There's been a lot of water under the bridge since Red Lines took it summer break.

There's a new king on the throne.

There's a new Prime Minister in number 10 and a new Secretary of State installed behind the desk at the NIO.

So much has changed.

And yet you could say, despite all of that, in terms of the outstanding political issues that need to be dealt with, very little has actually

changed. The cost of living crisis, the protocol, the debate around the constitutional future

of this place, those with the challenges politics here was facing then, and there's still

the concerns confronting our politicians today at the start of a new political term. Suzanne,

a brief headline opening thought from you.

Where are we?

Well, we might have a new king, a new prime minister,

a new secretary of state and a new start of term at Stormand,

but it's still the same old, same old for Northern Ireland politics.

And while the kids are back at school, the MLAs are not back on those benches Ireland politics. And while the kids are back at school, the MLAs are not back on

those benches in Parliament buildings. And the parties are as far away as ever. I think this cost

of living crisis and all the concerns over energy bills that people really, really feel that's going to start to bite in

in the autumn. And I suspect that there will be a wave of anger at the fact that MLAs are still

on full pay while they're not doing all of their job and that patients will wear thin. And there'll be

this big divide between the politicians up there on the

hill and people struggling to pay to pay their bills feed their kids heat their homes in the

real world. John? I the personnel has indeed changed and we are in a new era.

But I think on the ground there's growing public anxiety about the cost of living as winter approaches.

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