Political leaders in Northern Ireland have urged incoming British prime minister Rishi Sunak to prioritise the restoration of Stormont by dealing with the protocol.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said the post-Brexit trade deal has “polluted every area of government” and warned the “unity of our United Kingdom must be protected”.
“If the prime minister wants to see a fully functioning Stormont, then he must deal with it once and for all. Delivering that solution would be a very powerful signal that that he is focused on building a better future for everyone,” he said
With four days until the deadline for a return to Stormont powersharing to avoid triggering a fresh Assembly election, Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie also called on Mr Sunak to resolve the political impasse.
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“An election won’t deal with the protocol and it won’t provide an easier path to the restoration of an Assembly and an executive,” he said.
Functioning government
“The prime minister should use the next few days to reflect and consult on what is the best way forward for Northern Ireland. Too many decisions have been taken in the past which destabilise this part of the United Kingdom rather than helping its people.”
The North has had no functioning government since the last Assembly election in May due to the DUP’s decision to boycott it until issues around the protocol are resolved.
Sinn Féin deputy leader and First Minister designate Michelle O’Neill said Mr Sunak “must prioritise the restoration of the executive” and “respect for democracy”.
At a press conference in Belfast before he was announced as the new leader of the Conservative Party, Ms O’Neill said she was “less interested in the character” of new Tory appointments and “more interested in what happens”.
She told media that Boris Johnson had left a “legacy of a chaos and dysfunction” for the North.
“It’s not lost on people here that the Tories have never acted in their interest,” she said. “That’s why we make the case again, the only people who will only ever govern in their interest are those with a mandate here. So as we move towards Friday’s deadline, the DUP need to get real, they need to make a political choice. That should be putting people before politics.”
Confidence ‘destroyed’
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the process of appointing Mr Sunak as prime minister was a “farce” and he called for a general election.
The Foyle MP added: “Mr Sunak’s predecessors have completely destroyed the public’s confidence in politics and public service and wrecked the economy and he should not be allowed another two years to desperately attempt to clean up their mess.
“The circus that has surrounded British politics has to end and the only way to do that is through a general election and the establishment of a Labour-led government.”
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long urged Mr Sunak to take a “fresh approach” to political problems in Northern Ireland in order to end “ransom politics”.
“Rishi Sunak needs to recognise, even if a solution to the protocol can be agreed with the EU, there remains an inherent instability at the heart of our institutions,” she said.
“The protocol is only the latest in a long line of grievances to have collapsed Stormont. Until the institutions are reformed to remove the vetoes the largest parties wield over executive formation, the crisis-collapse cycle will continue.”
