- This event has passed.
Imagine! Festival: Checks and Balances – the Role of Opposition in UK and Ireland
On the 26th of March, 2026, a panel on ‘Checks and Balances – the Role of Opposition in UK and Ireland’ took place as part of the Imagine! Festival of Politics and Ideas ‘Future Politics’ series. This panel was jointly hosted by the John and Pat Hume Foundation and CONNECT, beginning at 6.30pm in Conor Lecture Theatre in Birley (BA) building, Ulster University Belfast.
The speakers for this event were:
– Matthew O’Toole, Leader of the Opposition in the NI Assembly.
– John McAllister, former MLA (who introduced PMB on opposition).
– Eoin Ó Broin, Sinn Fein TD.
– Sarah Rees, Plaid Cymru.
Chaired by Stephen Farry, Professor of Strategic Policy in Practice at Ulster University and former MP & MLA.
This event examined the role of the opposition across UK and Irish legislatures. With important elections taking place in Wales, Scotland and England in May 2026 and Northern Ireland elections in 2027 the panel event took place against the backdrop of potentially seismic changes for politics locally and nationally.
