
Red Lines
The back-stop’s here? Bad puns with top political coverage from Northern Ireland. Red Lines brings you essential analysis and commentary by BBC NI’s politics team.
Tous les épisodes
Zooming into Stormont
Mark Carruthers asks three of the newest faces at Stormont how they have coped with an almost virtual parliament.
...plusUnion flak?
Has the DUP fired the starting gun on its 2022 election campaign?
...plusCovid-19 in 2020
Mark Carruthers is joined by Health Correspondent, Marie-Louise Connolly, Jayne McCormack and Enda McClafferty to look back on what a global pandemic has changed in 2020.
...plusTalks, deals and a 'forty foot barge pole'
Mark Carruthers discusses deal-making in Brussels and Belfast with Gareth Gordon, columnist Mary Kelly and former Number 10 spin doctor Tom Kelly.
...plusLegacy troubles
Mark Carruthers is joined by former Victims' Commissioner Judith Thompson, Rev Dr Lesley Carroll from the Eames Bradley Group, and Alan McBride from the WAVE Trauma Centre.
...plusCentenary Sensitivities
Mark Carruthers is joined by Professor Pete Shirlow, columnist Andrée Murphy and Professor Duncan Morrow to discuss marking the centenary of Northern Ireland.
...plusMandatory collision
Mark Carruthers is joined by Sam McBride, Suzanne Breen and John Manley to ask if the system of government at Stormont makes fighting a global pandemic impossible.
...plusThe Biden Identity
Mark Carruthers is joined by Fintan O'Toole, Norman Houston and Brendan O'Neill to discuss the new man heading to the White House.
...plusUnion flagging?
Mark C is joined by Lesley Riddoch, David Maddox & Patrick Maguire.
...plusPolls: Leaders, parties & the border
Mark Carruthers chats to Suzanne Breen, Chris Donnelly and Newton Emerson.
...plusDevenport departs
Gareth Gordon, Enda McClafferty, Jayne McCormack and Stephen Walker join Mark Carruthers to interrogate and tease the outgoing BBC NI Political Editor, Mark Devenport.
...plusBriefing Encounters 2 - Judgement Day
Polly Toynbee, John Sergeant & Alex Massie assess 6 months of Boris Johnson's leadership
...plusAmerica votes on Mass
Mark speaks to Shane Greer, Fintan O'Toole and Marion McKeone about the American election
...plusWill Irish see border?
Mark Carruthers asks John Campbell, Jess Sargeant, Newton Emerson and Naomi O'Leary if the Brexit talks are approaching crunch time.
...plusPresidential reflection
Mark Carruthers speaks to former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese about her time in office, her wish to see reform in the Catholic Church and sexism in politics.
...plusSexism in 2020
Mark Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Breen, Nichola Mallon and Sorcha Eastwood to discuss how women in politics still face sexual harassment.
...plusBritannia waives the rules?
Mark is joined by columnists Mary Kenny, Fintan O'Toole & BBC's John Campbell.
...plusThe Lord Chief Justice Interview
Mark speaks to Sir Declan Morgan, NI's Lord Chief Justice
...plusJulian Smith : Politics, persuasion & pints.
Mark chats to the former NI Secretary Julian Smith
...plusThe Micheál Martin interview
A chance to listen to the full extended version of Mark's interview with the Taoiseach
...plusStormont in a tea cup?
Mark Carruthers is joined by Mary Kelly, Stephen Grimason and Mark Simpson to compare Stormont's latest crisis with some of the big stories of the past.
...plusMicheál matters?
The Good Friday Agreement is his "guiding star".
...plusIndependence Days
Michael Portillo talks to Mark Carruthers and UCD historian, Prof Diarmaid Ferriter about his new RTE series 'Hawks and Doves', examining the Irish War Of Independence.
...plus'Cute Hoors' & Blueshirts.
The end of Civil War politics in the Republic of Ireland?
...plusO'Leary, Newton, John
Mark and guests discuss Brexit, Barnier & a return of Crazy Prices.
...plusYes Ministers
Mark Carruthers is joined by Gareth Gordon, Suzanne Breen, Sam McBride and Brendan Hughes, to rate the Stormont Ministers' performance during the coronavirus crisis.
