
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.
Latest episodes

Mar 22, 2023 • 50min
From our own Correspondents
Recorded in front of a live audience as guests of the Imagine! Belfast Festival, Mark Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Breen, Political Editor of the Belfast Telegraph, Mark Devenport, former Political Editor of BBC NI and Gareth Gordon, Political Correspondent with BBC NI, to discuss the challenges of political journalism over the last 25 years.

Mar 15, 2023 • 38min
Playing the part
Mark Carruthers talks to writer Owen McCafferty, director Charlie Westenra and stars Dan Gordon and Andrea Irvine.

Mar 8, 2023 • 38min
Taking on the trolls
Mark Carruthers is joined by the BBC's Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent, Marianna Spring, BBC NI's Health Correspondent, Marie-Louise Connolly and Professor Deirdre Heenan to talk about their experiences dealing with online abuse and discuss what more platforms can do to try and stop it.

Mar 1, 2023 • 33min
Unravelling the Windsor knot
Mark Carruthers assesses the Windsor Framework and whether the DUP will accept it with Gareth Gordon, John Campbell and Suzanne Breen.

Feb 22, 2023 • 53min
GFA#2 Women of the hour
Mark Carruthers is joined by Bronagh Hinds, one of the founding members of the Women's Coalition, Dawn Purvis, a former MLA and leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Kathleen Stephens, the former US Consul General in Belfast and Liz O’Donnell, a former Progressive Democrat TD and Minister of State in the Department of Foreign Affairs plus of course Mark Simpson who was the BBC Political Correspondent covering the negotiations.

Feb 15, 2023 • 32min
D(UP)-Day
What are the big decisions facing the DUP & Sir Jeffrey Donaldson?

Feb 8, 2023 • 32min
Reading the Right
Mark & guests discuss the recent anti-migrant protests in the Republic.

Feb 1, 2023 • 34min
Coiled springs?
Mark Carruthers speaks to MLAs Patricia O'Lynn, Diane Forsythe and Mike Nesbitt about what they've been doing while Stormont hasn't been sitting.

Jan 25, 2023 • 50min
GFA25: Ep 1 - The Fourth Estate
Mark Carruthers looks back on the Good Friday Agreement with journalists Mark Simpson, David Davin-Power, Martin Fletcher and former NIO official Mary Madden.

Jan 18, 2023 • 32min
Caution;Tunnel Ahead
Mark Carruthers is joined by BBC NI's Economics and Business Editor, John Campbell, RTE's Europe Editor, Tony Connelly, Jess Sargeant from the Institute for Government, to discuss not the details of a potential deal but the process of getting all sides across the line.