UK

Stormont crisis will not delay Brexit says Theresa May

Mrs May says she wants a swift resolution to the political crisis in Northern Ireland
Mrs May says she wants a swift resolution to the political crisis in Northern Ireland Mrs May says she wants a swift resolution to the political crisis in Northern Ireland

THE political crisis in Belfast will not delay the process for Britain's exit from the European Union, Theresa May has said.

Northern Ireland is facing a snap election following the resignation of deputy first minister Martin McGuinness.

The SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson called on the Prime Minister to delay triggering Article 50 if voters go to the polls because it would leave Northern Ireland voiceless in the Brexit process.

"In these circumstances will she postpone Article 50 or will she just plough on regardless?" he asked.

Mrs May said she wanted a swift resolution to the political crisis in Northern Ireland.

She added: "It is still the case that ministers are in place and that obviously there are executives in place, that we are still able to take the views of the Northern Ireland people."

In the first session of Prime Minister's Questions of the new year, Mrs May repeated her intention to set out more details about the Government's approach to Brexit soon.

"I will ... in a matter of weeks be setting out some more details of our proposal on this issue."

A Labour spokesman said the party wanted a Commons debate on the Government's Brexit negotiating position "as urgently as possible" and before the invocation of Article 50.

The crisis in Northern Ireland "can't be allowed" to derail Mrs May's plan to table Article 50 by the end of March, said the Labour source, adding: "We are not in any way seeking any such delay."

He said: "We won't do anything to frustrate the passing of Article 50 - we've made that clear time and again - and we don't want delay in it."