Brian Clifford Pope

Belfast, Northern Ireland

Chartered Civil Engineer and Writer at Freelance

Former councillor + Chair of Economic Development Committee. Occasional writer for Slugger O'Toole. Dad.

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Articles

UK and Ireland are merely pawns in a bigger geo-political game…

1 month ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

As the UK’s FTSE 100 fell to its lowest level for over a year and then dramatically bounced back by 5% following the pause in tariffs it is easy to assume that Donald Trump’s trade war is just an economic crisis, but there is much more to it than that. Some commentators and politicians have failed to grasp that the imposition of Donald Trump’s tariffs is also a geo-political move. This is demonstrated by his decision to pause the tariffs for 90 days for all countries, except for China.
The Republican Party has a moral duty to speak up against swingeing cuts to USAID…

1 month ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

Time is running out for millions of people in the world’s poorest nations as the US takes a step closer to making drastic cuts to its international aid budget. Tariffs, Ukraine and Gaza have dominated the headlines, for good reason, but we should not forget Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s plans for USAID and the Republican Party’s complicit role in its destruction.
Should Stormont appoint a new Economic and Infrastructure Expert Panel to put Northern Ireland on a pathway to economic success?

1 month ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope |Mick Fealty

Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, has just made a shock announcement to the Assembly to send forensic accountants into NI Water to investigate a potential budget overspend. The short-term and long-term funding of the water industry and infrastructure is clearly becoming a political ‘hot potato’!Back in 2020 the then Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, published a report from the Ministerial Advisory Panel on Infrastructure detailing proposals for new Infrastructure Commission.
Developer Contributions won’t solve the Housebuilding and Wastewater Crisis…

1 month ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope |David McCann

Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has just issued a public consultation on Developer Contributions for Wastewater Infrastructure but unfortunately this won’t be enough to resolve a few decades of underfunding. The 35 page document Developer Contributions for Wastewater Infrastructure – Consultation Document is aimed at raising desperately needed funds to upgrade and improve our dilapidated drainage system.
Is the threat of Techno-Authoritarianism in America something to worry about?

1 month ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

Over the last few weeks Donald Trump has unleashed a whirlwind of executive orders, tariff announcements, foreign policy declarations and intentions, and, more generally, he’s managed to shakeup the whole world, but what’s this all about? Currently, there are an increasing number of voices in America who point to the role or influence of the tech billionaires in the US administration and a type of techno-authoritarianism future.
Western nations must stand united against Trump’s latest onslaught…

2 months ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

The prospect of a £1.6bn contract for the Thales missile factory in east Belfast to deliver 5,000 lightweight missiles to Ukraine shows that Northern Ireland has a role to play in world affairs. (Gail Walker, Comment March 8)Regardless of whether this plant might theoretically become one of Putin’s targets, no matter how remote that possibility might be, it makes Northern Ireland a strategic partner in the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’.
Elon Musk type reforms are not needed to deliver wide-ranging transformation of our public services…

2 months ago | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

A new report written by Prof. Jodie Carson and Prof. Stephen Farry calls for a ‘multi-faceted policy approach to public sector transformation’ in Northern Ireland. A Focus on Public Sector Transformation Final_Public_Sector_Transformation_Paper_SPU is a welcome intervention as it challenges current thinking and focuses our minds on the future role of AI and the fact that there few incentives to grow the economy and generate and retain additional revenue for our public services.
The DUP can solve the Housebuilding Crisis by supporting Water Charges…

Jan 31, 2025 | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

This week’s Infrastructure debate in the Assembly was described to me as truly depressing. It was yet another lost opportunity to try and solve the growing wastewater crisis which is engulfing both the housebuilding and the construction sectors. The Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, insisted that Water Charges would not be introduced in Northern Ireland. But there was little else of value in the entire debate.
Derry is doomed to poor housing unless the inequalities are addressed…

Sep 24, 2024 | sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

“I am very much aware of the great demand for housing, especially social housing, and the impact that wastewater capacity issues can have on the delivery of housing supply.”These are the words spoken by Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, in September 2022 at a special social housing workshop.
Politicians should listen to Engineers on the Wastewater Crisis

Sep 17, 2024 | mail.sluggerotoole.com | Brian Clifford Pope

The current wastewater crisis has hit the headlines again with Construction Employers Federation CEO, Mark Spence, appearing on the BBC’s The View describing how drastic the situation is at present. Towards the end of July, I had written the piece for Slugger Drainage Problems Present Existential Threat to Northern Ireland PLC… – Slugger O’Toole (sluggerotoole.com) about how this issue threatens social housebuilding, commerce and our economy in general.