Northern Ireland

SDLP's Colum Eastwood: Talks delay for party conferences 'deeply reckless'

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at Stormont. Picture by Hugh Russell
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at Stormont. Picture by Hugh Russell SDLP leader Colum Eastwood at Stormont. Picture by Hugh Russell

COLUM Eastwood has said it would be "deeply reckless" to delay efforts to restore Stormont because of the DUP and Sinn Féin's upcoming party conferences.

The SDLP leader warned that the talks process was "drifting aimlessly", and urged the British and Irish governments to "map out a timetable and an inclusive process between now and Christmas".

Sinn Féin's Ard Fheis will take place from November 17-18, while the DUP's annual party conference will be held the following week on November 25.

The latest talks to restore power-sharing between the DUP and Sinn Féin broke up last week without agreement.

Mr Eastwood said that "if direct rule continues into the new year, it will be very difficult to return devolution in the short-to-medium term".

"It would be deeply reckless to allow the schedules of the DUP and Sinn Féin party conferences to delay that effort," he said.

"Appeasing these parties further by providing them with time and space to speak to their own party bases could end up setting this process back rather than moving it forward."

Meanwhile, Green Party leader Steven Agnew said contentious issues should be taken away from the north's political parties and opened up to a "citizen's assembly".

Since last year the south has had a citizen's assembly which advises on issues such as abortion and climate change.

Speaking yesterday to BBC's Sunday Politics programme, Mr Agnew also said that "the Good Friday Agreement as we know it is dead".