Long to meet O’Neill and Foster as parties push to end Stormont stalemate

ALLIANCE leader Naomi Long is due to hold separate talks with Arlene Foster and Michelle O’Neill this week in a bid to end the political stalemate at Stormont.

All Northern Ireland’s political parties except the TUV met yesterday at Mrs Long’s request in an attempt to kick-start negotiations aimed at restoring power-sharing.

The DUP’s Simon Hamiltion and Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey attended the meeting, along with Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken, SDLP chief whip Colin McGrath, Green MLA Steven Agnew, People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll and independent MLA Claire Sugden.

Afterwards, Mrs Long said: “It was good to have everybody bar the TUV in the room.

“We had robust and direct exchanges but they were constructive and everyone is going back to reflect with their party leaders on the next step forward.”

Mrs Long said she would hold separate bilateral discussions with DUP leader Arlene Foster and Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill later this week.

Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, Mr Maskey said: “Sinn Fein is a party of dialogue and we will participate in any process which is credible and can achieve a successful outcome.

“Institutions of government need to enjoy public confidence and it is intolerable and unacceptable that we are still without an Assembly and Executive due to the DUP’s decision to renege on the draft agreement in FebFriday

Alliance leader Naomi Long, Simon Hamilton of the DUP and Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken

ruary and collapse the political negotiations.

“The issues of rights and equality still need resolved and any new process must focus on that if it is to be successful. It must also be fully inclusive of all parties and both governments.”

Mr Maskey accused the Government of abandoning its responsibilities under the Good

Agreement due to its Westminster pact with the DUP.

“There is a clear requirement under the agreement for the two governments to take decisive action and determine how the obstacles to power-sharing will be explicitly removed, by what means and in what time frame under their joint stewardship,” he added.

Speaking earlier, DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: “For nearly 600 days the people of Northern Ireland have been denied a government by Sinn Fein. Local decision making has come to a standstill and our public services are being undermined.

“We have spent the summer engaging with the Government, stressing the need for decisions to be taken. People are tired of uncertainty.

“It is clear that decisions will now be made at Westminster.

“With Parliament returning this week, the Government will be required to live up to their commitments to ensure the good governance of Northern Ireland.”

TUV leader Jim Allister said yesterday’s discussions were “not designed to address the core of the problem but to resurrect failed institutions”.

He added: “The fundamental issue with the Stormont structures is that they cannot operate without Sinn Fein/IRA, a party which has no interest in Northern Ireland existing, much less succeeding and prospering.

“Unless and until there is the will to face up to that reality, there is no point in talks.

“The best that can be hoped for otherwise is that enough sticking plaster is found to put the institutions back in place until the next crisis, real or manufactured, comes along.”

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