“Turmoil” in Westminster politics underlines the need for the restoration of powersharing in Northern Ireland, a Stormont minister has said.
Justice Minister Naomi Long said the absence of devolved institutions and the political uncertainty in the rest of the UK was the “worst of both worlds” for the north.
Powersharing in Northern Ireland is in limbo after the DUP blocked the formation of a devolved Executive following May’s election in protest at the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Unionists and loyalists are enraged at trade arrangements that have resulted in new checks on goods moving between Britain and Northern Ireland and have demanded that the UK Government introduce changes.
A contentious Bill that would empower ministers to override aspects of the arrangements is currently moving through its stages at Westminster as the Conservative Party are voting for a new leader and Prime Minister.
Asked what the political uncertainty at Westminster meant for Northern Ireland, Mrs Long said: “I don’t think we need to be a priority at Westminster, we need to be a priority here.
“Locally elected politicians need to get back into the chamber and back around the Executive table, we can make those choices for ourselves. We don’t need Westminster to hand-hold us.
“I am not going to off-load our problems onto Westminster.”
Referring to the DUP, Mrs Long added: “I think those who are reliant on Westminster to solve all our problems and who are hanging all of their hopes on that particular route may well find themselves frustrated and disappointed.
“Irrespective of the protocol and irrespective of what happens in the UK Government and irrespective of the turmoil that we are seeing at Westminster, or even because of those things, it is all the more important that we have functioning devolved Government here in Northern Ireland.
“The idea that we are in a situation where we have no devolution and turmoil at Westminster, so no oversight there either, to me is the worst of both worlds for the people that we represent.
“The sooner we have a functioning Assembly and Executive, the better I think for everyone.”
Mrs Long is also the leader of the cross-community Alliance Party which emerged as the third largest party after this year’s Stormont elections.
She has suggested that the right to nominate a first or deputy first minister should pass to the next largest group if a political party refuses to participate.
The party is also proposing restricting the use of petitions of concern, where Assembly votes have to be conducted on a cross-community basis.
