A personal letter from News Letter editor Ben lowry

	I N S I D E R

Jan 28, 2023

Ben Lowry

Editor

Already it is the end of January and we have a full extra hour of evening daylight.

But heating is a bigger concern to most folk. I wrote last week that I had delayed buying oil as prices edged up. Maybe that was a bad move because they have risen further, so here I delve more deeply into whether it is a good time to buy

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/analysis-northern-ireland-home-heating-oil-prices-see-yet-another-rise-but-is-this-a-good-time-to-buy-compared-to-recent-prices-4005145

Despite cost of living crisis and the debt problems many people have in January, restaurants in Belfast are packed at weekends

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/letters/ben-lowry-as-the-january-days-get-longer-at-night-restaurants-in-belfast-are-packed-4005007

I am saddened at the loss of Flybe. I first flew them when they were Jersey European. There was a time, 10+ years ago, when they often had the best fares flying (I think) to Gatwick

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/transport/scheduled-flights-cancelled-after-embattled-airline-flybe-ceases-trading-4005011

There is a rates hike ahead but the economist Esmond Birnie thinks things could have been bworse
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/business/consumer/cost-of-living/rates-hike-ahead-but-northern-ireland-economist-esmond-birnie-thinks-things-could-have-been-a-lot-worse-4004954

David McNarry, one of the Belfast Agreement negotiators, is warning against unionists ending up appearing to endorse the NI Protocol at the time of the 1998 anniversary
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/david-mcnarry-beware-nio-plans-to-use-25th-anniversary-of-belfast-agreement-to-project-northern-ireland-protocol-as-interlocked-into-1998-deal-4005005

I always follow Rory McIlroy's career with pride, He was at the school I went to (although barely born by the time I left)
https://www.newsletter.co.uk/sport/golf/rory-mcilroy-shrugs-off-patrick-reed-reaction-after-incident-at-dubai-desert-classic-4000736

In my weekly column I respond to a thoughtful column by the moderate unionist Philip Smith (link to his article within this)

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/ben-lowry-unionists-are-not-looking-for-lundies-yet-even-unionists-are-claiming-that-we-are-4005006

Ben Lowry

Editor

Belfast airport boss says Flybe collapse is ‘disappointing and unexpected’