...plusCould Covid kill the Union?
Mark is joined by Lesley Riddoch, Alex Massie & Martin Kettle.
...plusTop Trumps
Mark Carruthers chats to the new US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland With analysis from Mark Devenport.
...plusGetting your steps up
Mark Carruthers is joined by regulars Gareth Gordon and John Campbell, BBC NI Health Correspondent Marie-Louise Connolly, and former political advisers Tom Kelly and Guto Harri.
...plusHow the dealin's done
Mark Carruthers is joined by former British Ambassador to the US and Germany, Sir Christopher Meyer, and the Former Irish Ambassador to the UK and Italy, Bobby McDonagh and the BBC's Europe Editor, Katya Adler.
...plusBriefing encounters
Mark Carruthers is joined by John Sergeant, Polly Toynbee and Guto Harri to talk communicating with the public during a pandemic.
...plusCrisis Critique
Mark & his guests discuss how politicians are reacting to the coronavirus pandemic.
...plusFrontline reporting from the back garden
Mark Carruthers is joined by regulars Mark Devenport, John Campbell and Enda McClafferty, along with RTE's Legal Affairs turned Covid 19 correspondent, Orla O'Donnell.
...plusLock-in vs Lockdown
Mark Carruthers is joined by RTE's Miriam O'Callaghan, writer Declan Lawn and BBC NI Political Editor Mark Devenport to look at how society and is dealing with lockdown.
...plusAsking the right questions?
Discussing the interactions between media & politicians during the coronavirus outbreak
...plusRHI: Every single jot and tittle
Mark is joined by Conor Macauley, Mary Kelly & Stephen Grimason to examine the RHI report
...plusCapitol Gains
Mark, Gareth, Enda & Mary chat St Patrick's Day trips to the USA.
...plusEquality Street
Irish News columnist Mary Kelly, Green Party Leader Clare Bailey and Wendy Blundell from the Institution of Civil Engineers look at women in public life with Mark Carruthers.
...plusTrading trouble
Mark Carruthers talks trade and customs with Economics and Business Editor John Campbell, Patrick Maguire from the New Statesman and international trade expert Dr Anna Jerzewska.
...plusOn SPAD-batical
Mark, Gareth & Jayne are joined by Julian Smith's former special adviser.
...plusDáilsplaining
Mark Carruthers is joined by columnist Mary Kelly, Irish News political correspondent John Manley and unionist commentator Sarah Creighton.
...plusDearg Lines
Mark Carruthers is in Dublin to talk about the election with Mary Minihan from the Irish Times, Mary Regan from RTÉ and Virgin Media's Gavan Reilly.
...plusBrexitpast
Mark Carruthers is joined by John Campbell in Belfast and the BBC's Europe Editor Gavin Lee and Shona Murray of Euronews from Brussels.
...plusCalling a SPAD a SPAD
Mark Carruthers is joined by Mary Kelly, John Campbell and Mark Devenport to look at Special Advisers, revenue raising and an MLA pay rise.
...plusStormont returns (with added SOSNI)
Mark Carruthers is joined at Stormont by freelance journalist Amanda Ferguson, Economics and Business Editor, John Campbell, and Political Correspondent Stephen Walker.
...plusA holding pattern in high heels
Mark Carruthers is joined by Gareth Gordon, Jayne McCormack and the Press Association's Ireland Editor, David Young.
...plusClear and presenter danger
Mark Carruthers is joined by Tara Mills, William Crawley and Enda McClafferty to look back at a remarkable General Election.
...plusPaper candidates
Mark Carruthers is joined by the Belfast Telegraph's Suzanne Breen, John Manley from the Irish News, Gareth Gordon - who left the News Letter 28 years ago - and Mark Devenport.
...plusAlliance & Westminster: Alliance election profile
Mark Devenport, Jayne McCormack and Mary Kelly join Mark Carruthers to look at the Alliance Party's election profiles.
...plusDups and downs: DUP election profile
Mark Devenport, Stephen Walker and Mary Kelly join Mark Carruthers to look at the DUP's election prospects.
...plus