is it that Sinn Féin have emerged galvanised from what was a legal victory for the Orange Order, yet unionism appears divided and deflated?

Meanwhile the dysfunction at the Assembly continues for all to see, which is why reforming Stormont is so important.

The Ulster Unionist Party is focused on providing the strategic, smart leadership that unionism needs, rather than becoming consumed by internal disputes.

If we want to strengthen the Union, we must make Northern Ireland work 👇

23/10/2026

There are amber and yellow weather warnings for strong winds on Saturday 24 October and Sunday 25 October, Storm Boelo. Injuries or danger to life from flying debris, large waves and beach material at coasts, travel delays, fallen trees, and power cuts possible.

As always you can email us on [email protected]

But if you need help over the weekend, all the normal statutory bodies can be contacted by clicking the link below:

There's a weather warning for strong winds on Saturday 24 October and Sunday 25 October, Storm Boelo. Injuries or danger to life from flying debris, large waves and beach material at coasts, travel delays, fallen trees, and power cuts possible.

22/10/2026

R**e is not a joke, and victims are not punchlines. Vittorio Angelone’s conduct is disgraceful. VIctims and survivors deserve dignity and respect, not to have their suffering turned into comedy material.

22/10/2026

🎄 Christmas Appeal 2026 🎄

I’m delighted to officially launch our 2026 Christmas Appeal, alongside my colleague Colin Crawford UUP, in support of the wonderful Macmillan Unit at Antrim Area Hospital 💚

The Unit provides invaluable care and support to patients living with life-limiting conditions and is a place of real comfort and compassion for patients and their families.

This Christmas, Colin and I want to give a little something back.

🎁 Our aim is simple – to provide a small Christmas gift for every patient in the Macmillan Unit, letting them know that they are being thought of at this special time of year.

A full list of suggested donation items is attached to this post. There’s no need to wrap or box anything – we’ll take care of that and package all donations into individual Christmas gift boxes 😊

📍 Drop-off Point: 76 Church Street, Ballymena, BT43 6DF

📅 Donations will be kindly received throughout the month of November.

Whether you can donate one item or several, every contribution will help us spread a little Christmas cheer to those who need it most.

Ballymena is a wonderfully generous community, and we hope you’ll get behind us and support this year’s appeal.

From Colin and me, thank you for your kindness and generosity 💚🎄

22/10/2026

If you're a student, I highly recommend this internship programme. Alumni include several Stormont MLAs, business leaders and my own PA.

22/10/2026

📚Book Week NI is a reminder that reading can change a child’s world .a but it’s also a reminder to adults to make space for books in their own lives.

I’ve always been an avid reader, yet over the past year the demands of my job have squeezed out too much of my own reading time. That’s something I’m determined to put right, because if we want children to grow up loving books, we must show them that reading matters to us too.

I’m currently reading The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer - an apt choice as I try to make more room for reading in a busy life!

In an era of screens and busy lives, we must protect the place of books in our children’s lives. Reading together builds language, imagination and confidence. It also gives children something precious: our undivided attention.

More reading, more exercise, more play, better nutrition and less screen time. These simple foundations can make a profound difference to children’s learning, wellbeing and development.

Parents need encouragement and support too. If reading doesn’t come easily to you, Libraries NI’s Rhythm and Rhyme sessions and BookTrust’s Bookstart programmes can help build confidence in sharing stories with your children. You don’t have to be a perfect reader to make a difference.

Reading needn’t be expensive either. Our libraries offer free access to books, while second-hand bookshops are full of affordable discoveries.

Just half an hour a day adds up to more than 180 hours of reading a year. Small habits can make a big difference.

The Ulster Unionist Party be saying more in our next election manifesto about making reading a real priority right across Northern Ireland.

👇This week, let’s find time to pick up a book, read to a child and encourage a love of reading that lasts a lifetime. I’ll be taking my own advice!